Your Price. Do You Know What It Is?

James O'Keefe, formerly of Project Veritas, now with O'Keefe Media Group, tells Eric Metaxas His Price. Is it yours?

Every Man Has His Price

Years ago, my father told me about a conversation he’d had with his older brother. In his eyes, this brother was probably the most honorable man my father ever knew.

In this very philosophical conversation, my uncle made the argument to his brother — “Every man has his price.” This statement coming from this man — the brother he adored and one my father knew just could not be bought — shocked my father.

This deeply, wholly honorable man? How could he say that — that every man, himself included, had his price?

You don’t have a price, my father said. Not you…Oh, yes, even me, my uncle replied. I’m lucky, he said, that so far this life just hasn’t presented me with circumstances to truly test what my price is. But I’ve got one, you’ve got one, and so does every man.

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Fast forward. A recent post on LinkedIn featured James O’Keefe of O’Keefe Media Group and Eric Metaxas. Upon hearing James’s comments, I immediately thought of my father’s story.

Within an appropriate context for the question, James poses the following:

“What is your price? Is it $10 million? Is it $20 million? Is it $100 million?”

“This is a tough one…What is your price? Because if your price is not your life, then you are for sale.”

Pregnant pause — and stunned audience. James repeats, slowly, for emphasis:

“If your price is not your life, then you are for sale.”

So, if you’re gonna be a truth teller, your price has to be your life.”

James goes on, saying that at one point while still at Project Veritas, he looked around the room. He asked himself,

“How many of these people would take a $20 million bribe? And not that anyone did, but I remember thinking I can’t surround myself with people whose price is not their life…because the enemy…will attack the vulnerability of the person who can be compromised…”

Coming from James, this stance is unsurprising, but it got me to wondering. For truth telling, James will give his life. A stiff price…but what costs go into that price? (That’s the business person in me, the M.B.A. talkin’. Cost and price, often used synonymously, are two different things.)

Perhaps one of the costs, I thought, is that James would forego a wife and/or children. Or…maybe he finds a woman for whom her price is also her life. But what about other costs that involve others’ lives?? Price goes beyond mere money…

I made a comment to this effect on the LinkedIn post, and here is one of the “responses” I got back — from a guy:

“…your reason is flawed; perhaps, just perhaps it has to do with being a woman and not a brave christian man who does not think of himself. Are you aware of what bravery costs and what is needed now!!! Your emotional plea weaken all; they are self centered and why we are in this mess now.

Oh, dear God…

Remaining polite, I responded:

“Uh...no. It has to do with thinking, Frank*. I made no plea. I merely made an observation.

Certainly, a man like James might attract a woman whose price is her life. Both have the right to take that stance. Do they impose that on little ones? Perhaps.

I'm just saying that a brave man -- willing to give his life for a cause -- may endure the cost of foregoing marriage and/or children as part of the whole price he is willing to pay.

Do you get the difference there, Frank*?”

*Not the guy’s real name.

I never heard back.

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So. Does James have a price he doesn’t know about? If he — willing to give his own life — has a favorite little sister, does he allow her life to be taken? Is that a cost he’d bear? A price he would pay?

The evil ones of this world — the enemies of the Good, willing to murder — know that for men and women of honor, who would gladly give their own life, there is something worse than losing it. There is another price beyond their own life that many simply cannot, will not pay — and that is the murder or torture of someone they love more than themselves. And yes, perhaps, more than truth itself.

Would that be James’s price? Is that his vulnerability?

What is your price? As my very honorable uncle declared, everyone’s got one — even if they declare otherwise. I hate to admit it, but I think he was right. What do you think?