Proof that old men should not have web access
Over the past few days there’s been a lot of blame being tossed around for why Congressman Mark Foley sent sexually explicit advances to an underaged male page. If you ask me, the reason why he did this is simple; he is sick. Of course if you ask him; his sickness is not his fault. After all, he suddenly and conveniently realized just the other day that he was a gay alcoholic with a history of being sexually abused as a child.
The other big question being debated is who knew of this and tried to keep it under wraps. If there was an intentional cover up we need to forget about this person or that being forced to resign. Instead we need to think in terms of the reckless endangerment of a child. I know from watching hours upon hours of Law & Order that anyone involved in this should be tossed into a tiny jail cell for a very, very long time.
However, aside from all that junk, I think a bigger question that needs to be addressed is why an aging congressman was placed charge of a task force that monitors children’s safety on the internet when he clearly doesn’t know how this shit works. I see this happen all the time in the business world too. “Oh let’s let so and so be in charge of the web. I hear he once used a computer thingy.”
Foley was smart enough to know that emails could be traced so he kept those pretty tame. Sadly he felt safe sending the more explicit messages thru IM. Silly man. If he just had taken a simple Internet 101 course at The Learning Annex he’d have known that all internet communications are traceable and retrievable.
On a more serious note, why are Washington and the media debating on whether or not Foley should be brought up on charges? Is it because he’s ‘sick’? Is it because he’s a Congressman? Fuck that. Anyone who watches Dateline on NBC has seen tons of average men get arrested for far less explicit actions. Besides, Foley himself helped to write the very laws he broke. My God! He needs to be strung up on the basis of ridiculous irony alone!
Which brings me to journalistic hack Matt Drudge. Can he please shut the hell up about this somehow being the fault of the victim? Whether or not the kid was exploiting Foley for money or status is not the issue here. As a 52 year old member of Congress, Chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children and one of the most vocal opponents of child pornography, Foley should know that, no matter the circumstances, soliciting sex from a minor is illegal!!
And to the Republican Media machine; please, please, please stop comparing Foley and his boy toy to Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. She was a 22 year old consenting adult. Yes Clinton abused his position of power to get a hummer or two out of this young woman. And yes you can say what he did was wrong and even indecent. Just as in the real world, adults often meet and take advantage of one another in order to gain something. Though immoral, it is in no way illegal!
Note to Congress: Protect our children! Stop politicking their well being!!
