Bad
behavior
points

February 20, 2019 -- Should we forgive the Virginia Governor's youthful bad behavior? The answer is spelled out in this article in Medscape by Dr. Arthur Caplan. It boils down to, "No!"

It's especially serious given the special faith placed in medical people, says Caplan. (Governor Northam is also a pediatrician and neurosurgeon.)

I am troubled by the inflexibility of this zero-tolerance approach. I remain convinced that Al Franken's treatment was too harsh. So I propose a more nuanced method for dealing with bad behavior by public figures.

It's a point system. Get 20 points and you're out. Rape is 30 points. Off-color jokes (in settings other than bars and such) get 5 points. Overt racism, 10. Unwanted touching, 8.

Your points are diminished by 1 for every 3 years that have elapsed since the act in question.

We could debate what the right numbers are, and the list of transgressive acts, but the concept seems useful. Could we get it added to the code of conduct of the US Congress? The political parties?

Table of Contents