You always have to consider this question when a public figure is investigated for possible wrongdoing – if he or she were a mere mortal, and not, say, an athlete or elected official, would be end result be the same?

For example, what if you or I were accused of using a special police pass during Miranda Lambert’s concert at the Arkansas Music Pavilion in order to buy . . .

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. . . booze.

The special prosecutor looking over accusations that Rogers City Attorney Ben Lipscomb impersonated a police officer in order to gain access to the VIP tent at the Lambert concert has decreed that he did not intend to impersonate a police officer, but ” . . . was merely trying to gain access to the VIP tent to get a drink for his wife.”

A woman who worked security at the event claims that Lipscomb showed her his special police badge in order to gain access to the VIP tent, which he denies. She also said that he felt “bullied” by him.

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Pretty much dismissing it all as a “he said/she said” situation, the special prosecutor seems to have decided to err on the side of the man with the higher pay grade.

He also maintains that “Even if Mr. Lipscomb claimed to be an undercover officer with the Rogers Police Department, he would have had to act purposely to injure, defraud, harass or intimidate . . .”

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Well, the woman did say she felt bullied.

And his goal that night? To buy a drink for his wife.

Much ado about nothing? What do you think?

******

Quote of the Day

Nothing is so soothing to our self-esteem as to find our bad traits in our forebears. It seems to absolve us. – Van Wyck Brooks

rsdrake@cox.net

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