That's Life: Please, Keep Political Affairs Private

By Phyllis McGuireiBerkshires Columnist
07:03PM / Tuesday, August 19, 2008Print Story | Email Story

Don't blink, John

Here we go again. Another person in the political arena has been found in the wrong bedroom, so to speak.

Yes, John Edwards has admitted he was unfaithful to his wife. "I made a serious error in judgment," he has said.

It is a transgression with which he and she have to deal.

But why oh why does just about every Jack and Jill feel obliged to pass judgment on Edwards?

"Well, he's not to be trusted as a politician if he would do something like this," some people say. Would you continue to trust your doctor, your accountant, your hairdresser to serve you well, if their personal life were held up to scrutiny and found to be less than idyllic?

"It's politics," a friend said to me of the reports of the latest scandal in the political world. And, of course, talk of President Clinton's infidelity is again being resurrected. And as in Clinton's case, body language interpreters are jumping into the mix. One has stated, among other things, that Edwards blinked his eyes a lot when he said he had ended the affair in 2006, which reveals he was lying.

Very astute analysis. Not!

Why not run a contest to discover just how long a person can go without blinking when standing under floodlights during a stressful situation?

The media has been criticized for carrying such stories, but I think the blame must be shared with the public — the media is only pandering to the public's insatiable desire to know about politicians' and celebrities' sexual escapades.

In the days before politicians' personal lives were considered public property, men in the spotlight who romanced women other than their wives went unscathed by the media.

And did our country suffer because of their shenanigans? From what I read in history books, Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt did laudable jobs as president, despite being involved in extramarital affairs. And there is a long list of politicians who were known to be philanderers, and yet satisfactorily performed their duties.

It is essential that we examine the political beliefs of anyone who wishes to hold a high office in government. But they should be allowed to keep their sexual activities private. Reporters of any worth surely can unearth more inspiring stories than those that send them snooping into hotel rooms.

It is their loved ones to whom the transgressors must answer, begging forgiveness for the hurt they inflicted on them. And if they believe in a God, they will amend their lives.

Whenever I hear people condemn a person who is guilty of immoral behavior, I think of the scripture reading that goes, "Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone."

Now that the Edwards scandal has been brought to our attention, let us, at least, give him a chance to clean up the mess he has created, without "staring" at him. It seems the decent thing to do.

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Your Comments

iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.

What you "read in history books" about Thomas Jefferson was wrong. There is no evidence of an affair while he was married and no conclusive evidence of sexual alliances after he was widowed. You can read a lot which presents a contrary view, but it is not supported by a careful study of the facts.
from: Patrick Lee	on: 08-20-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Please make certain that your statements are correct. Thomas Jefferson's marriage was on very sturdy ground. He never engaged in an extra marital affair. His beloved wife died young and, on her death bed, asked Jefferson to promise not to remarry. So any relationships that he had occurred after her death. There is also no definite proof that he had children with Sally Hemings. The DNA might be traceable to his brother who was also at Monticello. Many experts seriously doubt that Jefferson would have fathered chldren with her. It was very much out of character.
from: Nancy Shear	on: 08-20-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

No matter how much or what we read, there will always be conflicting reports. Sometimes the truth is known only by the parties involved.
from: tess	on: 08-20-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Even if sex shouldn't matter to the public or press, I think public corruption should. Edwards used donated campaign-related funds to support his mistress, an inexperienced videographer, and if the timing of their affair is in accordance with reports from her friend, he hired her after the affair started, and likely because of the affair. The fact that a billionaire backer of Edwards spent millions to put the pregnant mistress in expensive houses (next to the man who claimed to father the child, but will likely prove to be Edwards' beard) also makes Edwards beholden to a backer to an extent which most of us should consider problematic, as reflected in the sorts of laws which limit contributions to a few thousand dollars, which laws are widely supported especially among Democrats.
from: DWPittelli	on: 08-21-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

From Monticello.org: That a Jefferson-Hemings relationship could be neither refuted nor substantiated was challenged in 1998 by the results of DNA tests conducted by Dr. Eugene Foster and a team of geneticists. The study - which tested Y-chromosomal DNA samples from male-line descendants of Field Jefferson (Thomas Jefferson's uncle), John Carr (grandfather of Jefferson's Carr nephews), Eston Hemings, and Thomas C. Woodson - indicated a genetic link between the Jefferson and Hemings descendants. The results of the study established that an individual carrying the male Jefferson Y chromosome fathered Eston Hemings (born 1808), the last known child born to Sally Hemings. There were approximately 25 adult male Jeffersons who carried this chromosome living in Virginia at that time, and a few of them are known to have visited Monticello. The study's authors, however, said "the simplest and most probable" conclusion was that Thomas Jefferson had fathered Eston Hemings. Jefferson had at least one child with Hemmings, probably more. Most of the modern denials of this come from the white descendants of Jefferson do not want to let their black cousins join the family reunion. Seriously,
from: G	on: 08-27-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Public Health Advisory Issued for Pontoosuc Lake

03:50PM / Monday, August 31, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Blue-green algae blooms have been observed at Pontoosuc Lake and a public health advisory has been recommended by the state Department of Public Health for the lake in both Pittsfield and Lanesborough.

As this bloom may present harmful health effects for users of the lake, the Pittsfield Health Department issues the following directives for this waterbody for people and pets until further notice:

Do not swim.
Do not swallow water.
Keep animals away.
Rinse off after contact with water.

Warning signs are being posted around the lake.

Blue-green algae, also known as Cyanobacteria, occur naturally in lakes and ponds throughout Massachusetts. These microscopic organisms are components of the aquatic food chain. In ordinary circumstances, Cyanobacteria cause no apparent harm. However, warmer water temperatures and high nutrient concentrations may induce a rapid increase in their abundance. This response is commonly called a “bloom” because algal biomass increases to the extent that normally clear water becomes markedly turbid.

Harmful health effects from the bloom can result through skin contact with the algae tainted water, swallowing the water, and when airborne droplets are inhaled. Pets are especially prone to the health effects not only through skin contact, but also by ingesting significant amounts of the toxin by licking their wet fur after leaving the water.

To protect yourself and your family from any harmful effects of this blue-green algae bloom, residents and visitors are advised to avoid contacting water that has a noxious odor, appears green throughout (sometimes referred to as looking like pea soup), or that has mats, films or scums accumulating on the surface.

Until further notice we recommend avoiding these high-risk activities:

Any contact with the water including swimming, diving, playing, or wading
Drinking, or allowing animals to drink the water
Water sports, e.g. water skiing, wake boarding, wind surfing, jet skiing, tubing

Other activities that pose a moderate risk to health include:

Fish consumption
Canoeing
Rowing
Sailing
Kayaking
Paddle boarding
Motor boating

The health outcomes of concern are:

Irritations of the skin, eyes or ears
GI problems like vomiting and diarrhea
Muscle cramps
In extreme cases nerve or liver problems

If you or your pet accidentally come in contact with algae tainted water, thoroughly rinse off with clean water.

If you experience any of the symptoms of blue-green algae exposure (listed above), contact your health care provider or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. If your pet experiences symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Regular monitoring of lake conditions will occur moving forward until bloom dissipates. The community will be notified of the bloom dissipation at that time. The rescinding of the public health advisory will only occur after two successive samples, collected a week apart, demonstrate cell counts or toxin levels below the state guideline values.

For more information or questions, contact the Pittsfield Health Department at 413-499-9411.

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