Ah, NO. Let me repeat that. NO.
I just read an article about how Obama should discuss his cocaine use as a teenager more “candidly”. I can’t help but think, what the hell do we know about life when we are teenagers? What the hell do we know about the person we want to be as an adult when we are teenagers? OK, some itsy-bitsy percentage of teens may have these questions under control, but I sure as hell didn’t. I thought I was a Republican in High School. That’s what my parents were then (and ARE now *sigh*), so I figured that’s what I was too. Anyone who knows me, the grown up bill-paying, child-rearing, family-loving version of me now, knows that me being a Republican is about as ridiculous as Greg with long hair.
Back in teenagerhood, I had my “no” disrespected and didn’t do anything about it. Now, my guns are blazing. Proverbial guns, thank you very much. Sure, there are inklings of me today that are the same as that when, those many moons ago. Wait, give me a minute. I’ll think of some example… Really, hang on…
This is not to dismiss the powerful and important life changes that come with those difficult and trying teenage years. Who I am today is a result of who I was back then. I firmly believe that I am a stronger person today because of the mere fact that I got through those years. But I made choices back then that make my skin crawl today. Choices that make me feel incredibly lucky to even be here today to tell this tale. Scary choices that I learned valuable lessons from, and I hope to give my children the tools they will need during their own teenage years to make healthy, safe, and informed choices. But you know what? They will undoubtedly have to learn some life lessons on their own. THIS scares the hell out of me, but I know I can’t keep them in a bubble. Hell, I can’t even keep them in their beds through the night now! Let alone a safe little bubble.
So, trying to use Obama’s drug use as a teenager is a fruitless attempt to make some debasing point that is lost on me. It was a choice that he made, yes. It was something he chose to do to himself. He didn’t sit on someone else and force them to snort. Do the choices he made then make him less of a person today? Wow, I sure as hell hope not. Otherwise people might think really ill of me based on those crazy choices I made back then. I guess the guys trying to use this against him are so damn old they can’t remember their own teenage years and all the stupid crap they did.
Am I going to hold Obama’s drug use as a teen against him? No. Let me repeat that. No. For the same reason that I would hope no one would hold judgement against me for the choices I made as a teen. I shudder at the thought!
Hear effin' hear! Nailed it.
ReplyDeleteNot saying I don't agree with you, but I would say that being the President of the US and being anybody else is a bit different.
ReplyDeleteIf the standards that I would hold you to as a friend or a business leader is the same as the standards I would hold the PRESIDENT of the Free World to, then we are in trouble.
President Bush was a normal guy, who people would have liked to have lunch with at the beginning. Nice, but not too smart with his decision making process.
Joe... Hey, I'm totally with you. I am completely willing to admit I'm not capable of running this country. That's more than I can say for a certain contender *wink*.
ReplyDeleteMy point is that he's willing to admit what he did, back when he was obviously a different person. You are the one who gets upset when people consider Obama a savior, an idiom that I've only heard coming from conservatives. I'm just saying, he's human, and shock upon shock, he was once a teenager that made a poor choice. Haven't we all been there? I just think there are more important things to be discussing, rather than something he did years ago, something to which he is at least willing to admit!
I snorted cocaine once, but I didn't let it enter my bloodstream.
ReplyDelete