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The New Curse: Sex Offender Laws Come Before Politician Sex Scandals
An Editorial by: Derek "The Fallen One" Logue
May 3, 2008

First was the infamous "Curse of the Bambino." Next came the "Madden Curse," where football players
placed on the box of every yearly Madden video football game end up suffering a career threatening
problem. Now, it seems, a new curse emerges, befalling many "get tough on sex crimes" politicians;
perhaps we can call it the "curse of the sex scandal."

It seems every time a politician pushes for tougher laws against sex offenders, they end up being caught
in the very same situation they are attacking. New York Governor Elliot Spitzer was busted for soliciting
prostitute after making it a registered sex offense. Idaho Senator Larry Craig opposed gay marriage but
was caught soliciting gay sex in a public restroom. And Florida congressman Mark Foley pushed the
Adam Walsh Act through congress, but was later caught sending sexual messages to underage
congressional pages.

Now we have Ohio Attorney General Mark Dann, who, ironically, ran on the platform of "cleaning up
corruption." Dann helped Ohio become among the first states to pass the Adam Walsh Act, which placed
thousands of low-risk former offenders into the high risk category. However, the scandal began with a top
aide accused of sexual misconduct, but has now ended with Dann admitting to being involved in an affair
with a subordinate. This has deeper implications than one may realize. You see, if the woman in the
scandal claims Dann used his position to influence her into this affair, it is rape. Thus, Dann could very
well end up registering four times per year for the rest of his life as a "sexual predator." It could happen,
but honestly, I doubt it. Dann has asserted he won't step down as Ohio Attorney General.

When ABC 's 20/20 ran the "Age of Consent" special on March 14, 2008, reporter John Stossel mused
why someone would crusade so zealously against the very actions they are committing behind closed
doors. They say, "Do as we say, not as we do." Do they hate their inner demons? Do they try to hide
suspicions of their own improprieties by shifting the public focus? Or do they recognize that sex offenders
are a sure ticket to attention and vote getting?

Scandals receive much attention, but they illustrate the failure to address a major issue. Few people
acknowledge when they have an issue with their sexuality that needs to be addressed. There are few
places to turn to when a person DOES admit to needing help, as the stigma of having a sexual addiction is
such a barrier to getting the help a person needs. They have nowhere to turn. Sadly, if we cannot depend
on our leaders to provide for prevention, education, and counseling for sexual addictions, to provide open
and honest discussion on deviant sexuality, and remove the stigma for seeking counseling for sexual
addiction, we stand no chance of cleaning up sex scandals in our own government, much less the public
at large.

Links:

www.armchairsubversive.org -- Republican scandals

http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/search.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-05-02-0003.html#reactionQues
tion -- Ohio AG Mark Dann

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-stspit0311,0,2330333.story -- NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3546350&page=1 -- Idaho Sen. Larry Craig

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/29/AR2006092901574.html -- Mark Foley
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