Recently there have been articles dissecting the hypocrisy of the left, correlating the very distinct parallels between the Gerry Studs and Mark Foley. Frankly, there are enough articles and opinions flying around about that there is nothing to add. But I would like to return to the LaFave case and use the Foley case to illustrate how fundamentally our society is endangered.
Consider this statement; ‘Aw, it’s no big deal. The kid wanted Foley to hit on him and talk dirty to him. Wouldn’t you?”
Now at first glance you could state that clearly no one would argue that. Continuing down this path, the next question that has to be asked is how many people made those statements almost exactly? How many of us can say we never heard that sort of statement made about LaFave? I certainly cannot.
Alright, so the double-standard exists. Batting eyelashes will work for some. Fine. Whatever. But there is a fundamental difference between pretty buying a record deal and pretty buying a license to rape.
One might say that the double standard between these two cases is an indication of homophobia, yet one would be ill informed. It is not just Foley and LaFave who were treated differently. Anyone who follows the issue (even on an amateur observer level) can chronicle a whole host of cases where sex appeal takes a higher level of importance than the deterrence of crimes and the punishment for criminal activity.
Is Foley any more a predator than LaFave? Listening to the phone recordings of her seducing her victim exposes the pedophile she is at her core.
Surely, many readers are saying to themselves, ‘Victim? If that’s a victim, I’ll get in line.’ The simple truth is that it does not matter whether or not he actually wanted to have sex with her or whether or not the victim in the Foley case actually wanted to have sex or even internet sex with him. What is a crime is not whether or not the victims enjoyed their victimization. The crime is that it is against the law. LaFave took advantage of her authority and actually violated laws.
As I write there is information coming out about the Foley case that casts doubt as to whether his actions were criminal or not. Certainly his actions are reprehensible and his resignation is only part of the justice that should be sought against him. Yet, it has not been proven that he is indeed a criminal.
Interestingly enough, the notion that Foley might be a criminal is enough to condemn him unequivocally but the knowledge that LaFave is indeed a criminal (and far worse than Foley in convicted conduct) is not enough to punish her with even one day of incarceration.
When a society is no longer able to morally guide itself without the government it will either slowly degenerate into anarchy or slowly be overtaken by those willing to subjugate their views upon everyone else. Both slopes are easy to slide down. On the one side we are told we have no right to tell anyone what to do or think and perhaps, governmentally, that is true but no society must accept everything for such is anarchy. On the other side we are told we must apprehend the rights of people to choose or else they will choose incorrectly. Such is dictatorship.
We must, as a part of society, stand up for what we know is right and not only demand our right to have a say as to what is morally acceptable but also have our right to tell the government to stay out of dictating that one person is exempt from moral standard. Now, in the Foley and LaFave cases we are dealing with the slippery slope to anarchy. If we allow LaFave to get away with rape then we are no better than Foley. We lie to the public and say that we are all for putting these psychopathic perverts behind bars for multiple life sentences and yet we balk when it comes to a pretty face. Foley lied to the Congress, his constituents and the American people who entrusted him to run the Missing and Exploited Children Caucus and he turns around and winks at the first thing that catches his eye.
We are doing the right thing as it pertains to Foley. Let us no longer waver in our standards when it becomes tempting to accept sin. I dare say we project our own immediate wishes and justify sympathy to the ultimate slaughter of truth among our posterity.
