You don't need to be told that we live in a superficial society. We (at least men) surf the channels on the television, catching a glimpse of multiple shows without really watching any one in depth. Increasing numbers of us are doing the same with the internet, confusing access to multiple sources of information for comprehension of it. We are obsessed with physical appearance, creating a massive cosmetic surgery industry while many Americans lack basic health care. It used to be a joke when Billy Crystal's Fernando character on Saturday Night Live would say, "It's more important to look good than it is to feel good." It ain't funny any more.

Increasingly, Americans seem to accept it as a given that public life is disconnected from personal morality, so the idea of ethical accountability fo…