We Are No Longer Led By Men

Kleinhelder on pederasty in Congress and beyond:

And don't think Foley is alone in the Republican ranks either. Not just politicians but professional conservatives. Spokesman and leaders who get on TV talk tough, spout conservative positions, and then get in their cars and cruise for young boy prostitutes. It happens. More frequently than you think.

The question is: why?

Many reasons, I suspect, but I believe it is very much the same as the reasons why sexual misconduct is so prevalent in the clergy.

Social conservatives come in two flavors. The first are the authentic religious converts and those who were reared with conservative values who did not rebel.

Then there is a second category. Those who are trying to fix themselves through their faith and/or ideology. Nominal conservatives, who have a sickness and are trying to self medicate. They know what they do is wrong, they know they have a problem.

They think, maybe, if they stand with those who are "right" and "moral", if they mouth the words enough, they will be cured. They hope that they will no longer do those dirty little deeds that their impulse control will not combat.

Seldom works though.

This is the dilemma for social conservatives. We live in a disconnected and non-judgmental society. People, more or less, mind their own business and stay out of other people's crap. This is part of the reason that the cover-up went on for so long.

Everybody knew, up on the hill, that Foley was not what he projected himself to be. Everybody knew he was gay and everybody knew that he hit on young boys.

But nobody wanted to pull the trigger on him. No body wanted to up in anyone's grill. Absent a specific complaint being pushed by someone, the movers and shakers on the Hill were content to let this thing take its course.

Hastert and the Republicans that knew about this should be taken to the woodshed but don't for one minute think that this is a Republican or Democrat thing. Republicans had specific knowledge sure but everyone in that body either knew or heard about how Foley was to one extent or another. They did nothing because we, in Modern America, are no longer our brothers' keepers.

Not that we should be in everybody's business, but this is Congress. A body of leaders.

Yet with all the rumors and the actual reports of pederasty by Foley no one stepped up and put a stop to it. This is not only a failing of the Republican Party leadership and of social conservatism generally, it is a society-wide failing.

We are not as close-knit a community anymore and we are no longer led by men. Everyone is free to do their dirty little deeds and everyone is more than happy to look the other way and no one has the fortitude to call anyone on their actions."

In other words, for some it's a "Stop me before I kill again" scenario.

HT: Daniel Larison.