What do umpires, judges, and teachers have in common?

Thomas Sowell in the Washington Times explains why, whether we’re talking about umpires, judges, or teachers, the arbitrary exercise of power will eventually lead to the imposition of rules and standards to correct abuse. These standards — electronic devices to check umpires, restrictive sentencing guidelines for judges, and testing of students for teachers — may or may not improve matters. But those who complain about the standards are usually the same people who ignored the pattern of abuse that brought them into being. As Sowell concludes, “accountability may be old-fashioned but it is not obsolete. It is our only hope when there are headstrong people with power.”

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