Paul Manafort Sr., a former member of Donald Trump’s presidential cabinet and now convicted felon, now lives a life of luxury behind bars in a prison in rural Virginia. Originally, Manafort was placed into a holding cell in the midst of summer 2018, and awaits an actual prison sentence. He is charged with money laundering within the Ukraine, evading US Tax regulations, and failing to register as an activist for the Ukrainian (pro-Russian) government.

This story, at a minimum, should be considered for a news highlight reel of 2018. A member of the our own government was found to have improper business dealings, one who we expect to represent the beliefs of the American people. And when one could think that he could at least meet the expectation of every person who is convicted or punishment, the complete opposite happens, and said person continues to cheat the system. Technically, Manafort was placed in holding, and has not been convicted yet. But even in holding, one only receives a holding cell, along with a handful of phone calls to lawyers and family members. Since being placed in holding, Manafort has made over 200 phone calls and a laptop, on which he has sent dozens of emails to his lawyers and other unnamed persons.

The chain of events currently stands as a lengthy one, but that should not deter one from doing what is morally correct. If our politicians, whom we expect to run our country and make decisions for us, are found that they can’t even fulfill their duty, then that should be a telltale indicator showing that the people should take action and fulfill their own duty, to alter or outright demolish and rebuild the government.