Melissa Harper is a senior majoring in biological sciences. She can be contacted at [email protected].For those of us who don’t keep up with every legislator’s sex scandal, which can be an arduous task, let me bring you up to date.
On June 11, Idaho Sen. Larry Craig was arrested in a Minnesota airport for lewd conduct in the little boy’s room.
After repeated claims from Sen. Craig that he was being set up and didn’t do anything “inappropriate,” I grew curious and looked up the police report to see for myself.
Much to my dismay, the report didn’t reveal anything too extremely exciting, but it turns out that if you are in a public men’s restroom and you tap your right foot repeatedly, this signifies that you are interested in a little man-man stall action.
The police report read that this is exactly what Sen. Craig did. He also proceeded to move his foot closer to the undercover officers’ so that they were even touching.
It gets better. After the officer saw Craig’s hands pass under the bathroom divider, which is some other taboo bathroom gesture, the officer flashed his badge under the stall and showed this George Michael imitator the door.
I also listened to the audio from the police station where it was very clear that Craig was stumbling over his words and contradicting himself. I thought it was funny because this is certainly not the common behavior of an elected official and especially not a Republican.
Now, I understand that his initial arrest is old news, but this past Tuesday, Craig announced his resignation from the Senate effective Sept. 30.
To me, this is quite a shame because this is a man who has been in the Senate for roughly a quarter of a century. That is a big chunk of time to flush down the toilet all for a little inappropriate conduct in the powder room.
He ruined it all because he got a little overzealous and a little tap happy.
Everyone in the media is so focused on the “gay scandal” that it overshadows the real offense. The outrage of this scandal should be that he was soliciting sex and breaking the law, not only because it was involving a man.
This leaves me only to wonder, would he have gotten the same cold shoulder from the GOP if this were a female sex scandal? I think not. Would he have resigned if he were caught red-handed with Miss Lewinski? It’s doubtful.
It is like a reverse double standard. It seems to be forgivable when there are scandalous hetero hookups, but with same-sex scandals, you’ve passed the point of no return. If we are going to crucify a man for wanting to have sex with another man, let’s do it for women who solicit men as well.
As for all of Craig’s attempts at regaining his heterosexual status – it’s OK, Mr. Craig, just be gay. Just be honest and just get a room. For the love of all things holy, just get a room.
Am I the only one who thinks he is more disgusting for wanting action in a bathroom stall than wanting action from a man? This depravity was in a public restroom. Aside from the foulness that already exists in a men’s lavatory, add to it the wantonness and lusts of someone who could be my grandpa. I would expect this type of behavior from someone who runs a truck stop off Airport Rd. or Mr. Slave from South Park, not an “upstanding” elected state official.
To me, what people do with their genitalia is their own business and I could care less, but what people do in public places is quite another.
To further begrime an already repulsive place really shows a person’s character. To do all of this and then lie to a police officer really makes me think about the honesty and integrity some elected officials claim to possess.