It’s worse than that.
Many, many people have done things in their past that are immoral, unsavory, illegal, or disgusting. We are sinners. Christianity is filled with stories about people who were deserving of punishment and banishment, yet they were changed by when they accepted the saving grace of Jesus in their lives, including people such as Saul of Tarsus and St. Augustine.
Those of us raised in that kind of culture internalized forgiveness and redemption as virtues.
I don’t know much about Mr. Hastert’s private life, but what I’ve read indicates that whatever happened took place 40 years ago. Now I know that there’s a number of freepers here who seem to have lived flawless lives of impeccable morality and perfect decisions, but that’s not how it is for some of us. Forty years ago, when I was nineteen years old, I was happily participating in the debris of the cultural chaos of the times, and absolutely breaking a number of laws, as well as social mores, mostly concerning sex and drugs. I regret those moments looking backwards, and I’ve accepted my imperfections and Christ as my savior.
What the statists are telling us is that nothing is forgotten, nothing is forgiven, and if there is something there to use to smear and ruin someone’s life, they will use it, no matter how long ago it took place or whatever has happened since that moment. This was the same reason for the destruction of Sarah Palin - it was a message to anyone else that any small imperfection (or large but hidden transgression) will be revealed, and your reputation and life will be ruined. People like myself are therefore warned not to speak up or stand up.
It’s kind of an Americanization of typical totalitarian show trial. No need to kill anyone. If you want to influence public policy, and you have done something in your past that can be used against you, it will be done. Few of us want to experience that, so the opposition chooses not to speak up. It’s a brilliant strategy, in an evil way.
Hastert is a warning, and well chosen, as most people will immediately focus on the criminal nature of the sexual interaction rather than the government overreach. The guy’s story is, metaphorically, a head on a stick at the outskirts of town to warn opposition.
God help us.
That’s a little extreme, isn’t it? This is not like getting littering or maybe getting involved in a drunken brawl in your misspent youth will disqualify you from winning office. Heck,W Bush was busted for driving drunk, Zer0 wrote that he smoked dope, and they both made it to the Presidency.
Hastert didn’t kill anyone but he did something that even the scum in jail will target a man for: he was a filthy pedophile. Preying on boys entrusted to his care.
Frankly, I don’t want murderers, pedophiles, cannibals and other extreme scum holding any kind of office. It’s gonna take a lot more than “Forgive me! I was saved by Jesus!” to get me to forget what they did, or turn over the keys of power (even dogcatcher) to them. At best, I want them thrown UNDER the jail where they belong. You know that murderous sicko Ted Bundy claimed to have found Jesus? Would you have forgiven him and let him out of death row?