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As I write this column I am at Buffalo “I” Day one of the largest insurance events in New York State. As I attended the luncheon my mind was on writing this column. I was struck by the comments of the individual who gave the blessing as well as the theme of the guest speaker.

At the beginning of the luncheon the clergyman who gave the blessing mentioned how he and his family had a connection with those of us in attendance. He told us that not only was his brother an independent insurance agent he also had an insurance license in addition to being a pastor. He acknowledged that many in attendance probably found merging insurance with being a member of the clergy quite strange. He didn’t think it was at all strange and went on to explain. He reminded the audience about the positive role they fulfill in the community by assisting people at their time of need. When there has been an accident, fire, unexpected death or some other tragic event many times it is the insurance agent who is one of the first people to comfort the affected parties and assist them in dealing with the problem. He equated that assistance as “ministering” to the needs of their clients and so he saw a real correlation between his insurance license and the clergy work he does ministering to his flock. The luncheon speaker was Bill Bradley, Rhodes scholar, NBA player, Olympic champion and ex-state senator from New Jersey.

His talk centered around integrity being the most important thing someone has and the outstanding achievements of ordinary people. I couldn’t help but think about how much those two issues relate to independent agents and brokers across New York. Currently a majority of agents and brokers feel like their integrity has been questioned and their reputations have been maligned. It has stirred up a lot of controversy and drawn agent’s attention away from the most important service they offer – protecting and rebuilding the lives of their clients when they have experienced a devastating physical and emotional event. I believe agents and brokers would fall into the category of ordinary people who should be recognized for their outstanding achievements. They are the protector of their clients and in many cases the rebuilder of their communities when unforeseen events occur. They go the extra mile working with their clients to put them back the way they were before the event occurred.

Unfortunately right now insurance has become a dirty word because of healthcare reform and the financial problems caused by AIG. Because of those issues all of us in the industry are being criticized and dragged through the mud. There are times when I hear people talking negatively about insur ance I want to grab them by the neck and make them apologize for vilifying all of us because of the sins of a very small minority. They just won’t acknowledge that there are great many hard working and caring people employed in our business.

So you’re probably wondering what my point is. My point is to encourage all agents and brokers to not allow these negative comments to affect them. Take a second and reflect on all the positive things you do for your clients and communities. Realize that the insurance community as a whole has a very positive effect on the world we live in. Acknowledge that those who condemn our whole industry and the people that work in it are ignorant or have a hidden agenda. Stay involved and fight the fight to protect the reputation and honesty of our profession but don’t get so involved that you lose sight of our primary mission - protecting our clients and communities. It’s easy to forget the importance of who we are and what we do with so many negative issues and distractions.