And we thought we were incapable of outrage.
For a nation as scandalized as ours, and for a public as cynical as the United States generally is, most of us had our guard down. We'd seen it all-- or so we thought.
But then came the illicit actions of the Senator from Idaho, Larry Craig. Craig was recently charged with a misdemeanor related to illegal cruising which is, in this case, a euphemism for "a married man and US Senator seeking gay sex with a complete stranger in a 5' x 3 foot public restroom stall." Am I the only one who feels nauseous?
Note that Craig wasn't thought to be involved in such behavior; he wasn't merely accused. The man ADMITTED GUILT. So this isn't a case of "alleged" or "apparent" or "supposed." It's a case of "Yes, I did it. And because I did it, I am signing my name to this legal document, flatly admitting guilt on a plea-bargained lesser charge."
Then it became public.
Now none of us gleefully celebrate any man's demise, but one at least feels a solemn consolation when this type of behavior is brought to reckoning. That's because if, for no other reason, these acts threaten public health and seriously challenge even bare-bone brands of minimalist ethics. Even many gays who lobby for near boundless sexual freedom would be turned off by the anonymous nature of these types of trysts. That's saying something.
Ironically, there is at least one thing that is worse than Craig's original action: his reaction. While the nation reels in disbelief, the Idaho Senator shows what can be described as nothing other than shameless and brazen disregard for his admitted actions. Craig's arrogant retorts were irresponsible-- the penultimate example of Washington Entitlement Mentality and shirking of even a shred of personal responsibility for actions that he alone perpetrated.
Whereas the average person would have settled into a fetal position in a shell of shame, not so with Senator Craig. Instead, he angrily and self-righteously acted as if HE had been wronged. Even though Craig has said he will resign, that is not due to humble contrition-- it is so he can do a full court press to prove his innocence and have his guilty plea reversed.
Shameless Senators like Idaho's Craig are a good example of what is wrong with America. God help us.
