Do we really want to judge people by what they might have done as kids?

vito · February 6, 2019, 03:12 PM

I have no love for the governor of Virginia as he scrambles to save his job despite the calls for his resignation over some photos from his youth that are racially offensive. But do we really want to use that as criteria for our leaders? Just a few years ago the most esteemed and honored member of the U.S. Senate was Robert Byrd, of West Virginia who had been a high ranking KKK member in his earlier adult days. At that time it was not considered disqualifying for him. Maybe that was because he was a Democrat, or maybe we were not as insane as society seems today to be unforgiving for youthful indiscretions.

And if Gov. Northam should be forced to resign, what about if it is discovered that some other high placed elected official did something similar when they were in high school? Or what if when in Junior High they used the "N" word during a schoolyard fight? Or what if they said something unacceptable when in kindergarten? Isn't all this a bit absurd?

On the other hand, if a lack of forgiveness is the rule for Republicans, we certainly need the same criteria for Democrats. But this is all really crazy.

SIGSHR · February 6, 2019, 03:54 PM

It's the PC and the Leftists who have decided on this Leninist-Stalinist policy of non-forgiveness and errors of judgement and behavior made years ago-even if they violated
no laws and were merely in bad taste and immature-can be used to condemn people in the present.

MikeG · February 6, 2019, 03:55 PM

No, we don't want anyone to be destroyed by the small mistakes or ignorance of youth. All of us can be vulnerable to that. That is just as wrong as judging history by modern 'sensibilities. But to have one group exploit and weaponize a person's past while covering up their own is equally wrong. Maybe if we establish a form of "Mutually Assured Destruction" in regards to peoples' past deeds, we can end the politics of personal destruction.

Pahoo · February 6, 2019, 04:03 PM

I better make this gun-related or the mods are going to shut it down. In my youth and younger days, I made Zip guns, Muzzle Loaders and cannons. I also did some pretty dumb hunting stuff, like poaching. That is one reason I got into Hunter Safety Instructing. …..

I hope I will always be judged by my best days and acts and not what I did many years ago ….

Be Safe !!!

thallub · February 6, 2019, 04:43 PM

Lots of folks did stuff in their youth that is condemned today. IMO: Young folks are supposed to have fun.

In my younger teens i specialized in making shotgun pistols. No one ever informed me about the federal law.

BTW: A 12 gauge pistol with a 6-8 inch barrel was awesome.

TXAZ · February 6, 2019, 05:16 PM

"Youthful indiscretions" are a part of everyone's history. The problem is the hypocrisy that 'some'

seem to like to bring out in oppo research but hide or disregard for compatriots. ..

**44 AMP** · February 6, 2019, 05:44 PM

Quote:

No, we don't want anyone to be destroyed by the small mistakes or ignorance of youth.

Do you mean like a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction 50 years ago barring you from possessing firearms today and for the rest of your natural life??

Do you mean like how convicted felons, after having served ALL their time (prison, parole, probation, all of it) not getting the right to own a gun back?? We took that away in 1968...

Today's attitudes are the predictable evolution of Political Correctness. Fueled by the power of instant mass communication and the leadership of mob rule.

Apparently, if you've ever done anything that someone TODAY finds offensive, its ok for them to call you every name in the book and demand you not be allowed to hold public office, direct a movie, be allowed around children, or anything else they can think of...

And I'm sure they'd add owning a gun to that list if they could.

I don't want "perfect" people running government, or my life. I want people who are flawed just enough to understand how we aren't perfect, and have a degree of sympathy for that.

I don't care if someone "touched a woman inappropriately" at a drunken party 35 years ago...(if it wasn't rape then, its not rape now!) I don't care if someone smoked dope 20 years ago (or 40) I do care about the married guy sending pictures of himself in his underwear to women who aren't his wife, from his Legislative office, last week...

I agree that SOME of the "sins of our past" should carry with is for our lifetime. Really bad things, (like murder, for example), but punishing people today for things they did decades ago which WERE NOT CIMES, is more than just petty and vindictive, tis chickens...dung.

Ricklin · February 6, 2019, 05:59 PM

Everyone here is fully cognizant of the fact that when we pull the trigger, there is no taking back the bullet.
No one told us that as of "the millennium" and the post Y2K world that any act done in our past would be used to both judge and especially punish us.

