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March 28, 2008
| PERSONAL ESSAYS |
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So Governor Spitzer spends $80,000 on gals rated in "diamonds", and a major topic of conversation is why Silda Spitzer is standing by her man: Is she dumb, greedy, withholding and therefore to blame, in shock, a doormat, furthering abuse of women? What about none of the above? I don't understand the fuss about wives standing by their whoring hounds of husbands. Fucking hookers is like smoking doobies — it's illegal but it really shouldn't be, it's none of my business, and the spouse gets mad only if they don't enjoy doing the same thing themselves.
So does marriage. Sex is not the most important thing in so many marriages. On TV, various groupings of three female pundits keep discussing infidelity as if it were one, clear thing, as if politicians and preachers are different from us, as if because they talk about fidelity and righteousness they have to live it. Writers and philosophers talk about freedom and truth — does that mean we live it perfectly? It's our job, our desire, our wish, and focus. That doesn't mean we got it down. Who are those TV pundits to say what faithfulness means in Spitzer's marriage, anymore than any three people can decide what freedom means to somebody else? But after certain experiences in my personal life, I have come to see these details as heartaches.
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Commentarium (15 Comments)
One thing. He actually is accused of spending any taxpayer money to do this.
Its amazing to me how libs make excuses for libs... so damn afraid of making any judgment calls or seeing fault in anyone who shares in their perverted philosophy. All this while missing the bigger picture within reality. Without passing judgement on the morality of what Spitzer did, what he did was ILLEGAL. Wether or not you agree with the illegality of prostitution, it is illegal.
Even that put aside, you are talking about a man supposed to represent the people of the State of New York. All the people, and not just the immoral ones. For that alone a person should be kept to a higher standard.
Still unmentioned and unnoticed is the matter of blackmail. A person in power who puts themself into such a compromising position runs a great risk of being blackmailed. I don't know about you, but I don't feel very comfortable with the person in charge of my state's national guard and such having their stings pulled by "who knows whom.
The same thing was overlooked with dirtbag McGreevy! I don't give a damn that the man is a "gay American". I do give a damn that he betrayed the people of New Jersey by compromising the security of the entire state for the sake of his feelings. He put a "lover" of his in charge of the state's homeland security who was a foreigner and wasn't allowed that level of security clearance himself!
Spitzer deserves nothing less than jail.
Hallelujah! This is the most intelligent, compassionate thing I've read all year. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Your argument is that prostitution is illegal? It's illegal to drive 66 mph, and it's illegal to have oral sex with your wife in many states. Are you really that blindly deferential to the law? It's the oldest profession for a reason, legal or not.
Very nicely expressed. It's extraordinary that no one else in the media seems capable of putting this whole episode in perspective.
Is it too much to ask that people do some fact-checking before mouthing off here?
Spitzer, whatever his flaws and other potentially criminal actions, neither embezzled or used state or campaign funds for his whoring. He's independently wealthy and used his own money.
Also, after the Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas -- five years ago -- consensual oral sex between adults is no longer illegal in any jurisdiction (as long as money doesn't change hands, of course).
It is such a shame that the "Sheriff of Wall Street" was targeted for reasons beyond infidelity and illegal activity there have been reports that the usury laws violated by the banking industry all over this country which have led to the sub prime mortgage scandal is the reason behind Spitzers being taken down it seems the Sheriff of Wall Street besides pissing off some very wealthy people wanting to do some very illegal things was standing in the way of the bail out of the banking industry which went through the day after the sting went down it seems there were over 2000 wire taps to take down this single "John" and nobody is addressing the fact that one very effective law enforcer has been laid to waste like so many Sherrifs of the Wild West who stood in the way of outlaws. It is a travesty that America has lost such a Law Enforcer.
Well, you know, it's like the park ranger who litters, the police officer who smokes marijuana, and the IRS auditor who tries to hide his income. These may not be capital crimes (though the IRS may think otherwise), but the people charged with enforcing laws and rules are supposed to be beyond reproach, and if caught, all of the above should be fired (or "strongly encouraged to resign"). Spitzer was in a position where if he thought prostitution should be legal, he could have pushed for its legalization. That would have raised a lot of eyebrows, but not nearly as many as how this ended up. Instead of doing that, he thought himself above the laws he was charged to enforce, and that is why he had to go.
Look, Spitzer definitely has a hypocrisy issue, and that may warrant his resignation. But the demonization of him in the press is about something else -- it's a result of our nation's complete lack of realism when it comes to human nature.
"Complete lack of realism when it comes to human nature"???
So, because it is human nature to have sex you are saying that violating your vows of marriage and having sex with prostitutes is something society needs to "understand"? Give me a break! There are plenty of people in this world who do not act upon their "natural urges", its called self restraint and discipline! Killing people is part of human nature as well, but it is something that we as a civilized society object to and punish those that act on those feelings.
I hate to break this to you, but there is such thing as right and wrong in life.
It's Republican Senator David Vitter who is into wearing diapers with prostitutes, not Eliot Spitzer! It's bad enough that we're constantly told how Spitzer had to resign, while what David Vitter did isn't as bad. And that the media breathlessly referred to Spitzer's getting an unprotected blowjob as "unsafe activites" (a vague phrase that conjures up far more unpleasant possibilities than what he actually did), while mostly ignoring the far more shocking details of Vitter's activities. But you don't have to add insult to injury by shifting scandal from Vitter to Spitzer. That's the mainstream "liberal" media's job...
you nailed it
you totally said what i've been thinking.
This is beautifully written and I so so agree (sorry just found you now). I was just asking my bf, friends, everyone I can find why the hell this sex thing is sooooo bad. i know i know, prostitutes but I REALLY liked eliot spitzer and seriously, why is this (and bill clinton's monicagate and etc. etc.etc.) SO much worse that lying, and waring and guantanamo and...
anyway, thanks for the essay. I liked it so much.
Yeah, give him a break. It was only whores and he spent his own money.
Now you say something