Monday, July 16, 2007

David Vitter Announces He will not Resign

Good for him.

David Vitter appeared hours ago and made a statement on the DC madam case, the allegations of the escorts in NOLA, and his future. Despite all the antics of the liberals and especially the liberal Louisiana blogs he will not resign.

As I have mentioned before, the allegations of David Vitter having visited some escort at some point in the past was a topic years ago in Louisiana. He was reelected to his seat in the House and won election to the US Senate in 2004. The Democrats if they had wanted too could have made this a issue in the 2004 race. THey did not and for good reason. Stuff like this backfires.

The forums are full of people that never liked David Vitter now claiming outrage. After about 5 or 6 threads of this I stated:

"What I see here has little to do with promoting integrity, or trying to promote good Government. On the contrary it is largely public voyuerism, a witch hunt, a destructive rumor mill all masquerading as supposed outrage.....I know good married men and woman that try to promote good values to their kids, love their Church and community. Yet they have failed in the past as to their vows they took. They failed at times in living the values they preach to their kids. A mistake does not make ones ideas or ideals or values all lies. It does not make those values any less worth fighting for."

If Senator David Vitter is a hypocrite for a sexual weakness back in the 90's then I suppose I have to adopt that label for myself. How many times have I gone to confession and asked for absolution and the graces to sin no more. How often was I back in that confessional that very next week confessing the same darn things.All while advocating against those sins if asked. That I believe is the Christian struggle. I know Catholics and Christians that have varying degrees of Same Sex attraction inclinations. They struggle to lead a life according to the Church. They are not "out" nor do they need to be. Being "out" usually means having one's whole life and person labeled as to a sexual orientation. Something the Church says is improper by the way. Are they hypocrites if they occasionally fail , yet still say homosexual acts are wrong? Do they need to give a public disclosure of their own private lives before they give a opinion? If that is the standard I think Christians would have just to shut up and never could give their two cents. Our past sins do not define us as persons or define what we must believe.

Politicians are of course held to a high standard. They should be. But in my estimation this political sin was so venial that it is time to move on. I personally think his recent immigration stance while Louisiana is being rebuilt with so much illegal alien labor is more troubling and perhaps hypocritical. But that is just me.

The rumors about a man's life I am seeing on Louisiana blogs and national forums do little to promote civil public discourse , good government, or public integrity. So I wish people would stop pretending that is what they are doing. There are political Agendas going on here that have little to do with what is at issue.

Being an lawyer was like being a priest. I could not give absolution but I could listen all under my own legally mandated version of the seal of confession. Lot of good and decent people came to me in those years. Most told me far far more than I needed to know. But there was just relief for many to get their sins and weakness out to somebody that would not sit in condemnation. That would not say YOU ARE LIVING A LIE YOU HYPOCRITE. Tales of unfaithfulness, of various sexual sins, of lying, of deceit, of violence, of unmitigated rage and hurts. Needless to say , I did not lose my faith in humanity. I saw it for what it was- People in need of reconcilation. These folks were largely every day Americans and your neighbors.

Will I change my mind if more damaging and more recent stuff comes out? Perhaps. We all have to make judgemnt calls on these things. But till then this is my position.

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