Some of the statements from the article:
"This is the problem with the closet: it's a terrible place to be, and it's got to be worse if you're a Republican," said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who in 1987 became the first member of Congress to voluntarily make his homosexuality public.
"They discounted or downplayed earlier reports concerning Foley's behavior _ probably because they did not want to appear 'homophobic,'" said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. "The Foley scandal shows what happens when political correctness is put ahead of protecting children."
The National Youth Advocacy Coalition, which represents gay and lesbian youth, said Foley should be investigated and, if warranted, prosecuted.
"Some may believe that this is a gay issue. It is not," the coalition said. "This is an issue about protecting children from those who seek to do them harm."
Frank predicted Wednesday that the Foley scandal, plus Kolbe's departure, will create a difficult atmosphere for any gays, closeted or not, seeking to remain active nationally as Republican politicians.
"Now they're viewed as causing trouble," Frank said in a telephone interview. "I think you can see a purge coming."
"From what we've seen of Mark's actions, he felt is was OK to be gay on the side, but not to be openly gay," said Chuck Wolfe, who has known Foley for many years. "It was all on the sly."
Kevin Naff states:
Foley has done untold damage to the cause of gay equality. He should stop these inane excuses and move on to confronting the legal questions ahead. Turn over all relevant documents and computer files so the authorities can determine what really happened and whether any criminal activity occurred. Then go away. Just go away.
Andrew Sullivan has lots on this story including Fox video that labels Foley as a Democrat...
He also makes a very good point:
The only problem with it is that technically, these teens were not legally minors in the District of Columbia, with respect to the age of sexual consent. I hate to insist on this point, and I don't mean to excuse the interactions. But accusations of pedophilia as such - clinically or legally - are unfounded; and we need to be clear about the offense. This is about abuse of power with impressionable and vulnerable young people and immense, astounding hypocrisy. It would be the same offense if the victims were female and the congressman heterosexual. And it's inexcusable.
It has nothing to do with Foley being gay nor should it become about that...
3 comments:
Being gay shouldn't affect the debate, but it will. People want something to blame other than the man and making it homosexuality also reignites the base of ignorant people who think that all gay men want to rape all hetero men and their children. I hate to say it, but played right and by the fringe groups instead of the supporters, this can rally a segment of the electorate that the Republicans have been losing since unfullfilled promises of 2004.
Well said Kate.
Right is right and wrong is wrong and everyone in Washington specifically and politics in general should be able to tell right from wrong.
However, living as if you know right from wrong and applying it to their own business, political and personal lives, is where the whole thing becomes murky.
In reality, all three lives are inseparable and indistinguishable, but they think that they can (and should) be separate.
We the voters know that they cannot be separated but they have yet to figure this out, hence the scandals, etc.
I guess it would be too hard to try and live just one life when some find living multiple lives so attractive.
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