Congressman resigns for racy IMs to teen

[Pillsbury]

Well, it turns out Foley was abused as a child. The Catholic priest responsible said he gave him massages while Foley was naked and that they swam naked in a lake. He says he doesn't remember if he actually molested Foley because he was on drugs and in the midst of a nervous breakdown. Here is the story: Foley

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I wanted to edit this to say that, and I hope I'm not getting off-topic, but this makes really sick about the Catholic Church (to which I attend once a week normally). I can't believe the nonchalant way this priest describes his actions with Foley and the way the none of the other priests cited really condemn the behavior. There is something wrong within the Catholic Church.

[JDC]

I don't think the goal is to make it illegal to say something negative about a gay person. Only repealing the first amendment could do that.

I think what many liberals would like is if people could be as cautious about what they say about gays and lesbians as they are about blacks, Hispanics, Jews, Asians, etc. Discrimination on any level is intolerable, regardless of what your religion dictates.

[Charlotte_native]

I don't think the goal is to make it illegal to say something negative about a gay person. Only repealing the first amendment could do that.

[kayman]

Well, it turns out Foley was abused as a child. The Catholic priest responsible said he gave him massages while Foley was naked and that they swam naked in a lake. He says he doesn't remember if he actually molested Foley because he was on drugs and in the midst of a nervous breakdown. Here is the story: Foley

Sorry, you might have to register, but it's free.

I wanted to edit this to say that, and I hope I'm not getting off-topic, but this makes really sick about the Catholic Church (to which I attend once a week normally). I can't believe the nonchalant way this priest describes his actions with Foley and the way the none of the other priests cited really condemn the behavior. There is something wrong within the Catholic Church.

[Pillsbury]

^ No you are absolutely correct. I just added the link for informative purposes; as well I wanted to express my disgust that this type of thing happened with a priest of the Church, who is still an acting priest, which makes me cringe.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

The late Harry Hay, a beloved figure in San Francisco, was a founder of the gay rights movement and has famously said "Because if the parents and friends of gays are truly friends of gays, they would know from their gay kids that the relationship with an older man is precisely what thirteen-, fourteen-, and fifteen-year-old kids need more than anything else in the world." He was a supporter of NAMBLA, though never a member, and advocated for a NAMBLA presence in the SF gay pride parade. Organizers, understandably, didn't think that a good idea.

Pelosi marched in a gay pride parade in San Francisco in which Harry Hay was a celebrant of the parade. I'm sure she doesn't support his pedophilia, but she certainly must have known who he was. She has very recently said "We want to know, why the Republicans chose to protect Mark Foley's political career rather than protect the children who were in our charge." If she really cared about the children, she should not have marched in that parade because of Hay, but not doing so would have hurt her political career in SF.

Commentators have stretched this to her supporting NAMBLA. That's a rather weak, but admittedly there is a show of hypocrisy. By some people's logic when a person marches in the name of a cause, they are affiliating themselves with, and supporting all that the organization stands for. A celebrated marcher stands for NAMBLA, Pelosi stands for NAMBLA. To some, namely desperate republicans, not protesting a NAMBLA member being celebrated is the not helping protect the children. That a supporter of a supporter of NAMBLA = support of NAMBLA is a bit farfetched in my book. That not condemning something = support of something is another idea at play, and this looks most like the work of political smearing.

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If I had done the research on that claim beforehand, I wouldn't have posted that sentence. As are most claims, on both sides of spectrum, this one is founded on the principle of guilt by association and little evidence - something I don't think is appropriate. It is embarrassing to write this post, embarrassing to have clouded my mind with the half-truths to total lies of commentators and politicians. I apologize for wasting your time, have learned my lesson in quoting political commentators and politicians, and hope not to post such a thing again.

[nowensone]

I'm not really following you, Moon, apologies, are you saying that Harry Hay did not say what you say he famously said? I guess depends it on your source, be it factually - somewhere you read, etc, or if you just remember someone else saying he said that, etc.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

No Hay did say that. I'm saying it wasn't appropriate for me to say Democrats support NAMBLA, but I first explained what the commentators tells us the link between Pelosi and NAMBLA is.

[davidals]

He says he doesn't remember if he actually molested Foley because he was on drugs and in the midst of a nervous breakdown.

[waccamatt]

Moon, I believe that quote by Harry Hay was taken out of context. I have read it before and believed it to mean that gay and lesbian teenagers coming out need the love and support of their older brothers and sisters who have already made it through those dreadful years. Of course many straight people (not all) read everything we say and do as trying to corrupt the younger generation. When I was a teenager it would have done immeasurable good to have had an older mentor who could have helped undo the hurt I received from my own family.