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I am heartbroken about this scandal. Although a relationship between an eighteen year old and a forty year old is rarely especially impressive, that's not what is so upsetting about Mr. Adams' dishonesty. I honestly do not care about his personal life, and I think to speculate on whether the public reaction is greater or smaller because Adams is gay is to miss the point.

The issue for me personally is the loss of trust, the sheer disillusionment. It's the realization that Sam Adams is just like any other stereotypical politician- Elliot Spitzer, John Edwards, etc.- someone that will tell bald faced lies to advance his own political career, and will enlist others, including a teenager, in the coverup. I know I am very naive, but I honestly thought he was better than that, and this admission is akin to a slap in the face. I had a Sam Adams sign in my yard, the first and only time I have ever displayed a political sign, and now I feel that I have been hoodwinked in regards to his character and integrity.

So it's not the relationship that kills me- it's the elaborate lying. Adams has simply lost my faith, and the faith of Portland in general, and that cannot be easily regained.

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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