Shove Studds back at them...

[sfwriter]

I'm posting this for a friend who shared it with me... Use it to shove Studds back at 'em.

************

You're currently being reminded about Gerry Studds' censure in 1983 by GOP spin doctors. You're most likely going to hear a lot more about it over the next couple of weeks. The reasoning is something along the lines of "The Dems did it too!"

A few things to consider when you hear Studds' name mentioned:

First: So? Are you saying that because a member of the opposing party did something horrible, it excuses the horrible act by Foley?

Second: Studds was immediately censured by the Democrats when the information came to light.

Third: No one else in congress knew about Studds immoral actions.

Fourth: As despicable and downright disgusting as it was, Studds affair was legal. The page he was involved with ten years earlier (in 1976) was 16 at the time, and at the time, that was the legal age of consent in Washington DC (where the page lived).

Fifth: Studds' affair was consensual. The pageS (emphasis on the plural) Foley had contact with objected many times to his advances.

Sixth: Foley was a co-chair of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, and made "family values" a key issue in his political career.

Seventh: Foley has so far made at least three excuses for his behavior, the first being that he is an alcoholic, the second being that he was abused by a clergyman as a child, and third (and most appalling) that he's gay (more on this in a minute).

Eighth: Related to what I said in "First;" you can't say that the Democrats are being partisan by putting such emphasis on Foley and the Republicans who helped him cover this up (in an election year) and then turn around and say "Dems did it too!"

I'd also like to remind you that even if it comes out that Foley never physically did anything with these kids, what we do know he did (contacting minors on the Internet across state lines for sexual purposes) is still illegal (because of a law he helped draft and personally presented to the president for signing).

I will guarantee you this: if it comes out that any Democrat took part in the cover up, I will expect and insist that he or she be held accountable and that they are removed from office and face any possible criminal charges.

You see, there is something that keeps getting missed, here. These were boys. By that, I mean they were not yet "men" in the eyes of the law. Don't forget that. Foley abused his power by intimidating these boys all of whom had hopes of someday changing the world. He has harmed them, he has harmed the trust of we, the people, in our government, and he used predatory tactics to do so.

And not once has anybody (particularly Foley) said, "I'm sorry. What I have done has injured these boys, their families, and my country."

Not that an apology would fix anything... but what part of these people is so fucking broken that they feel it is far more important to cover their asses, make excuses, and point fingers of distraction than it is to feel any remorse or any sympathy for the victims and their families.

Finally I want to comment on something that you will also be hearing from these inhuman people. It has been, and will continue to be reported that it's a "fact" that homosexuals are more likely to be pedophiles.

You won't see them bring up any statistics from any agency that deals with these matters.

Why?

Because it's a lie.

Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that 98% of molested males and 99.6% of molested girls are victims of heterosexuals.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/94/1/41

[tavalon]

1. I recommended so I feel like saying something

But you've said it all and eloquently at that. I'm appalled at how this has been playing out thusfar.

[EST]

2. So true.

All the studies I've seen indicate homosexuals are far less likely to offend than are heterosexuals.

Moreover, this is not a class crime or a group crime; it is an individual crime, perpetrated by an individual, with the perp going out of his way to conceal his actions.

smoke screen.

[cali]

5. Really, what studies?

Please cite some. I'm not familiar with studies on the subject, but my guess is, sex offenses have little to do with orientation, and that hetero and gay men offend at roughly the same rate.

[rpannier]

6. American Academy of Pediatrics Report

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/94/1/41

it's in adobe acrobat. acreobat always slows down my computer.

[sandnsea]

3. Studds wasn't a serial predator

End of story.

Any time a person starts rambling on with varying defenses, people start to think they're guilty of something.

This is the first sexual predator we've had in Congress, there isn't anything to compare it to at all.

[The Count]

14. That's it. Short and sweet. The more words, less convincing

That they had to go 23 years back to point the finger is also a good one (thanks Jon!)

