When I was 16 years old I drove my old 1964 Chevelle about 70 mph to school one morning and ended up over a steep bank which resulted in a two-week hospital stay. I am fortunate I lived. I was young and careless.
Most of us have been young and careless. However, you don't have to be young to be careless, just ask Hillary Clinton or FBI director James B. Comey. Sometimes the most affluent, most prestigious people in some of our highest offices can be extremely careless and stupid. I added the stupid part. Comey didn't say she was stupid but a lot of American people think Clinton is stupid. I'm still talking about Hillary but you might of thought I meant Bill Clinton. Hey, wait a minute. Nobody is "stupid" who can make millions of dollars giving speeches.
Let's let bygones be bygones. Everybody is young and stupid once. Everybody makes mistakes. No person is perfect. Everybody deserves a second chance. Do you remember Trump gave Tara Conner a second chance in the Miss USA beauty pageant? It was reported she had tested positive for cocaine, heroin and crystal meth and was accused of other stuff. Trump said then, "I believe in second chances." Maybe he will simply look over Hillary's extremely careless actions and offer her a second chance. Actually, I don't think that will happen. Remember this is throat-cutting politics stuff.
Careless activity usually has consequences. If we are careless with our eating we will get fat and sick. If we drink too much alcohol we will reap negative health results. If we drive too fast we are in danger of getting a speeding ticket or hurting ourselves or someone else. If you forget to report additional income to the Internal Revenue Service they will penalize you, collect the money and charge additional interest.
I shook hands with Hillary a few years ago. I am not a Hillary hater. I would do lunch with the Clintons anytime. When I got home and told my wife I had shaken hands with Hillary she made me immediately wash my hands. "Those hands have touched Bill" she lamented. Looking back I guess I had been extremely careless.
Oh listen up dear friend if we all could just go to the sink and wash our hands of our careless errors, how wonderful that would be! The problem is that most of the time extremely careless mistakes never go away. If you are in politics the media will make sure they never go away.
I wonder how many people have received a job promotion for being extremely careless? Hillary could get a big one this Fall.
Whatever you do today do not look to Hillary's error as an example for conducting your life. Try to do everything by the book, the letter of the law or whatever your job description is because chances are very likely, unlike Hillary, you'll face consequences.
- Glenn Mollette is an American syndicated columnist and author. He is the author of 11 books and read in all 50 states. This column does not necessarily reflect the view of any organization, institution or this paper or media source.
