Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Have you heard the term “honor by association”? It describes a situation where someone is lauded as a result of their affiliation with groups that are perceived in a positive light. Good, huh? Then we have “guilt by association,” defined as “guilt ascribed to someone, not because of any evidence, but because of their association with an offender.”

There are many scenarios where people have been held accountable for the actions of their connections, even if they did not break the law.

Whether people like it or not, federal law does permit guilt by association. In some cases, being ignorant of good intentions does not always work as a legal defense (BetterHelp, Joy Youell).

I state these truths from our legal system to open our eyes to decide better—how and who we support and agree with—in their ideals, vision and actions. Mainly to those of us who say we are people of “The Book.” There is a sentence in there about “walking together in agreement.”

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