WE NEED A NEW STANDARD FOR WHEN POLITICIANS SHOULD STEP DOWN

Richmond, VA I Other Words

Eyewitness Palestine delegate Tracy R. has a message for us:

“It goes like this: Morally speaking, if you hurt people, and you can’t humble yourself to consider the feelings of those you’ve harmed, you have to step down. Practically speaking, you can’t remain in office after crossing a line that harms the majority of your base.

This was the kind of precedent that saw prominent former Senator Al Franken (D-MN) resign for sexual misconduct in the era of “Me Too.” But it’s not just about resignations — this standard also enabled the most diverse House of Representatives ever to be sworn into office this year, a true reflection of the melting pot that is the United States of America.

Of the top three officials, Mark Herring was the only one to humbly admit guilt and offer a confession. ‘Forgiveness in instances like these is a complicated process,’ he said, ‘one that necessarily cannot and should not be decided by anyone but those directly affected by the transgressor.’”

She concludes: “We must hold all elected officials to a standard of accountability that affirms all people. And those directly affected by the scandals that rocked Virginia — particularly Black people and women — should be the ones to determine the fate of their elected leaders.”

To read the full article, click the link here: https://otherwords.org/we-need-a-new-standard-for-when-politicians-should-step-down/