Anthony Weiner is probably the last person on earth anyone would have any sort of sympathy for. A once influential Democrat who had the potential of becoming New York’s next mayor, destroyed his political career by sending lewd photos of himself to women over the internet. He tried to cover up the scandal by lying about his twitter account being hacked, and ended up losing a lot of credibility when new photos surfaced. Weiner hoped the controversy would disappear by remaining in office and avoiding the spotlight. However, intense pressure from his own political party ultimately forced his resignation today.
What Weiner did was disturbing, stupid, embarrassing, and sending an unsolicited photo of your “junk” to women is wrong on so many levels. For god’s sake, he had so many things going for him: a promising political career, charisma, good looks, adoration of women from the internet, intelligence, and a gorgeous intelligent wife who loved him. So why on earth would he do something so stupid? Your guess is just as good as mine, and only Anthony Weiner knows the answer. Unlike many people who are shocked and outraged by his actions, I feel sympathy for the man.
As an individual who experienced some level of public embarrassment, I can relate to what he’s going through. To disappoint and embarrass the people close to you is not something you forget, and I don’t think Anthony Weiner will forget about this incident. Seeing him apologize for the first time on national TV was truly heartbreaking, and I think Jon Stewart got it right when he said, “and there you have it folks at 4:25 p.m. this story officially became sad.” What also surprises me about this incident is how cruel and opportunistic people can be.
Conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart was the first person to discover this scandal and wanting more attention for himself, he went on the Opie and Anthony show and showed an erect photo of Anthony Weiner. Weiner had already admitted guilt and shame through his tearful apology, it wasn’t necessary to disgrace him further for the purpose of entertainment. Now, it seems every woman he ever contacted is coming forward with photos or lewd email exchanges.
I’m not saying what he did was right, and I’m not defending his character. What I am saying is that he’s a person like the rest of us, and like the rest of us we make mistakes or embarrass ourselves. He’s paid a heavy price, and there is no need to ridicule him further. He did the right thing for himself, his family, the Democratic Party, and the constituents he represented by resigning today. I truly hope he can get the help that he needs, and learn from this embarrassing moment.
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