Quote:
Originally Posted by midtnscott
Let's be a little sympathetic to Mark Foley. Remember how we were before we came out. He's obviously been going through a lot in his mind and life and has been wondering about his sexuality. I don't know his heart and won't judge him. It's between God, him and the courts.
That being said, the emails we DO know about were, at the least inappropriate and at the worst sexual harassment. Apparently, there are more that are more explicit and that is a crime. Pedophilia - NO! But it is solicitation of a minor. If the page's family refuse to press charges it will be difficult, but not impossible, to prosecute him.
The real issue is that the Republican House leadership knew most of this at least as far back as 2005 and did nothing in order to keep political power.
|
Not unsympathetic here, just looking at the situation in practical terms. Whatever his sexuality, Mr. Foley overstepped the line, that seems certain.
The legal angle:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/02/wa...n/02legal.html
And the political angle:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/02/us...s/02child.html
Congressional pages remember him as a really nice guy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/02/wa...rtner=homepage
Gay people do a bang-up job being nice, but not always for the best of reasons: being nice can be overcompensation behavior.
I think there is another matter at work here besides the withholding of information on the part of Republicans and their retention of power (which has yet to be proven). And that is the failure of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Whether it is in the military or civilian life, if Mr. Foley thought he could be openly gay (if he is indeed gay), this situation might never have arisen. (There is the matter of self-destructive behavior, which may play an important role here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/we...ew/01leib.html)
There are those who assert that sexuality should not be an issue. I'll readily agree to that as long as no one needs to hide who they are anymore.
I see this whole situation as a warning: you can't corral, box, or deny your sexual energy. It seeks a way out and defies all attempts to suppress it. And its always better to come to terms with it in a healthy manner-with another adult.
October 10th is National Coming Out Day.