John F. Kennedy’s affair with Marilyn Monroe will go down in history as one of the biggest stories of the 1960s. To this day, there is debate as to whether the two actually had a relationship. Six decades later, most people agree that the two did in fact meet without Jackie Kennedy’s knowledge, but the reputation of being a cheater doesn’t seem to have tainted JFK’s all-too-brief political career. And even if the affair hadn’t been true, the allegations alone would not have tarnished his stellar Catholic reputation.
As elected officials, we expect our representatives to be their most honest, most loyal selves; to faithfully represent us and our aspirations; to be good citizens; to create an image of the United States as a strong, united nation, when in reality it is not. And while our representatives, elected officials, and bureaucrats are human like us, and prone to mistakes like us, at what point do we peel back the veil of patriotism and punish our representatives for their moral lapses? At what point do their mistakes become too critical and fatal to a successful political campaign? Do we really want to give morally incompetent people the face and identity to lead this country, and henceforth tarnish it with their abhorrent actions?
Former President Donald Trump Convicted of 34 felonies On May 30, a scam include The jury unanimously found that Trump falsified business records to hide hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Beyond his politics and policy leanings, do we, the American people, really want to be elected and led by a now-convicted felon? His charges were not minor possession charges or matters of self-defense. He was actively I knew what I was doing. Trump was cheating, but he did so to gain the highest power in the country. Not only that, Trump also allegedly bragged about meeting Daniels. In 2006Trump had been married for some time to his third and current wife, Melania Trump, a former First Lady of the United States. Friends on the golf course. Told He specifically said, “I added 20 yards to my drive today,” suggesting the relationship was recent — after he and Melania were married and around the time his youngest child was born.
We can recognize that people make mistakes, and Trump has made a lot of mistakes. Awaiting trial Other allegations Turns out to be true Not only has he proudly bragged about assaulting women over the years; “Grab their private parts.” But unanimously Certified by the jury In 1996, he allegedly sexually abused columnist Jean Carroll.
In opinion polls, Falling approval rating That’s because of his declining approval rating going into the November election and fewer people voting for him, with a majority of moderates and independents likely holding the former president to a higher moral standard. More than half of the voters Many Republicans, despite their views, believe the conviction was fair. Including Trump They own it, but claim not to.
The other options don’t work so well either. President Biden’s already flawed and criticized administration is Commitment to Israel, the current, Commit an atrocity Violence against the Palestinian people. We can sit back and watch as the Biden administration and staff fight for our reproductive rights, the right of all to legally marry, and work to reduce the impact that student loan burdens have on our people, but how can we be satisfied with his policies and actions when he is complicit in genocide? We are asked to vote for Biden to keep government out of the womb, to marginally improve the situation for people of color, and to stop America from committing environmental destruction, but in doing so, Repeated reinforcement Israeli militias and their massacre of Palestinians.
Policy matters, and it is important that we vote how we think best. In a two-party system, it is nearly impossible to find representatives you agree with 100% or that you can blindly trust. But we must ask ourselves how important policy is when the person we are voting for is morally abhorrent. When it comes to politics and voting, there are many concessions to be made. Most of us have to set aside some of our beliefs in order for more important beliefs to be heard. And at times like these, many of us have to set aside our morality in order to ensure that other rights and freedoms are not taken away. But when is the line drawn where such moral failings are so egregious that we decide we are not willing to vote for them?
Perhaps we were unable to pick a morally clean candidate this presidential election, but we need to weigh morality in who we elect going forward. We must hold our elected officials to high moral standards. Otherwise, we will always be in the position of voting with our conscience or voting against our conscience.
Livia LaMarca is an assistant editor on the Opinion desk who is nostalgic for the Oxford comma. She writes primarily about American political discourse, American pop culture, and social movements. You can email her at email address Share your thoughts!
