Public Service: To Infinity and Beyond

I was reading the print version of the Wall Street Journal today, and came upon an ad (which, according to this press release I dug up, has been running since Sept. 2006) that I think says a lot about how public service is viewed in this country now. I'll let the text of the ad speak for itself:

There’s an old saying: “The sins of the father will be visited upon the son.” But the same can be said about the father’s good deeds. Take Justin Kawabori, for example. His father is a civil servant in Seattle who develops programs for the elderly. From that influence, Justin became interested in public service at an early age. And after graduating from college, he became a campaign consultant for various political organizations and candidates. But rather than change policy from the top down, Justin wanted to make a difference from the bottom-up, grassroots level. So he left campaign consulting and went to work for several charitable organizations, where philanthropic entrepreneurship and fundraising allowed him to help advance initiatives in family-friendly business and faith-based welfare reform. Recently, Justin returned to consulting, but this time with an expanded expertise. He formed his own company, KC Communications, which covers a broad range of PR, marketing and communications. He enjoys his new line of work. He’s proud that he’s been able to make a difference. And so is his father.

Justin Kawabori drives the Infiniti G Sedan.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not trying to suggest by posting this that there's something illegitimate about what Kawabori is doing with his life -- just that today's concept of "public service" doesn't necessarily involve working for the government, and doesn't preclude making enough money that you can afford to drive an Infiniti.