Annapolis Capital Punishment

As quoted in today's Baltimore Sun:
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Nick Berry, the chairman of the city's Democratic Party said that Shropshire had "served the city well."

"I just feel very sad for him," said Berry. "He's been very innovative on the environment, combating AIDS, unemployment. He has a sterling record in politics."
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Really? Shropshire is supposed to be a lawmaker. If you are going to gloss over his conviction and look at his political or legislative record, it is questionable and marginally effective at best, but to call it "sterling" is hyperbole.


Some might call it something else.  I feel sad for Sam as well, but let's not forget that we have a man who has lived under an assumed named, played it wishy-washy, fast and loose politically, and whose biggest claim to fame on city council was in crafting an ill-advised bill to ban plastic bags in which his vote was the only one in favor. His background in serving others, in developing charitable programs is another story. He has devoted his life to helping others and he seems to have done well in transmitting his committed and caring personality to helping others, but politically? That's another story. Let's be real, Chairman Berry. He's a partisan Democrat who almost always voted for and supported Boss Moyer and her failed administration.

Were he a Republican, Berry would have had different words for him. Sam is a kind and caring person, when he's not having a self-righteous outburst of finger-wagging at others, but his political record is not "sterling". He's a former man of the cloth who could never get his campaign finance reports in on time and he freely spent his campaign funds on coffee, lunch, dinner and snacks. And finally, the middle-aged elected official was out one night getting drunk with a Midshipman he sponsored. I don't believe he deserves a prison sentence and I think the Mid was woefully irresponsible and should have just belted Shropshire in self-defense and we would have been done with this. Have you ever met a single Mid that would be unable to fend off Shropshire's advances? I mean they are being trained to land on beaches and kill terrorists for !%@%^!!  sakes. The Mid should have known better than to be out drinking with his sponsor.

I am not trying to excuse Shropshire or sexual misconduct, but there are degrees of severity and this was pretty low-level. But we do expect better of our elected officials,and for Shropshire to have continued to run for mayor with that trail hanging over his head was inexcusable, irresponsible and an embarrassment to Democrats. For that, Berry calls his record "sterling."