Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman’s proposal to rename the “Moral Courage Award” after the late Ralph Hughes is now reality. Norman’s had, as we know, worse ideas, but this one is bad. Unless political agenda is somehow synonymous with moral courage.
If there had to be any kind of name change, then it would have been more appropriate to have called it the “Gadfly Award,” which often applies, or maybe the “Self-Interest Award,” which also has applied in the past. Or simply an “Attaboy Award” for those who merely do their job, but do it well enough.
Better yet, the “Moral Courage Award” appellation should have been kept as it was and then bestowed (RARELY but) meaningfully. That would be in keeping with what former Hillsborough County Commissioner Jan Platt intended when she initiated it in 1992: honoring those who had guts – not gall – and stood up against the intimidating forces of corruption and abusive power. Let’s face it; the truly morally courageous don’t come around that often.
Even Ralph Hughes might have agreed.