It is painful to watch our politicians fail so hopelessly. Governor Sanford comes to mind as the latest disappointment along with Senator John Ensign and before them, there have been a “slew” of politicians and people in high places who have fallen victims to what seems to be misplaced testosterone.
Let’s review. – Stories abound of the endless escapades of the Kennedys, starting with the patriarch, Joe, President John, Senator Bobby and last but not least, Senator Teddy. This was the family commonly thought to be highly endowed with liberal intellect on whose word we all clung shamelessly. In fact, they may have been a shade above the rest of us in charisma but common sense, principles, values and simple commitment were not well represented in their character. They all brought pain and suffering to their spouses.
Let us not forget the many rumors of “interests” by other persons of high repute i.e., Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower and who can forget the most notable of recent fame, Bill Clinton? Were there others? -- Certainly, notably Thomas Jefferson and wasn’t Benjamin Franklin accused of having a roving eye? Of course, no one can forget Prince Charles and his former paramour and now wife or the myriad of similar stories from other countries that abound. Unlike we Americans, many other countries throughout the World see the issues relating to illicit sex as nothing more than the “expected antics from an ‘old boys network’” that is alive and well. However, in addition to the recent tearful expressions of contrition by Senator Ensign and Governor Sanford, there is the prior conduct of fellow politicians such as Gary Hart, John Edwards, Elliott Spitzer, Larry Craig, Mark Foley, David Vitter to name those of fairly recent reporting As far as I can tell, the stories of adultery seem evenly distributed between Republicans and Democrats. I suppose that we can assume that simple stupidity and an over engaged sexual magnetism by deprived egos seeking satisfaction outside the parameters of accepted values is not limited to one party or another.
This is a long list of philanders, but I feel sure that these are just the “tip of the iceberg”. How many people have committed similar acts and seemingly “got away with it” or simply ended an existing relationship by means of divorce and moved on? In today’s world there is hardly a family that is the product of one marriage but increasingly, there is the current spouse, the ex spouse and sometimes several ex’s both male and female. There are his children, her children and their children. Who knows, maybe there are also the “unnamed children”? There are the spouses, mates, friends and “significant others”. What will we think of next? In fact, maybe we will embrace the mid east stereotype of several wives?
Unspoken for the most part, are the many examples of women who are guilty of the same acts of adultery as those herein outlined. In short, our society today is filled with unkept promises, unfaithfulness, lack of principle and no moral character. Increasingly in today’s society women are “opting out of marriages” on their own. Just a few years ago women were stuck in bad marriages and thought that they had no alternative to “making do” with what they had. Today, they are electing to end a “bad marriage” and are insisting that husbands share not only the responsibility for support but also share equally in the day to day events of child rearing. Good for them!!!
I was deeply impressed with Jenny Sanford’s response to her husband’s infidelity. She did not attempt hypocrisy by standing beside her husband while he made excuses for his “love story”. She rightly left him to turn in the heat from the “fire pit” that he, personally, had stoked.
His comments have served only to reassert the degree of his total selfishness and his lack of love or caring for his wife or the children he sired. He is a man who I would judge as having been on the receiving end of total unselfish and devoted love. A wife who gave up her career, abandoned her pivotal role in a life style of comfort and security, moved to South Carolina to be a wife, mother and political partner and who worked endlessly to help him achieve his ambitions. He has repaid her with his uncomplimentary remarks about his “love story” for another. In my judgment, this is not a love story. It is the height of selfishness and ego? If there is a love story here – it is not Mark Sanford’s. It is Jenny Sanford’s traditional commitment to her mate, family values, devotion to duty and belief in the potential and future of “her man” who, in the end, completely abandoned her in an act of selfish ego.
I hope that Jenny Sanford throws the beast out and accepts that the husband she loved and did everything for has fallen in love with another. In the process he handed his wife and his children the deepest humiliation that a husband and father can give those who unselfishly loved and trusted him. He discarded any symbolic expression that might otherwise have suggested that he ever was a responsible husband, father or person of family values. Only Mrs. Sanford can decide what is right for her and her children. In my opinion Mark Sanford should be put on the next ship to Argentina where he might live ever after with his paramour and write his great “love story”. It will undoubtedly be a mythical vision of an enlarged organ that briefly replaced his brain.
