This past week it was revealed that Virginia Governor Ralph Northam had a racist picture on his medical school yearbook page from 1984. In the picture, one person is wearing a KKK hood and the other is in blackface. Northam initially took responsibility for the picture and apologized; regrettably, he later said it wasn’t him in the picture, which made him look even worse. In fact, he admitted to dressing up in blackface that same year for a Michael Jackson costume, as if that was somehow an improvement.

Northam’s behavior is reprehensible. It is one of the most overt exhibits of racism ever attributed to a state or national politician. Whatever the thoughts were behind his actions, it is inexcusable. It is doubtful he will survive this scandal. His resignation will likely come sometime in the next few days.

Ironically, Governor Northam is a politician who has no record of racism and actually supports African American causes. Does that give him a pass? Of course not, but it does raise an interesting question: should a mistake, even if heinous, ruin the life of an otherwise upstanding person?

This reminds me of the recent controversy over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. He was accused of sexual assault in the 1980s. The only evidence against him was the recollection of events by the alleged victim from 30 years ago. His body of work over the past three decades is impressive and void of significant moral and ethical deficiencies. Kavanaugh denied the accusations and now sits upon the highest court in the land. If Kavanaugh was indeed guilty—and had admitted as much—he certainly would not be a Supreme Court justice.

Elected officials (and Supreme Court justices) should be held to a higher standard than a person off the street. They represent a large constituency of people, made up of different races and ethnicities. A person who was willing to dress up in blackface does not deserve to stand for them. The reality, however, is that losing the governorship will not be Northam’s only consequence. He will be mercilessly raked over the coals and associated with the worst of men. His reputation will be forever tarnished and he will be labeled as a bad person.

I am concerned about the current wave of American thought. From a mental health perspective, this condemnation sounds a lot like absolute thinking. Human nature is not so cut and dry. People and situations usually reside in the gray areas of life, rather than the black or white. It is dangerous to condemn so absolutely without acknowledging the flaws of all or nothing thinking.

We live in a very unforgiving time. The current climate advocates punishing people for their mistakes without looking at the full picture. Does anyone care that Governor Northam’s views have evolved and he has spent the past 30 years helping people as a doctor and public servant? Apparently not. We, as a society, succumb to the mob mentality fostered by social media and the 24-hour news cycle.

Social media is a mixed bag. It enables us to share information quickly and often allows us to uncover the truth. However, it also makes it too easy to create this absolute mentality that does not reflect the reality of human personality. We have all made mistakes, some more severe than others. Certain behavior, like premeditated murder, is difficult to defend under any circumstances. Similarly, repeated illegal, unethical and immoral behavior is hard to rationalize.

But, what about the mistake made by a person with an otherwise positive record? What if that offensive behavior did not continue past that point? What if that person has genuinely made an effort to improve themselves? That is where we must look closer and acknowledge that none of us is perfect. What have we become as a society if we are unwilling to provide an opportunity for people to show us they can change? Ralph Northam the governor needs to resign. Ralph Northam the person deserves a second chance.