It Was Just a Hooker!

I said in my first entry that I probably wouldn’t have postings too often, but this week dictated that I post twice. .

By now we’ve all heard the story of the escort service, the 22 year old hooker, and the straight laced governor. If you haven’t you need to turn away from cartoon network and over to some of the main news channels on cable. I don’t care to rehash the whole story nor do I care to cast any type of judgment on this man. His family has been through a great deal, through no fault of their own. He made a series of decisions that are causing them to have to deal with a lot over the past week or so; and into the future. I pray the best for them.

What bothers me about this whole situation are the statements of the likes of Ben Stein and Alan Dershowitz as well as what seems to be public sentiment about this whole situation. Dershowitz compared the antics of the now ex-governor to those of LBJ, Kennedy, and Clinton and said this is a sexual activity that is private and is not the business of the federal government. Unfortunately, I’m hearing this sentiment echo throughout the community in many people I hear speaking of it, and people I speak to about it. In the mall on Thursday evening I took a few moments out to sit in one of the convenience area they provide for the husbands who are forced to endure the long visits to the mall. On the other sofa were two people, whose conversation I was privvy to by virtue of proximity. I listened in on the conversation of the 40 something’s as they were discussing the whole Spitzer-hooker scandal. One argued that it’s not our business if he cheated on his wife and the other said no it isn’t, but he portrayed himself as a clean cut guy who prosecuted stuff like this. Their conversation went on, but I stopped eavesdropping [you know that’s rude] and went on my way.

Here’s where the line is drawn. Spitzer intentionally broke the law, on the local, state, and federal levels. Having served as attorney general [highest ranking lawmaker] of the state for several years, he was well aware of what he was doing and the implications that it entailed. Some of the laws he broke he actually pushed to be made law and prosecuted people who broke those laws. How can he not be prosecuted for each and every infraction of said laws to the fullest extent of said laws? Clinton, LBJ, FDR, and Kennedy, while being unfaithful to their wives, broke no laws. Yes, what they did was deplorable, yes it was a violation of the laws of God, yes, it was a violation of common decency, yes, it was a violation of their vows; but it wasn’t a violation of the laws of the states they lived in or the municipalities they frequented.

Has our moral compass gone so far south that spending in excess of $80,000 on a hooker doesn't register as wrong? I’m personally still trying to figure out what so special about what she does that warrants a $5,000 an hour price tag - then again I really don’t want to know. We have sunken so low in this country to where I actually heard a news anchor this morning saying, “What we’ve learned from the Spitzer scandal is that we need to legalize and regulate prostitution.” …WHAT???? Is that our answer for everything? In that case why don’t we legalize dog fighting and free Mike Vick? Why don’t we legalize statutory rape and free those caught up in that system?

Since when do we simply change the laws to fit our actions? I was raised on the principal that our actions ought to be dictated by the laws and rules that govern us. How can you rear children and provide them with rules and boundaries, then when they don’t agree, what do you do? Change the rules? Do away with them? That, my friends would be the downfall of modern civilization as we know it, in western culture. Laws and rules are meant to be followed, they give us structure, they give us guidelines, they give us protections...isn't it what makes up civilized?

Had this man not been aware of the laws he violated, I might have some sense of sympathy for him. Had he simply been a victim if circumstance, I might even say that the courts ought to have mercy on him. He is neither! He is a former officer of the court whose role, goal and purpose while serving the state of New York in that capacity was to eradicate crime from the streets of the state. He is one who was characterized by many as being overzealous in the enforcement of crimes while in the office of attorney general. He is one who made people take the ‘perp walk’ through the photographers when he could have allowed them to turn themselves in at the back door of the police station. He is one who showed no mercy, but is now seeking a plea deal and mercy. To this I say, may God have mercy on him and especially his family. May the state of New York and the federal prosecutors throw the whole library at him. I believe in personal accountability. I learned as a child, ‘every tub must sit on its own bottom.’ His is now dented and he's gotta sit on it.

Interesting thing to note here…the Lieutenant Governor of New York has only had to take office one other time in the history of the state. What's totally ironic is the fact that the last time this transition was necessary was when a certain Rockefeller died while having sex with his mistress. Hmmm...interesting indeed.

It’s just my opinion, but I’m not wrong!