You all know that I'm no traditionalist when it comes to, well, anything. However, political sex scandals are no laughing matter. Sexual abuse in any form is repugnant, and should be treated as such, regardless of political affiliation. The recent scandal with Matt Gaetz demonstrates how politics and abuse of power can lead to confusion, and the loss of trust at best, and ruin the victim's life at worst. It is obviously important to get all of the information, but that does not mean we should just write the situation off as irrelevant "until we know more", as so many apologists on the left and the right are so apt to call for. This is no game. These politicians hold massive political sway over the public, and, if they are abusing that power, the truth must come out, and they must suffer the consequences of their own actions. Further, Matt Gaetz is no stranger to manipulating political realities and scientific data to get his way. He has used sensationalism in the media to basically try and write his constituents, some of whom participated in the capitol riots where law enforcement officers were brutally beaten and/or murdered, a get of jail free card. He has repeatedly sympathized with far right media sensationalists to get to where he is today. So, even if the allegations against him are incorrect, it is not as if Gaetz values any kind of truth in the first place. If I'm completely honest, I don't feel sorry for Woody from Toy Story impersonator turned politician. He's a little too trigger happy for me partner. However, I know that the right will employ all kinds of fancy rhetoric to distort the truth, whatever it may be, of Mr. Gaetz's actions. Some of these political scandals are covered up so well, whether by the party or in some deal made between the parties, that we often don't find out about the real events until 50 to 100 years later. Anyone who does not recognize this reality of the clandestine nature of political dealings is doing themselves a huge disservice, making themselves susceptible to treachery. I am not impressed with Mr. Gaetz's cries of extortion either. When you are politician, scandals are hurled at you almost daily, so much so that we rarely hear about most of them. So, why did this one make the news in such an extreme way? Was it all a consorted effort to tear down a rather meaningless politician that has no real chance of making it to the presidency, or any high office for that matter? No one even knew who Matt Gaetz was before he made a complete ass out of himself by arguing that the Capitol rioters on January 6th were nothing more than a bunch of misunderstood, concerned poor people. Last I checked, securing military grade weapons and attired is a little too expensive for poor people, but I guess I just don't understand the subtle nuances that republicans have found in throwing a coup. Should this all be written off as yet another symptom of "cancel culture", which seems to extend to sexual abusers and racists for the most part, but that the media has declared some sort of radical reform. And what about our claims of being such a pure and perfect nation? Can we really make the claim that we are somehow moral examples for the world if our leaders continue to carry on in such a way? Also, what does this say about the recent scandal with Governor Adrew Cuomo of New York? Should conservatives lay off of Cuomo as they are suggesting that we lay off of Gaetz? Why is it that, every time there is some sort of sexual scandal or abuse of power, it automatically becomes a partisan issue? Why the endless debates about moral purity? Don't we realize that demanding religious vows of sexual purity often deteriorate into self-abuse? Should every politician who commits such a crime be lashed in a church like Henry the II, that they might repent. Or should we pretend that abuse never happens, and write the whole thing off? I think we should start paying more attention to our leaders while they are in office.