Mark Foley: Merely a Misunderstood Victim?
If you want to start off with a resigned (pun) chuckle, go here and see how long it has taken to try to make Mark Foley disappear in true Orwellian fashion. This link was originally the webpage for the Congressman from Florida from the House of Representatives. Hey, don't worry! Business as usual!
Meanwhile, Foley's representatives are testing the public response to his claim to have been molested himself as a teen. What is the point of this claim? Someone who has molested a child, if we take Foley's claims at face value, has created a possible future child molester. Are we also to suppose that this ameliorates the responsibility for Foley's actions?
So what if the crime we are discussing isn't "rape?" Is molestation and solicitation of minors so harmless that it deserves no punishment? Even Foley-- pathetic worm that he is-- is now seeking sympathy by claiming the mantle of victimhood himself, in that great American tradition going all the way back to the Twinkie Defense. It seems his lawyer is saying, "Hey! He's a victim of molestation! That makes his own molestation of youths beyond his control!"
Foley has now retreated to the final impenetrable frontier for those wishing to hide out from anyone wishing to question them. As Brad and Angelina found-- even remotest Africa is not far enough. But a rehab center? Now, that's safer than the dark side of the moon. This also puts Foley in line for double-victimhood: he was molested, and, through no fault of his own, I am sure, he's an alcoholic. I imagine the fact that he was closeted regarding his orientation will be the missing piece of this responsibility-evading trifecta.
The current outcry regarding Congressman and predator Mark Foley has more to do with politics than justice and morality-- and I believe that this is --at its face and at its root-- wrong. And for those who claim that the timing of the revelation of Foley's misdeeds is all political, I would like to respond: And your attempt to cover up this story WASN'T politically timed and motivated? Tchah.
posted by "Ms. Cornelius" @ 5:27 AM
9 Comments:
You aren't surprised at what his attorney says, are you? They will say the most ridiculous things to try to put their clients in a good light. That's their job. The alcohol rehab was probably the attorney's idea too.
There are a couple of right-wing news sites that I look at. (I've never registered to comment b/c conservative though I am, they are just too extreme for me.) Nobody, NOBODY is making excuses for Foley. Their comments are more along the lines of "he's lucky it wasn't my kid".
But I am concerned, very much, about who might have known this was going on and didn't do anything about it. If it was Republicans and they wanted him to keep that seat to keep their majority, I'm angry about that. If it was Democrats and they were holding onto their information until the most effective moment politically, I'm angry about that. If it was nonpartisan folks who just didn't think it was a big deal, that makes me mad too.
Aliens.
That's next.
He was abducted by aliens.
I completely agree with you- Foley's attempt to double victimize himself and thereby be innocent of his shameful acts- was transparent in the extreme-
I'm getting tired of being played by both sides of the political spectrum. I'm tired of the finger pointing, the spin, etc.
This Foley character is sick. I wonder in the past how many pages this kind of thing has happened with and how many different congressmen or staffers are guilty of things like this.
No, he's an alcoholic because he was molested as a child. And, of course, he should get off scot free because he was molested as a child. After all, aren't we living in a society today that considers everything someone else's fault???
It is absolutely abhorrent that this has occurred and as new information is constantly being released, getting worse by the minute. How, for all those years, can no one have known? Uh, unless everyone in D.C. is ignorant, there are people that knew. People who probably cajoled and pleaded with him to change his ways, but alas, he couldn't.
It has given us an example of the fallibity of those who reside on on their thrones in D.C. Something my students constantly need to be reminded of.
Why this shocks anyone is beyond me. Not the predatory behavior: the blaming of the victims. Conservatives only care about children if they are pre-born or if they somehow can manipulate the image of a child to political advantage. "Born" children are of no consequence.
Immediately after this story broke, both Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh were claiming that the pages involved here were sexually active tools of liberals who led Foley on. These despicable human beings know no shame.
I'm sure all of the alcoholics, victims of molestation, and now, homosexuals, are all like, "Hey- we don't want him, either!"
I don't care what side of the political tracks he came from, he's a puke and anyone who knew what he was doing and covered it up is just as guilty.
I'm not shocked.
I'm MAD.
Everyone's talking bad about him but for a second let's say you were wrong and he really was molested. Just because he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing doesn't mean he wasn't molested. I really do feel for him I really to was a victim of childhood molestation! I never went out and tryed to pick up people because of it though. But when you really were molested and you keep it locked away in your soul for your whole life and finally let it out and tell someone it feels like a knife getting pulled out of your gut and you feel a little better that someone else knows your story your dark secret! But to tell people and them criticise you and call you a liar puts you right back in that moment from when you got molested! The things people say has dier consequences to others. He did something wrong yes but don't just say call someone a liar because they made a mistake you never know what happened to another. Talk about the messages and the wrong doing of almost all the congressmen but never push aside and batter someone when they say they were a victim of child molestation themselves. You have no idea how much scars that leaves on your life years and years after its over. The thoughts that swirl through your mind when your alone is a absolutely living HELL!
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