Therefore, in an attempt to put forth what I see as the important issues, as well as an attempt to answer some of the critics of the scandal, its investigation, and some of the probable outcomes of the investigation, I want to codify what I see as the pertinent issues. I also want to answer the critics. Finally, I want to impress upon all who read and comment here the immense importance of not allowing ourselves to be strayed from keeping our focus where it needs to be.
First and foremost, the Foleygate Scandal is about pedophilia, most specifically enticement to commit pedophilia via the internet. It is NOT about whether or not Foley is a homosexual. I don' think there is a question that he is, in fact, gay.
Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass whether or not Foley is gay. That issue is beside the point. Had he been sending his lurid, one-handed messages to females instead of males, his sexuality would have never been an issue. The only place where Foley's homosexuality is an issue is in the realm of the spin alchemists. Its importance is only incidental to the fact that he was committing enticement to pedophilia via the internet.
Secondly, in deference to a few that have implied that what Foley did wasn't a crime, I don't see how you can say that. Enticement to pedophilia is a crime. It was made a crime by the actions of Foley himself. He was the champion of the federal laws which made what he did a crime. Not only are his actions criminal, they are criminal specifically because he made them criminal. He is going to be tried AND convicted under laws he spearheaded into existence. This is what I see as the most wondrous irony of the Foleygate scandal.
Thirdly, to all those who are complaining about this scandal diverting attention from other more pressing matters, please don't be so shortsighted on the issue. Yes, in fact, this scandal is diverting attention from the Abramoff scandal, the passing of the torture bill, the continued Iraq war fiasco, the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame, investigations into the disgrace that is the FEMA response to Hurricane Katrina, the lies upon which the Iraq War is built, and any possible conspiracy on America's part with regard to the attacks on 9/11, and many other important issues.
However, please don't forget what I have said on so many occasions: "Americans love the lurid!" There have been forty subpoenas handed down in the upcoming investigation into Foleygate. This fact alone more or less guarantees the investigation is going to be in progress at least up to November 7, if not continuing long after that date. The disgust that many Americans have towards congress could shape up to shift the balance of power in congress from the Republicans to the Democrats.
As to this point, whether or not you believe the Democrats will do a better job, I find it hard to believe they could do any worse. I'm not saying they couldn't. I am saying I can't at this point see how they could. Whether or not you believe that the Democrats are as dirty as the Republicans, the point remains the shake-up of congress would be good for America, if only in the short run. Ergo, don't say we won't do any better with Democrats at the helm of congress. We have no real way of knowing until that event comes to pass.
In my opinion, it's better to be united behind the Democrats than to be unfocused and let the Republicans have their way with the government any more than they already have. Whether or not both political parties are dirty is an issue to be dealt with later, not now. What is important now is to insure that this investigation into governmental corruption is not the last. I believe the only way that will happen is if congress changes from Republican control to Democratic control. If we keep the status quo, then there is no hope for any other investigations that might uncover even more unspeakable truth.
Fourth, not only should the actions of Foley be scrutinized, the actions of Fat Hastert and other Republican power holders in congress should also be placed under the microscope. It is not only a question of who knew what when; it's also a question of responsibility to report the goings on as a crime to either local police, or the FBI, as enticement to pedophilia is a federal crime. Those who failed to report it as a crime are equally as guilty as Foley for what happened. That holds true for any Democrats who may have gotten wind of this scandal, yet kept silent. Anyone, and I mean anyone regardless of party affiliation, level in congress, house of congress, or any other governmental agency who had any knowledge that it was happening, yet stood idly by as nothing was done needs to lose their jobs or seats in congress.
Fifth, the kids who are victims of Foley's advances are not at fault. The things I have read that have incensed me the most on this issue are those who defend Foley's actions because some of the pages may have "egged him on", or "played along". Frankly, I don't care if they went over to his house with their zippers undone and their erect cocks hanging out in front of them. Whether they were six or sixteen, whether they played along, or were completely and utterly repulsed by his one-handed typing exercises, they ARE minors, PERIOD!
The laws he wrote do not take into account the willingness of the minor in question to be a party to enticement to pedophilia. Yes, there are, in fact, many teen-aged minors who are turned on to the thought of having sex with adults. I was one of them when I was at that age. I never found any willing adults, but there sure were plenty of boys my age who were more than willing to do the nasty with me.
Once again, that is beside the point. Foley was SUPPOSED to be the responsible party. He was the adult. It was up to him to nix the goings on. It wasn't up to the kids. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have been approached on the internet by under-aged young men who want to have the same kind of one-handed discussions in which Foley participated. When I had Yahoo MESSenger, it was not uncommon at all. I handled them all the same way, I placed the offending youth on my ignore list.
I did this for two reasons. First, to me, it smelled a lot like a set-up for entrapment. With the present state of the internet, and all the pedophile stings going on, the last thing I am going to do is talk with anyone that identifies himself as under the age of eighteen. Secondly, I don't have time to waste with kids. I don't find sex with minors stimulating in any way. I had my time of breaking in virgins, and talking dirty with under-aged kids. That time ended with my eighteenth birthday. Since that time, ALL of my sexual play has been limited to adults over the age of eighteen. Now that I am in my forties, I usually don't have time for adults under the age of twenty-five, but that's a personal thing, and isn't really germane to the issue at hand. Suffice it to say, whether or not some of the pages in question were willing, that doesn't make Foley's actions right.
Sixth, damage control is just about out of the question. Yes, Flush Lintball, Anne Coulter, Swill OhReally, and Sean Insannity are all suddenly the biggest supporters of the American Homosexual. They are hoping that like so many, if they change the story from a pedophile using his power to abuse minors to a question of homosexuality, they might defuse the issue and take the wind out of the investigation's sails.
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