Ignore Dawn Ortiz-Legg’s deception

September 30, 2016

OPINION by BRIE GROMETER

In response to the democratic flyer I received in my post office box this morning, slandering Jordan Cunningham for ‘making his living helping those who break our laws: Please don’t cast your vote based on this flyer, I beg of you.

Please do not judge someone as less worthy because they stand up for the bad guy sometimes. How many second chances have you been given over your life? How many of you have friends and family who might deserve one and didn’t get it?

The intent of this flyer was to cast Cunningham as a liar, as a criminal, as dishonest. I don’t know the guy and I don’t know his work.

But I do know this:

I respect the guy that goes to work every day to fight for the right of a second chance.

We all screw up. Sometimes it’s a whopper and sometimes it’s an oops. A young, confused person of seventeen makes a stupid choice. An ex-marine with a hole in his heart from PTSD loses his temper. A drug addict with an abusive past writes a bad check, stealing from their neighbor.

We, the people, may be rotten to the core, or we may be at rock bottom, where the only place to go is toward recovery, health, and happiness.

But if we’re lucky, we have someone at our side holding space for love, acceptance, forgiveness, and second chances. Maybe we get a second chance and maybe we don’t. But unless that someone trusts in the good of people, holds their breath optimistically and takes a little (or big) chance on you, you’ll never have the opportunity to receive one.

There may be some criminals who deserve life without parole. Thankfully, this is not my decision or judgment to make. But I respect the guy that goes to work every day fighting for the right of a second chance.

Cast your votes with love and tolerance, forgiveness and acceptance, be forgiving of Leggs-Ortiz for a lesson well learned DUI or Cunningham for optimistically taking a chance on humanity. Cast your votes with love and tolerance, forgiveness and acceptance.