Let’s review. – Stories abound of the endless escapades of the Kennedys, starting with the patriarch, Joe, President John, Senator Bobby and last but not least, Senator Teddy. This was the family commonly thought to be highly endowed with liberal intellect on whose word we all clung shamelessly. In fact, they may have been a shade above the rest of us in charisma but common sense, principles, values and simple commitment were not well represented in their character. They all brought pain and suffering to their spouses.
Let us not forget the many rumors of “interests” by other persons of high repute i.e., Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower and who can forget the most notable of recent fame, Bill Clinton? Were there others? -- Certainly, notably Thomas Jefferson and wasn’t Benjamin Franklin accused of having a roving eye? Of course, no one can forget Prince Charles and his former paramour and now wife or the myriad of similar stories from other countries that abound. Unlike we Americans, many other countries throughout the World see the issues relating to illicit sex as nothing more than the “expected antics from an ‘old boys network’” that is alive and well. However, in addition to the recent tearful expressions of contrition by Senator Ensign and Governor Sanford, there is the prior conduct of fellow politicians such as Gary Hart, John Edwards, Elliott Spitzer, Larry Craig, Mark Foley, David Vitter to name those of fairly recent reporting As far as I can tell, the stories of adultery seem evenly distributed between Republicans and Democrats. I suppose that we can assume that simple stupidity and an over engaged sexual magnetism by deprived egos seeking satisfaction outside the parameters of accepted values is not limited to one party or another.
This is a long list of philanders, but I feel sure that these are just the “tip of the iceberg”. How many people have committed similar acts and seemingly “got away with it” or simply ended an existing relationship by means of divorce and moved on? In today’s world there is hardly a family that is the product of one marriage but increasingly, there is the current spouse, the ex spouse and sometimes several ex’s both male and female. There are his children, her children and their children. Who knows, maybe there are also the “unnamed children”? There are the spouses, mates, friends and “significant others”. What will we think of next? In fact, maybe we will embrace the mid east stereotype of several wives?
Unspoken for the most part, are the many examples of women who are guilty of the same acts of adultery as those herein outlined. In short, our society today is filled with unkept promises, unfaithfulness, lack of principle and no moral character. Increasingly in today’s society women are “opting out of marriages” on their own. Just a few years ago women were stuck in bad marriages and thought that they had no alternative to “making do” with what they had. Today, they are electing to end a “bad marriage” and are insisting that husbands share not only the responsibility for support but also share equally in the day to day events of child rearing. Good for them!!!
I was deeply impressed with Jenny Sanford’s response to her husband’s infidelity. She did not attempt hypocrisy by standing beside her husband while he made excuses for his “love story”. She rightly left him to turn in the heat from the “fire pit” that he, personally, had stoked.
His comments have served only to reassert the degree of his total selfishness and his lack of love or caring for his wife or the children he sired. He is a man who I would judge as having been on the receiving end of total unselfish and devoted love. A wife who gave up her career, abandoned her pivotal role in a life style of comfort and security, moved to South Carolina to be a wife, mother and political partner and who worked endlessly to help him achieve his ambitions. He has repaid her with his uncomplimentary remarks about his “love story” for another. In my judgment, this is not a love story. It is the height of selfishness and ego? If there is a love story here – it is not Mark Sanford’s. It is Jenny Sanford’s traditional commitment to her mate, family values, devotion to duty and belief in the potential and future of “her man” who, in the end, completely abandoned her in an act of selfish ego.
I hope that Jenny Sanford throws the beast out and accepts that the husband she loved and did everything for has fallen in love with another. In the process he handed his wife and his children the deepest humiliation that a husband and father can give those who unselfishly loved and trusted him. He discarded any symbolic expression that might otherwise have suggested that he ever was a responsible husband, father or person of family values. Only Mrs. Sanford can decide what is right for her and her children. In my opinion Mark Sanford should be put on the next ship to Argentina where he might live ever after with his paramour and write his great “love story”. It will undoubtedly be a mythical vision of an enlarged organ that briefly replaced his brain.
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