From Robert Whitcomb's "Digital Diary,' in GoLocal24.com:
One thing that the sex, etc., scandal around now resigned Rhode Island Republican state Sen. Nicholas Kettle reminded me of was that he was only 19 when he was elected as a Tea Party type – a sort of descendent of the 19th Century Know Nothing movement. There’s quite enough ignorance and lack of experience in our post-literate civic life without putting youths in important public jobs. The minimum age for legislators should be no younger than 25 or, better, 30.
Of course, a big problem is that politics has seemed so seedy – now worsened by the toxic swamp of social media and cable TV -- that far too many honest and experienced people who would be fine public servants don’t run for office. (Social media has been a particular disaster for civic culture.) The news media should help address this problem by making more of an effort to ladle out praise for good politicians as well as condemnation of the behavior of bad ones.
Meanwhile, could we at least keep callow youths out of public office.
