Foundry stones

Much has been written about Ken Lay’s life and death since he passed away earlier this week. For a long time I have made it a point not to sit around judging others, as it is very difficult to connect the dots correctly from afar. I believe that there are at least two sides to every story and that what often appears in the media as hard news may be an editorial comment that may or may not portray the reality of a given situation. Also, just meeting someone who knows someone will rarely provide you with accurate information related to the actual events of a situation, especially one that is embroiled in controversy.

Regardless of how I feel about Mr. Lay, I was really put off by a lot of the things I read about death. After all, he was more than a businessman … he was a human being who was a husband, father, grandfather, church member, and active in his community. I always find it tragic when people’s lives are reduced to gossip and innuendo. Human beings are imperfect creatures, and I have yet to come across any business leaders who cannot recite various decisions that they wish they hadn’t made. It so happens that some mistakes are more public than others and for most people it is much easier to point the finger at those who have been in the limelight rather than deal with their own private indiscretions.

Okay, I’ll get out of my soap box now and give you other people’s perspective. I have read several different articles written about Mr. Lay over the past few days, but I think the following three people cover the subject at hand from all angles. While the comments below refer specifically to the life of Ken Lay, I encourage you to take a step back and read the following comment with the bigger picture in mind … As you read the following comments, think about your perspective on the people and how you choose to see life in general:

Comment # 1, obviously written by a critic of Mr. Lay:

Lay had recently been convicted of a plethora of felonies, and was staring at the conclusion that he would likely spend the rest of his life in jail. Obviously, this news makes that scenario moot, and I’m sure there is. numerous lawyers, jurors and journalists who feel they have wasted a good part of their lives during the recent trials.
The mainstream media appears to be flirting with turning Kenny-Boy into a martyr, almost portraying him as the victim of a stressful trial and prosecution. I think this is total bullshit. Whether Lay was aware of all the corrupt practices at Enron or not, and I think he did, his company screwed up a ton of people and as the head of the corporation, the blame must fall on his shoulders. His rise from very bad beginnings in my home state, graduating from my alma mater, and eventually becoming the director of a major energy company are certainly commendable and impressive. However, the downfall of that fraudulent and corrupt company was criminal, and Lay deserved everything he got. It is a pity that he is dead, because seeing him taken to prison could have given some peace to those who were burned for his company sham. “

Comment no. 2, obviously written by someone who knew and respected Mr. Lay, offering the flip side of opinion no. Previous # 1:

“Ken Lay was a deacon at FMC Houston. There he chose to serve the homeless communion every Sunday. There he befriended the poor. There he gave money for food, clothing and shelter. His gifts were with his heart. People he knew. this the Gentile man would not recognize from the media descriptions.
Ken returned to Enron to save the company from trouble. I didn’t know Andy Fastow, the CFO was lying to investors with creative accounting. Why would he go back to a company he founded … and don the cloak of a conspiracy that made him obsolete? Ken had a margin call … an order from the bank to sell his Enron stock, due to the decrease in equity value. That is why he sold the shares. Ken believed in the company, believed in what Fastow told him.

Go to Ken Lay info.com and read the court transcripts and watch the meetings where you are accused of promoting Enron stock to investors. In those meetings he is straightforward, honest, and tells the accounting department. “Vanilla is fine …” … I mean … when I am the leader again, we don’t need creative accounting. Please do not take his point of view on Ken from the newspaper reports and a jury who did not understand the finances. “

Comment # 3, this opinion taken from the New York Times and falls somewhere between comments 1 and 2 above:

“Mr. Lay was quite convicted of his crimes, but he was also a father and grandfather, whose family mourns his passing. He was on his way to the penitentiary, but that didn’t have to be the end for him. An opportunity to use his personal skills to help. other prisoners. And at 64, after all, he might have had another chance in that third act. Michael Milken has devoted much of his resources to medical research since he served his sentence. What Ken Lay could have done We will never know. Most likely it would have been interesting. “

Bad actions are certainly bad actions and good intentions do not justify deviant behavior. That being said, experience tells me that there is probably some truth to all of the above statements, but the bigger issue is not how we feel about Mr. Lay, but how we treat other people in general … times and in the worst of cases. Don’t allow yourself to be a good-weather friend or gossip … Rather, understand that most of us are unaware of others’ inner thoughts and motivations. We must bear in mind that all people make mistakes and that mistakes do not necessarily make you evil, they only make you human.