Closeted politicians? No not like that, I'm talking being born in a closet and never leaving that closet until it's time to run for public office. bout the only way to stay clear of the politics of personal destruction is to never do anything.

We have gotten to a place where people believe that the wrongs of the past can be righted in the present.

We ca't change the past, we can only learn from it. Those that do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Theohazard · February 6, 2019, 06:13 PM

How is this thread still open? I don’t see anything gun-related in the OP’s post.

February 6, 2019, 03:12 PM	#1
vito Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2004 Location: IL Posts: 853	Do we really want to judge people by what they might have done as kids? I have no love for the governor of Virginia as he scrambles to save his job despite the calls for his resignation over some photos from his youth that are racially offensive. But do we really want to use that as criteria for our leaders? Just a few years ago the most esteemed and honored member of the U.S. Senate was Robert Byrd, of West Virginia who had been a high ranking KKK member in his earlier adult days. At that time it was not considered disqualifying for him. Maybe that was because he was a Democrat, or maybe we were not as insane as society seems today to be unforgiving for youthful indiscretions. And if Gov. Northam should be forced to resign, what about if it is discovered that some other high placed elected official did something similar when they were in high school? Or what if when in Junior High they used the "N" word during a schoolyard fight? Or what if they said something unacceptable when in kindergarten? Isn't all this a bit absurd? On the other hand, if a lack of forgiveness is the rule for Republicans, we certainly need the same criteria for Democrats. But this is all really crazy. __________________ People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” ― George Orwell

February 6, 2019, 04:03 PM	#4
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	Measure me now, not but not then !!! I better make this gun-related or the mods are going to shut it down. In my youth and younger days, I made Zip guns, Muzzle Loaders and cannons. I also did some pretty dumb hunting stuff, like poaching. That is one reason I got into Hunter Safety Instructing. ….. I hope I will always be judged by my best days and acts and not what I did many years ago …. Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

February 6, 2019, 05:16 PM	#6
TXAZ Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2010 Location: McMurdo Sound Texas Posts: 4,322	"Youthful indiscretions" are a part of everyone's history. The problem is the hypocrisy that 'some' seem to like to bring out in oppo research but hide or disregard for compatriots. .. __________________ Cave illos in guns et backhoes

February 6, 2019, 05:59 PM	#8
Ricklin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Location: SW Washington state Posts: 2,011	Is it like a bullet??? Everyone here is fully cognizant of the fact that when we pull the trigger, there is no taking back the bullet. No one told us that as of "the millennium" and the post Y2K world that any act done in our past would be used to both judge and especially punish us. Closeted politicians? No not like that, I'm talking being born in a closet and never leaving that closet until it's time to run for public office. bout the only way to stay clear of the politics of personal destruction is to never do anything. We have gotten to a place where people believe that the wrongs of the past can be righted in the present. We ca't change the past, we can only learn from it. Those that do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. __________________ ricklin Freedom is not free

February 6, 2019, 06:13 PM	#9
Theohazard Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2012 Location: Western PA Posts: 3,829	How is this thread still open? I don’t see anything gun-related in the OP’s post. __________________ 0331: "Accuracy by volume."

February 6, 2019, 03:54 PM	#2
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	It's the PC and the Leftists who have decided on this Leninist-Stalinist policy of non-forgiveness and errors of judgement and behavior made years ago-even if they violated no laws and were merely in bad taste and immature-can be used to condemn people in the present.

February 6, 2019, 03:55 PM	#3
MikeG Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 2002 Location: Falcon Colorado Posts: 256	No, we don't want anyone to be destroyed by the small mistakes or ignorance of youth. All of us can be vulnerable to that. That is just as wrong as judging history by modern 'sensibilities. But to have one group exploit and weaponize a person's past while covering up their own is equally wrong. Maybe if we establish a form of "Mutually Assured Destruction" in regards to peoples' past deeds, we can end the politics of personal destruction.

February 6, 2019, 04:43 PM	#5
thallub Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: South Western OK Posts: 3,112	Lots of folks did stuff in their youth that is condemned today. IMO: Young folks are supposed to have fun. In my younger teens i specialized in making shotgun pistols. No one ever informed me about the federal law. BTW: A 12 gauge pistol with a 6-8 inch barrel was awesome.