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Originally Posted by BruceChris
That huffingtonpost.com link that you posted contains the names of how many thousand alleged Republican perverts and/or child molesters?
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Interesting. I took a good look at that page now that you mentioned it. Yes. Someone is keeping tabs on the peccadillos of Republicans. Hypocrisy revealed in the Party of God?
Perhaps someone is doing the same for Democracts somewhere!
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jamie
Wouldn't Foley's actions be much closer to sexual harassment, not pedophilia? Sexual harassment implies unwanted advances, and pedophilia involves children. Now when someone is underage, even if the advances are not rebuked, we still prohibit such actions to protect young people. So even if it is not harassment, there is a serious problem with Foley's actions.
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I think, because of the laws regarding the young man's age, it makes it a matter of pedophilia. From what I've read, he may be prosecuted under the same laws he helped draft re the internet even though no sexual relations were involved (as far as we know!). It's a crime, therefore, to make a pass at an under-aged kid via the internet.
Is there a double standard here as to how straight and gay men are referred to in these matters at the water-cooler? Certainly! In
casual conversation, when girls are involved (with straight men), they are often blamed for the seduction. Boys (with gay men) are not. What's seems to be at stake here is the perception of power and status of men. And gay men don't share coveted status as yet. It's Ok for a straight guy to get it on with a girl- a mark on his belt, but the gay guy is a pedophile. Of course, both situations are abuses of power. You have a person taking advantage of someone. I think that is morally and ethically wrong, no matter how you slice and dice it. The straight guy with the underage girl is a pedophile too.
An aside: as an unexperienced young adult (over the age of consent), I experienced the advances of a man who- to put it simply- took advantage of me. The repercussions were many. The sad fact is that the person doing the abusing often doesn't see themselves as doing anything wrong. They can only see what they want. That is their first priority.
addendum:
Several key persons involved don't seem to know about the matter- a very curious thing indeed. Who, one wonders, is investigating the investigators?
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/wa...rtner=homepage