[anniebelle]

4. So glad you posted these statistics.

Also been hearing rantings about Nancy Pelosi and various other Democratic leaders being accused of marching with pedophiles in gay parades.:mad: I heard that gem flowing from Pat Buchanan's pie hole and some other equally obnoxious pundit on cable (can't keep them straight with this media blitz on perverted old man on boy story).

[KharmaTrain]

7. Is Studds Still With This Person?

I used Daniel Crane as my example. He was censured along with Stubbs for Raping a 16-year old female page. This was while Crane was married.

Rove needs to keep the fundies from not getting on those voting busses on Nov. 7th and one of the few tricks left in his bag is some good ole Red State gaybashing...and if there's a way to change the topic to this...so much the better. That's why Foley all of a sudden became a D-FL on Faux Noise and you hear the GOOP goons feign more indignation about learning Foley is gay than he is a predator. A distinction I'm not sure others are noting.

To her credit, Ileana Ros-Leitnan shot down that meme on Bill Mahrer last night and I've seen several other prominent GOOP women like Bay Buchanan doing the same thing.

They would love to find a Democrat to out...or I still don't put it beyond these power greedy oxygen theives to start outting their own if they think that will distract things away from both Foley and other bad news.

Meanwhile Susan Ralston slowly sneaks out of town...

[rosesaylavee]

13. More on Daniel Crane (R) of Illinois

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Crane

According to sources I found, Crane and the young 17 yo female page had consensual sex and she wasn't raped by him. AND, it appears

Dan Crane (R) didn't resign because of the 1983 Page Scandal

, he just wasn't reelected by his constituents.

[KharmaTrain]

15. In Illinois Sex With A Minor Is Rape

Consentual or not. The laws in Virginia or DC or Maryland maybe have been different at the time, but they weren't in Illinois...17 year olds are still considered minors. It's a crime that will earn a person 5 - 10 years behind bars these days.

Yes, he was rejected by his constituents. His brother lost his seat due, in part to his Alcoholism. These dudes were from a prominant family...and couldn't control their demons.

Cheers...

[rosesaylavee]

17. I didn't know that

Unfortunately that sentencing doesn't hold true across the board. Have a former 'inlaw' who only served 3 yrs for molesting his infant daughter.

[papau]

8. Studs sex in 73 was overseas where 16 was not a minor - the 83 censure

was cover for the GOPer screwing the underage female page who was going to be censured. At least that is how I remember it. It was not even an issue in Studds next election on Cape Cod Ma - and he was re-elected.

As to the stats - they implied - or rather show - that chasing minors is no more than half as common in the gay community as it is in hetero. The SOA in the early 80's AIDs study developed data on the size of the active in gay sex, gay community - which was around 1.2% for females and a little under 5% for males - so the incident rate is half as high in the gay community. As an aside, while the study is of course still available - I probable still have a copy - the size of active gay sex community was never given any PR because it did not reflect the actual number of gays - only those sexually active - and it would hurt the effort to get gay rights at the time = part of that effort being claims that the size of the community was much larger - based on legitimate - albeit much smaller - studies. Plus this being a trace back AIDs study (trying to project future case loads), it was likely that it under reported the real number a bit as that accuracy was not important to the purpose of the study, only the multiplication of size by incident rate result - giving case load - was important.

[many a good man]

9. Perfectly illustrates Republican hypocrisy and power-madness

Their only response to this scandal so far has been to make excuses and attack Democrats. They see everything through the lens of how it affects their hold on power. It makes me sick.

[tblue37]

12. AND attack the victims. Don't forget that! (eom)

[Stardust]

18. And the fact that they have to dig back over 20 years to come up

with something to counterattack with is laughable, isn't it?

[snappyturtle]

10. K&R Thanks...this is great ammo! nt

[blue cat]

11. Did anyone else see

that blonde bimbo on msnbc and Bill Press and a black republican discussing the Foley case? The bimbo and the republican were in unison saying that the dems did it too. Bill Press was great in his responses in saying that they needed to focus on now instead of 22 years ago.

[texasleo]

16. 1983 was a long time ago. just ask saddam and rummy

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[kdpeters]

19. If facts are important, (and they are), let's get ours right

Finally I want to comment on something that you will also be hearing from these inhuman people. It has been, and will continue to be reported that it's a "fact" that homosexuals are more likely to be pedophiles.

