MAIL FORWARDED TO A NEW ADDRESS IN SIBERIA

 

Everyone is flawed.  We know this but we repeatedly try to make sinners out of saints and vice versa.  There is a difference between getting arrested for shoplifting and being found guilty of spousal assault.  There is no such thing as the court of public opinion but we repeatedly use this nonsensical institution to make final judgments on people who get caught sinning.  We hold our public figures to a ridiculously high standard that they'll never be able to achieve.  We are looking for these people to be heroes when we should be casting our eyes and ears elsewhere.

     If a person is found guilty of something illegal such as having sex with a minor, serves his time, attends therapy, and then proceeds to save several people who were trapped in a burning building, how do we judge him?  Is there any change in perception of that person?

     If a person apologizes for appalling behavior on audio or video several decades ago, do we forgive them or do we severely punish them to make an example to the rest of the world that this type of behavior is never acceptable?  Do we still punish the person after a lifetime of public service and helping the same people who are punishing him?  Will we ever let this person back into public life or will we forever banish them to their own private Siberian-like hell?

     Every incident should be judged on case by case basis-not in the court of public opinion but in an actual courtroom.  To me, this is simple common sense that has been devoured and swallowed by the faceless mob courtesy of social media created for the sole purpose of provoking emotions and knee-jerk reactions rather than laying out all of the evidence in a rational matter and then making your best judgment to find one a upstanding person or not.  And what really qualifies one as upstanding?  Isn't that subjective as well?

     We celebrate national holidays for people we now know were far from perfect people but yet did everything they could to make life better for many of us.  How do we separate private life from public service?  Have we lost the ability to forgive but not forget?

      Going back to my first two scenarios, would you perception change if the person arresting for shoplifting was doing so because they were trying to feed their family after being let go from their job?  Would you perception change if the person found guilty of spousal assault wasn't correctly diagnosed with PTSD after serving in a overseas war causing them to lash out irrationally because of an illness that was overlooked? 

      We know the answers.  How willing are we to roll up our sleeves and face them?  I have a scary feeling that the easy way out doesn't have a return entrance.