About the Center For Public Conscience

The technology, pace and circumstances of the twentieth century have completely transformed America. Wealth and power have come to us in almost unimaginable amounts and constitute the double helixes of our political and cultural DNA.

In a little over two centuries we have evolved from thirteen separate colonies to the world's sole superpower. The dizzying rate at which this occurred has brought significant change to all aspects of our national life-- so much so that, as we stand on the edge of the twenty-first century, increasingly distancing ourselves from our political and ethical origins, we think America is again faced with defining who and what we are.

It appears to us that many of the ethical and moral values that served as foundations for the birth of our country have been swept away, bypassed or discarded in our ascent to global prominence. In the process our nobility at birth has been replaced by hubris and cynicism.

We view as a key factor in our national transformation the failure of many of our public and private institutions to carry out their missions to defend those for whose protection they were founded and to moderate extreme human behavior and the various social risks that it generates.

Today, any attempt to objectively evaluate our institutions' role in our national life cannot help but reveal an ethical deterioration that compromises both our original purpose and our present results. Accordingly, Matters of Conscience frequently comments on anomalies between our past and present values.

Peaceful change doesn't come quickly to large, functional democracies. Nor does it come from one place. We hope Matters of Conscience will challenge its readers to objective thought and action as to America's place at home and abroad, and to make such legislative and cultural changes as called for by the common good under our constitution and conscience.

Bromwell Ault, Editor (about Bromwell Ault)	Sandra Beck, Publisher

 
Editor's note: this site is being maintained posthumously for archival purposes. Bromwell Ault passed in 2021.