You won't see them bring up any statistics from any agency that deals with these matters.

Why?

Because it's a lie.

You will also hear it continually asserted that it's a "fact" Foley, and thus, Gerry Studds are pedophiles. Unfortunately, you'll hear it oft repeated here on DU, but it just isn't correct. They're both gay, not pedophiles. It's an important point because it's an important distinction.


I think it's important that we try to understand what pedophilia really is and stop implying it's something that it's not or that Foley is something that he isn't. These legal technicalities have nothing at all to do defining a pedophile. For an authoritative definition of clinical pedophilia, the DSM IV published by the American Psychiactric Association is the go to source. Here's what it says:

302.2 Pedophilia

Topics Discussed: pedophilia.

Excerpt: "The paraphilic focus of Pedophilia involves sexual activity with a prepubescent child (generally age 13 years or younger). The individual with Pedophilia must be age 16 years or older and at least 5 years older than the child.

http://www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=10307&searchStr=pedophilia

So let's stop calling these pages "children" because it's a misleading term for young men and women in mid-teens. The difference between a teen and a child is a significant factor here. How about "young man" or "teenager"? The point is to approach these issues rationally in good faith and discuss openly -- not try to shut it down. If these issues are important, and they are, then it's important to understand them and be as precise as we can with our language. When we accuse, we don't want to give any reason to question our credibility.

[Catherine Vincent]

20. They mention Studds, I mention Crane.

They never mention Crane.

[Straight Shooter]

21. "Two wrongs don't make a right."

I won't bother debating nuances with Repubs. It's a waste of time and energy.

You make some great points, but I just don't think Repubs are interested in facts. They like short, simple retorts.


But if I wanted to debate them, I would ask why Rush took Viagra to the Dominican Republic, and whatever happened to the call boy scandal while Reagan was president, front page news of the Washington Times? That was in 1989. The Crane/Studds scandal was six years before that, in 1983, concerning a relationship that occurred in 1973.

Gerry Eastman Studds (born May 12, 1937) is a retired American politician, born in Mineola, New York. He served as a Democratic Congressman for Massachusetts from 1973 until 1997. He was the first openly homosexual member of the US Congress and, more generally, the first openly gay national politician in the US. In 1983, he admitted to having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male page in 1973 and was censured by the House of Representatives.

<snip>

Studds and his longtime partner, Dean T. Hara, who have been together since 1991, applied for a marriage license on May 18 and were married in Boston on May 24, 2005, one week after same-sex marriages became legal in Massachusetts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Studds

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The Times reported, ``A homosexual prostitution ring is under investigation by federal and District authorities and includes among its clients key officials of the Reagan and Bush administrations, military officers, congressional aides and U.S. and foreign businessmen with close ties to Washington's political elite.''

The expose� centered on the role of one Craig Spence, a Republican powerbroker known for his lavish ``power cocktail'' parties. Spence was well connected. He celebrated Independence Day 1988 by conducting a midnight tour of the White House in the company of two teenage male prostitutes among others in his party.

Rumors circulated that a list existed of some 200 Washington prominents who had used the call boy service. The Number Two in charge of personnel affairs at the White House, who was responsible for filling all the top civil service posts in the federal bureaucracy, and Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole's chief of staff, were two individuals publicly identified as patrons of the call boy ring.

Two of the ring's call boys were allegedly KGB operatives, according to a retired general from the Defense Intelligence Agency interviewed by the press. But the evidence seemed to point to a CIA sexual blackmail operation, instead. Spence's entire mansion was covered with hidden microphones, two-way mirrors and video cameras, ever ready to capture the indiscretions of Washington's high, mighty and perverse. The political criteria for proper sexual comportment had long been established in Washington: Any kinkiness goes, so long as you don't get caught. The popular proverb was that the only way a politician could hurt his career was if he were ``caught with a dead woman or a live boy'' in his bed.

http://www.apfn.net/messageboard/03-09-05/discussion.cgi.82.html