By Stephanie Gross
Staff Writer

 “If you like your health care policy, you can keep it.” Those words were uttered by President Obama on numerous occasions over the past few years. It appears the president firmly believes that every citizen in the country should have health insurance coverage.  That is a noble effort.

 The president’s words, however, have turned out to be not quite accurate.  Millions of people are having their health care policies cancelled and are furious about it.

 While the president might ultimately accomplish his goal, his words have caused him to lose credibility with the American public. His approval ratings are plummeting and many people no longer trust him.

He has damaged his reputation and his signature legislation is the butt of many late night talk show jokes and award show humor.  Was it worth it?  Is it OK to fail to fully disclose information you are aware of when you believe you are doing so for a good reason? That is not a difficult question to answer.

It is unacceptable to mislead people even if there is a  “good” reason or a personal agenda.  As teenagers, we are striving to grow up and turn into productive adults.  We are constantly faced with difficult decisions and most of us try to make good choices. There are, however, many occasions when we end up not doing the right thing.

Your credibility can be built or diminished depending on your actions. When a teen tells his parents he is going to do something, such as study for a test, and then ends up going to a party he really wants to attend, the outcome is often not a positive one.  A picture shows up on Facebook, the test grade is poor and parental trust is destroyed.

I know from personal experience that a lack of honesty can kill your credibility. Before I was in high school, my parents tried to teach me good study habits that would prepare me to be successful in high school and college. I promised my parents that I would study hard. Yeah right. I only told them what I knew they wanted to hear so that they thought I was actually doing what they wanted me to.

Looking back, this was beyond a horrible idea. Although I said I was studying, I was always on my phone or social media which was the exact opposite of what I said I was doing. Sound familiar? I think so.

I lost my parents trust. Likewise, President Obama has lost the trust of many people because he promised the American people that they could keep their health care plan if they liked it.

In actuality, five million people are losing their coverage. They are not very happy. The bottom line is telling the truth so you don’t lose your credibility with people. Once trust is lost, it is hard to repair your reputation.

Just ask the president.