If you ever had a clearance, it isn't about sense. It's about "RULES".
Thing A and thing A' are moral equivalents.
Thing A is a federal crime (we don't care why or if it's wrong). Thing A' is a not a crime.
You do thing A, a long time in the past. You get a couple strikes. Probably still get clearance.
You demonstrate you don't understand difference between thing A and thing A' (even if moral equivalents) which implies you don't understand "RULES" or that you have independent thought (worse). No clearance for you.
I'm not sure the "independent thought" bit is justified; if you can't distinguish between illegal and legal things, or can't manage to not do illegal things that are fairly easy not to do, it seems reasonable to question whether you can be trusted to keep (information requiring a clearance) secure.
Thing A and thing A' are moral equivalents. Thing A is a federal crime (we don't care why or if it's wrong). Thing A' is a not a crime.
You do thing A, a long time in the past. You get a couple strikes. Probably still get clearance.
You demonstrate you don't understand difference between thing A and thing A' (even if moral equivalents) which implies you don't understand "RULES" or that you have independent thought (worse). No clearance for you.