Should the public care about the private lives of elected officials?

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Should what go on in the private lives of public officials dictate how capable they are of holding office?

After all they are humans no matter what profession they choose. How much information is the voters entitled to for a vote. Do you think the elected officials should have private lives? Do you think whenever or wherever you see an elected official it is okay to interrupt their personal time to discuss your issues or concerns? When an individual decides to seek office they are offering to relinquish a certain amount of privacy to the public.

Many people believe that having personal information about candidates will give them a snapshot of the future lives of the elected officials private lives as our leaders to provide them with logic that they identify with in their daily struggles and interests. Society like to point to what someone else does as an example of what they believe.

However, one’s private struggles should not make or break a candidate, voters should elect potential leaders to be legislative beasts.

Voters should always keep in mind that we are all humans and don’t always live up to our own standards.

You could have the world’s greatest leader with marital issues, or you could have a dangerous psychopath with the perfect family which would you want as a leader? Elected leaders should be judged according to how they are enforcing or creating laws that improve the quality of life for society.

The public should also consider the rumors about elected officials could ruin their chances of getting re-elected or elected. What goes on in the private lives of elected officials should not affect the way they lead this country. Everyone should have the right to live a private life, without it there will be no peace for anyone involved in the electoral process. Elected officials should be judged on what efforts they are putting towards challenging issues and processes that must be addressed.

Scrutinizing someone’s personal life is a personal attack and a form of bullying, to expose personal detail about an opponent that has nothing to do with the opponent political ability to be an effective leader is petty and juvenile.

Sherry Holliman is a concerned citizen of Crittenden County and has some views on a variety of topics that she wants to share with her neighbors. She serves on the Marion City Council.