Child Abuse in the "Old Boys Club"
Okay, so Representative Mark Foley resigned his seat and scuttled off to hide in a treatment program, leaving the Republican house leadership to play slap and tickle with the media. it's all inside the beltway fun and games while the rest of the country clucks, clucks and clucks.A little main street perspective is in order.
What would have happened if Foley had been a teacher in a public school?
First, the administration in his school would have called in the police pronto.
School administrators, teachers, social workers, doctors and nurses are required by law to report suspect child abuse.
Next, we would be treated to a series of TV images of the alleged offender doing the perp-walk followed by an unflattering mug shot.
Then, the police would be all over the alleged offender like bees to honey.
They would comb through his school files and computer, plow through his home, and interview friends, family members, and anyone that had any contact with him at school.
All of this in just a few days after the allegations of impropriety surfaced.
No one would ask Foley the teacher if he had it under control, take his word that he was dealing with the problem, and then walk away.
Foley the teacher might go into treatment, once he has had a court hearing, post bond, and been released from custody. The school analogy is not far fetched.
Most of the Pages for the House of Representative are far from home. They live in a dorm and take classes as part of their schedule. They work, albeit almost invisibly amongst some of the most powerful and charismatic people in America. Simply put, the House Pages are extremely vulnerable, perhaps even more so than students in a public school.
Don't the adults in the House and Senate have the responsibility, ethical and legal, to protect their young charges? There are other equally significant issues.
Law requires that certain professions report suspicions of child abuse. Doctors are one such case.
Senator Bill Frist, was a doctor before becoming a politician and used his medical background to leverage his political career. Did his responsibility to protect young people by reporting possible abuse go away when he became a Senator?
Don't the Representatives and Senators have a swearing in ceremony where they pledge to uphold the laws of the United States? Isn't pedophilia and exploiting underage kids for sexual jollies against the law? This isn't the first time this has happened and it won't be the last. That is why it is important that our legislators be held accountable now.
Finally, while demographics on pedophilia (technically the sexual attraction to children younger than the 16 year old house pages) is not well known, it appears that up to 32% of all men have some form of physical sexual response to children. It is important to note that most men supress these feelings and do not act on them. By the way, 4% of women have a similar reaction.
It could mean however, that one-third of our legislators might find the House Pages stimulating to some degree. And anecdotal evidence indicates that there is more than one potential predator in every 400 adults in the country.
Our elected leaders are like the rest of us, with the same strengths and weakness. And, like the rest of us, they should be held equally responsible under our laws.
posted by Les @ 7:49 AM
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