Orthomom is buzzing about the story, posted first at Bloghd, about the Rabbi who got caught with less than an ounce of marijuana in his possession.
Inexplicably, OrthoMom is calling for his head.
I say inexplicably, because the Rabbi's "crimes" amount to a misdemeanor and a traffic violation. Would you fire a man for jaywalking? For speeding? And I don't buy the role-model argument either. Many rabbis drink whiskey and beer in front of impressionable young people all the time. Some are famous for the drunken diatribes they deliver at Purim or Simchat Torah. And we don't try to fire those Rabbis, do we? Smoking marijuana is only different from drinking alcohol because marijuana is illegal. The Rabbi should therefore be judged according to the severity of his crime, and, like I said, this was nothing but a misdemeanor and a traffic violation.
The burden on you is to show why a traffic violation and a misdemeanor is grounds for him to be fired. I can respect a Rabbi who litters. I can respect a Rabbi who speeds. I can respect a Rabbi who gets roaring drunk. I can respect a Rabbi who makes insensitive remarks about women and minorities from the pulpit.
Why shouldn't I be able to respect a Rabbi who smokes a bit of pot once in a while??
[Don’t start with me: I’ve never smoked pot.]