He’s only human and lucky

So, another of our elected officials has shown us that he is human.  That he has human emotions.  That he has human failings. That he is,  just one of us.

I’m talking of course about Randy Dorn, the head school person in the state, the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Dorn was picked up recently for drunk driving, actually while Driving Under the Influence (DUI).  He was initially stopped for exceeding the speed limit and then charged with DUI.

So, how does Dorn’s crime correspond to Joe Hyer’s crime.  Hyer you remember was the former deputy mayor of Olympia who was arrested for selling marijuana to a police informer.  Hyer has stepped down from his job as deputy mayor but stays on the city council despite calls from some for him to resign.

Is there any connection between Dorn’s crime and Hyer’s crime?  After all, they are both crimes, and some can argue that Dorn’s crime is greater because he could have killed someone.

But ask anyone, and they will tell you that Dorn’s crime isn’t as significant as Hyer’s crime.  And, if you push a little harder, they’ll tell you its because they too have driven after consuming alcohol but not many of them have purchased illegal marijuana.

So, that seems to be the difference.  Dorn can and will be excused for his actions because he’s just like us.  He drank a few beers, got in his car and drove.

He isn’t the first elected official to do so and be picked up and charged with a DUI.   One of our own state supreme court justices was picked up for drunk driving and her blood alcohol level was twice that of Dorns.  She was left off with a fine and community service.

One of our own county commissioners, who, when she was a state legislator, was picked up for drunk driving.  it didn’t seem to affect her  political career because she was later elected to serve as county commissioner.

The point, is that many of us, I might say most of us, has had a drink or two, gotten in our car and realized that we might be impaired.  It’s only through luck that we made it home without an accident or being picked up by the law.

So, we give the benefit of the doubt to those elected officials who get arrested for drunk driving.  We give them the benefit, because, just through  luck, it could have been us.

Joe Hyer should be as lucky.