When it comes to the two political parties in this country I’ve always identified with Malcolm’s statement that the difference between the Republican and Democratic parties is like the difference between a wolf and a fox (no disrespect to the wolf and fox). I don’t believe either party serves the interests of the people and instead are more interested in maintaining their stranglehold on electoral politics. That said I can’t help but trip out over the hypocrisy of the “ultra-conservative family values” wing of the Republican Party. Within the past year we have seen major scandals based on hypocritical behavior by republican party politicians and activists. All of the scandals were of a sexual nature and were committed by individuals who made a living railing against “immoral behavior” within American society. Many of the scandals involved behavior of a homosexual nature by politicians and activists who condemned homosexuals to hell and opposed same sex marriages or civil unions.

Personally I could care less about anyone’s sexual preferences. I believe there are far too many problems in the world for me to be worrying about who’s sleeping with who. As long as someone does not impose their sexual preferences on me I say live and let live. As long as it is between consenting adults its none of my business.

Hypocrisy on the other hand is not easily ignored, especially when the hypocrites stand on platforms of moral and religious righteousness. Take this clown Larry Craig, the senator from Idaho, that was arrested in a men’s room stall attempting to solicit sex from a male undercover police officer. Caught red handed Senator Craig attempted to talk his way out of the arrest by explaining that he “accidentally” brushed his foot against the officer’s foot and didn’t rub his hand “suggestively” under the bathroom stall as a signal he was interested in sex. Even more pathetic was his press conference attempting to explain his guilty pleas was unknowing and that he was not nor has ever been gay. Ironically Senator Craig in 1989 was the only congressman out of a 12 member committee who voted to censure another congressman who was involved in a homosexual liaison with a “call boy.” Craig’s future as a Senator appears bleak having apparently been caught red handed with his hand under the bathroom stall.

Senator Larry Craig wasn’t the only one in the closet within the “family values” bunch. Last year the Rev. Ted Haggard, a prominent member of the Christian Right movement who held weekly conference calls with the White House, was exposed by a homosexual “call boy” who Haggard payed for services on a monthly basis. The “call boy” was angered by Haggard’s opposition to same sex unions in Colorado and went to the media with the affair. Haggard is a married man with children. After his exposure he held a tearful press conference acknowledging the affair and that he committed a terrible sin then promptly checked into a Christian Rehab program to “cure” him of his homosexuality. Wait a minute, isn’t the biblical punishment for sodomy “stoning”? Come on, Ted, practice what you preach. Bring on the stones.

Let’s not forget Louisiana Senator Vitter. For years this man championed himself as an example of American Christian family values. He opposed homosexuality and railed against women that had children out of wedlock. He was a prominent member of the Christian Right’s family values movement. He boasted he believed the ten commandments were the law of the land and the principles he lived his life according to. He also was exposed by a Washington madam as having been a prominent customer of her call girl service. He was such a routine customer of her “call girl” service that his name and phone number was in her infamous “black book”. He refuses to resign and his wife has scolded the media for intruding into sex lives of citizens. Senator Vitter must have forgotten “thou shall not commit adultery” is one of the ten commandments he claims to live by. By the way, the biblical punishment for adultery is stoning.

Perhaps the vilest of them all, not only in terms of hypocrisy, but in terms of of behavior, is former Florida Congressman Mark Foley. He stands in a category by himself. Foley was forced to resign and then ridiculously checked into rehab after it was discovered he was a pedophile and had sent sexually explicit emails to 16 year old congressional “page boys.” While Foley’s predatory behavior is in a class by itself it is indicative of the hypocritical behavior of the family values wing of the Republican Party.

Tellingly it is repressive sexual laws and the Republican party’s rigid moral grand standing that is responsible for these men having to sneak around in bathroom stalls for sex, hire “call boys” and solicit “call girls” to satisfy sexual desires they ranted and railed against creating an atmosphere of intolerance and repression . As long as these “moral champions “ and “Christian right” crusaders continue to create these intolerant attitudes towards individuals’ preferences, race, creed or religion, the more we will witness the hypocritical behavior of these politicians exposed. The next time you are in bathroom stall and a foot gently brushes against yours from the adjoining stall, be careful; there might be a closet Republican crusader n the next stall. Bring on the stones!

Robert Holbrook #BL-5140
SCI Greene
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburgh, PA 15370