A Contrast in Contrition (Hunter Field Editor’s Note)

Steve Clark was one of the state’s most promising young politicians before alcoholism and a 1990 theft by deception conviction. Then came bankruptcy and, eventually, redemption through a good marriage and a fulfilling job at the Fayetteville Chamber. (Michael Woods)

The story of Steve Clark is a beautiful lesson about human nature and a great demonstration of something I wrote here a few weeks ago about another young Arkansas politician who found himself in trouble with the law — man has the capacity to change.

Clark’s story is also a reminder that, given the chance, people want to forgive their fellow man.

In politics and business, few currencies are more valuable than trust, and few things are harder to rebuild once lost. But Clark showed it can be done, though it may take time and effort.

It’s difficult to imagine a farther fall from grace. As our Marty Cook wrote last week in a profile of Clark, freshly retired after a career as head of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce: “Any account of Steve Clark’s present has to include his spectacular rise and fall from his previous life: chief of staff for Gov. David Pryor at age 29, the state’s attorney general at 31, felony conviction for theft by deception at 43, bankruptcy, alcoholism, a destroyed reputation.”

Perhaps even harder to imagine than his fall is the way he rebuilt himself. After leaving Arkansas to deal with his alcoholism, it would have been so easy to leave for good the place where his reputation was tarnished. But he didn’t. Clark came back, and not only did he return, he jumped back into the arena, running for public office and taking over the very public job of running one of the state’s largest chambers of commerce.

He didn’t run from his story; he confronted it openly and honestly. He acknowledged the substance abuse without trying to absolve himself of the blame.

“I was a jerk a lot of times when I was drunk. I was a jerk sometimes when I wasn’t drunk,” Clark told Marty in an interview recently. “The truth is, for an alcoholic to stay sober, and I’ve been sober a little over 30 years, he has to tell himself the truth. I did, as an asshole, do these things, and you can’t color them a little bit rosier.”

I believe this made him someone that Arkansans could get behind even with a pile of baggage in his past. Mention Steve Clark today and most simply respect and even admire him.

Compare this to the politician I mentioned earlier who was recently released from federal prison thanks to a presidential pardon. As of yet, he doesn’t seem to have the contrition exhibited by Clark, who received a pardon himself. I have no intention of mentioning that other politician by name on this page again, though I hope he finds a way to change my mind. He ought to look to the example set by a man from northwest Arkansas who recently retired from the Fayetteville chamber.

Email Hunter Field, editor of Arkansas Business, at hfield@abpg.com