A drug dealer gets caught and goes down hard. Turns out, he has been dealing not only to adults but teens and pre-teens at a nearby junior and senior high school. It is his first conviction but a serious one. He’s getting prison time. He deserves it.
A college kid partied half the night at his friend’s house. He wakes up about 3 in the morning and although still intoxicated, makes the bad decision to drive home. He hits someone who is working on a utility pole. Bad timing, irresponsible decisions and two lives and two families are changed forever.
Both parties in the above situations did wrong. Both will be paying for it in one way or another for the rest of their lives.
What would the outcome have been if either of them were politicians? We have had presidents, senators, governors and other elected officials go through scandals over the years. Personally, this writer thinks the adultery situations are between the husband and wife. But we know all about Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. We have heard all about Clinton and the dress.
Did you know President Grant was an alcoholic? Did you know President Bush had a problem with alcohol? Did you know President Obama got high and, according to friends, indulged in drinking and cocaine while still in high school?
Drug and alcohol problems are shameful if they are being done by the neighbor down the street. They are overlooked and accepted when they are elected officials. A man has an affair and it is all over the news; he does drugs or alcohol and it is forgiven.
Did you know that it is (or SHOULD BE) just as illegal for him to drink and drive? Did you know innocent passer-bys could be endangered by his intoxicated decisions? Did you know there is no codicil (supposedly) in drug and alcohol laws that state: This applies to all citizens except for elected officials.
Adultery is wrong. Still, some women will put up with it out of love or their desire to retain their status. That is their business in my opinion. What is my business is if my elected official is drinking and driving, is shooting up or getting high. Why? Because I am a parent who teaches my children to do as I say and do as I do. How do we teach our kids right from wrong when they only see celebrity teens getting ripped for drug and alcohol use and elected government officials getting a pat on the back? Double standards do apply and I keep them in mind when I go to the voting booth.