http://standardspeaker.com/news/toohil-opposition-call-release-of-photos-dirty-politics-1.1389876
Once again, I'm way behind on my research for this election season, so I apologize for leaving you all hanging with my last post. But today I saw an article in the paper which greatly disturbed me: Tarah Toohil Smoked Pot in College.
Tarah Toohil is my representative in the state Assembly. She's a Republican, believes strongly in job creation and controlling the cost of government, votes generally on her party line but is quite vocal about her opinions on most issues. She was also born in a year that I remember, and makes me feel old. And she may have kissed a girl and liked it.
A video appeared on YouTube showing a photo montage of Toohil engaged in a number of "questionable" activities, including (but not limited to) possibly smoking marijuana and kissing another girl. Oh horrors. How many of you smoked pot at least once in college? Probably a majority of you. Hell, even I smoked pot in college, and I never even went to college! I would also wager that an increasing number of young women have engaged in a more-than-friendly kiss with another young women -- still a minority, but growing. Women are more comfortable with their sexuality than ever before, even Pennsylvanians, so expect to see more of it.
As we move through life, we make decisions which affect the outcomes of our lives as well as shaping our personalities. The best decisions are those based on careful deliberation and consultation with sources of wisdom. Most people I know did not do so before the age of 25 -- and a growing plurality who are still muddling their way through life on some issues in exactly the same fashion. I didn't consider myself fully an adult until I was 33, and I still have growing to do. We all accumulate wisdom as we live and decide and act, so it logically follows that when we are young we lack wisdom and sometimes make bad decisions. Some of those decisions -- Tarah Toohil's decision to try pot in college, for example -- do not reflect the character of a person later in life. Even the Luzerne County Democratic Party, whose candidate Ransom Young is opposing Toohil this fall, affirmed this, calling the video "dirty, nasty politics at its worst."
Does all of this sound familiar? Herman Cain was drummed out of the Republican primary race early this spring over allegations of sexual misconduct from decades previously. Bill Clinton faced allegations during his candidacy of smoking pot in college. And yes, even our current President smoked pot in high school, according to sources (putting the "pot" in "POTUS").
When I was little, I would pick up any random reptile which came across my path. I now know that it is unwise to do so. When I was in my twenties, I smoked marijuana a grand total of four times. I gave up trying because it made me think in ways which made me feel uncomfortable afterward. The same goes for excessive drinking, chain smoking, and overeating -- all unwise behaviors in which I engaged at some point and have since stopped.
My point is that unwisdom early in life does not necessarily reflect a lack of wisdom later. The article linked at the top of this page includes statements which show that I am far from being the only person who thinks so. Politics in America need to grow up if we are to craft a better future for our children.
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