Your perverts are worse than our perverts

[Corky Smeek]

Sorry about the clickbait title but it illustrates the point I am trying to make.

In recent days Derek MacKay has been in the news because of his deeply inappropriate behaviour towards a 16 year old child. I sincerely hope that whatever book gets thrown at him it is large, heavy and aimed at him several times.

Meanwhile, on another thread, two regular correspondents have barely been able to contain their glee at what has been happening. And I find that very sad. Here we have a situation where a child appears to have been groomed by a powerful and very public figure and yet most of the comments have related to the impact this may have on Scottish politics. Very little, other than the opening post, has even mentioned the victim. Absolutely nothing has been said about the impact upon the victim's family. Similarly, there has been no discussion about what all of this says about our society.

It would have been easy for me to respond on that thread with a load of whataboutery. I could have named politicians from every party who have committed serious sexual crimes. But all that does is lead us on a race to the bottom - "You can't talk, your person "X" did something much worse than our person "Y".". And so on.

Surely what is more important is the recognition that some men (and it is invariably men) in powerful positions appear to think themselves immune from discovery, investigation, prosecution and sentencing. Quite frankly, I am becoming increasingly ashamed of my sex.

The only problem is I have no answers. Does anyone else?

[Shabbychic]

One answer might be to suspend, investigate and if allegations are proven, have them charged and/or sacked. At present too many are suspended, then quietly reinstated, as if nothing has happened. Some are even given Honours.

[Fulmar]

I agree with every word you have written except that I don't think you should be ashamed of your sex as most men are thoroughly decent and are as appalled as you are by the behaviour of the relatively few. There are more who are like you than the other way, thank goodness. I think perhaps that those who seek power in whatever field are maybe more ruthless than others and that can easily get turned into wrong doing. Others don't even seem to know when they have done wrong and I'm sure we can all think of some in that category. I don't think that there are any easy answers and don't pretend to have any.

[Corky Smeek]

One answer might be to suspend, investigate and if allegations are proven, have them charged and/or sacked. At present too many are suspended, then quietly reinstated, as if nothing has happened. Some are even given Honours.

Oh, I agree with that. Other powerful men very often use their influence to make such incidents "go away". They don't want to see their pal (who's a sound chap really!!) end up in prison; or for their political party/organisation to be embarrassed in the newspaper headlines. As a consequence powerful figures feel they can get away with it even if they do get caught.

[Corky Smeek]

I agree with every word you have written except that I don't think you should be ashamed of your sex as most men are thoroughly decent and are as appalled as you are by the behaviour of the relatively few. There are more who are like you than the other way, thank goodness. I think perhaps that those who seek power in whatever field are maybe more ruthless than others and that can easily get turned into wrong doing. Others don't even seem to know when they have done wrong and I'm sure we can all think of some in that category. I don't think that there are any easy answers and don't pretend to have any.

I know that 99.9999% of men are, as you say, "thoroughly decent". It's just that sometimes I despair about what some men do and wish we could somehow ban all of us from holding any (public) office above that of minute secretary of the local dominoes club.

[Fulmar]

But you know that is a very responsible position and heaven help you if you mess it up!

[Bystander1]

Party Central have obviously now advised the faithful how they want to play this one

[Corky Smeek]

Party Central have obviously now advised the faithful how they want to play this one

I wouldn't know; not being one of the "faithful".

Any views I have expressed are mine and mine alone. And, since the SNP have hardly been covering themselves in glory over this matter I will most certainly not be defending them or towing any party line.