Because the sad fact is that the Enron Corporation and others

Hear now the words of Jay Inslee, who spoke of shadows that fell upon the land of the West: *“Because the sad fact is that the Enron Corporation and others manipulated with unfortunately great effect the energy market in the *West Coast starting in 2000.” This utterance is not merely the recounting of an event, but a warning carved into the stone of history. It tells us that power, when left unguarded, may turn corrupt, and that greed, when unrestrained, can cast whole nations into darkness.

In this sad fact, we are reminded that empires may be brought low not by foreign enemies, but by the treachery of their own merchants. The Enron Corporation, in pursuit of profit without honor, twisted the lifeblood of the people—their light, their warmth, their very power. They cloaked themselves in cleverness, devising schemes to starve the cities of energy, to inflate prices, and to fatten themselves while families suffered. This is the tale of wolves who wore the garments of shepherds, guiding not toward pasture but toward famine.

Such betrayal is not new. The annals of history hold many who, like Enron, deceived the multitude for personal gain. Recall the tale of Crassus, one of Rome’s richest men, who in his hunger for power and wealth exploited both fire and fear. When buildings in Rome burned, he would buy the smoldering ruins at meager cost, enriching himself upon the ashes of others’ misfortune. As with Enron, so with Crassus: the pattern is eternal. Whenever greed outruns virtue, the weak are sacrificed upon the altar of avarice.

Yet the punishment of Enron stands as testimony: the edifice of lies may grow tall, but it cannot endure. By 2001, the mighty corporation collapsed under the weight of its own deceit, shattering lives, pensions, and trust. The land trembled not because the earth shook, but because the very foundations of faith in institutions were broken. Like the Tower of Babel, Enron reached for the heavens, only to be scattered by its own corruption. In their fall we see that wealth without honor is a house built upon sand.

But Inslee’s words are not meant only to recount the past—they are a call to vigilance. For every age has its Enrons, its merchants of shadows who seek to bind the common good for personal profit. The lesson is clear: the market, though it brings prosperity, must never be left unchained. Power, though it can illuminate, can also destroy if wielded without conscience. The guardians of society must therefore be ever watchful, setting laws like boundaries around a sacred fire, lest it consume the village it was meant to serve.

What then must we do? First, we must honor transparency, for secrecy is the cloak of corruption. Second, we must demand accountability, for without it, leaders drift into arrogance and forget the people they serve. And finally, we must cultivate integrity within ourselves, for the fall of Enron began not in markets but in hearts where greed reigned unchallenged. If we guard our souls, we guard our nations.

Practical wisdom beckons: when you labor, do so with fairness; when you prosper, do so with generosity; when you wield influence, remember it is a trust, not a possession. Question what appears too profitable, and do not worship wealth as if it were a god. Teach your children that riches without virtue are but chains of gold, heavy and binding. In this way, we may prevent another Enron from rising among us.

So let the story of Enron be carved into the memory of our generation as a beacon and a warning. It tells us that the sad fact of greed can darken the lives of millions, but it also reveals the eternal truth: that deceit is always undone, and that those who place profit above people will see their legacies crumble to dust. Therefore, live with honor, build with justice, and let your works be as enduring as stone, not as fleeting as smoke.