Tears of a Weiner

As the news program I was tuned into last night hooked the upcoming story, as “shocking revelations” that Anthony Weiner has indeed posted lewd pictures of himself on his Twitter account and “other social networking sites,” I wondered.  How can anyone continue to refer to this type of news story as shocking?  Is it because of his limp denials about having been hacked and pranked?  Because yet another public figure, it turns out,  is a creepy pervert?  Maybe because he whimpered tearfully in a pathetic attempt to pass himself off as remorseful in a public apology?  I for one, was not shocked in the least.

I have heard my liberal friends guffaw in glee as one Republican after another made a public ass of themselves in one sex scandal after another.  It has been like shooting trout in a bucket.  And now one of our own, a beloved son who, to quote a friend, “has done so much good work,” has stepped in it big time.  And the excuses and minimizing are running amok.  Not in the media, I am referring to talk amongst the little folk.  I am not buying it for a minute.

I have this theory.  Politicians don’t change the world, or the government, or build countries.  Individuals do.  Until men start raising their sons to treat women and their own sexuality with respect, and women stop tolerating their behavior, nothing will really change.  If he was an unmarried man, I wouldn’t find it offensive, but he is.  And he is modeling forchildren and as a public figure, that infidelity and creepy internet “sexting” is normal adult behavior.  As is lying and phony apologies complete with fake tears.

It takes integrity and self respect to build the village that will raise the child.  Our only hope in this story is to not concentrate too much on Weiner’s behavior, but our own.  I think I will close now, and do just that.  As the saying goes, “Be the change  you want to see.”