Pimpin’ ain’t easy, especially for an alleged rapist.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former chief of the International Monetary Fund and apparent sex fiend, made headlines last year when a New York hotel maid accused him of sexual assault.
Strauss-Kahn, a French national and former contender in this year’s French presidential election, has been charged with “aggravated pimping” by a French court, specifically pimping out high-class prostitutes.
This charge seems redundant to me. Pimping is hard; therefore, it can be aggravating.
The law has a slightly different interpretation. According to CNN, “aggravated” means on a regular basis and “pimping” means Strauss-Kahn actively facilitated a prostitution ring and was not just a customer.
Prostitution isn’t illegal in France, but it is illegal to profit from another person’s prostituting - vis-à-vis pimping.
These charges may seem deplorable to Americans, but the only charge that matters to the French is rape.
It is inherently French to have a mistress, lover, prostitute, etc. Not to say all Frenchmen engage in such activities, but they are widely seen as socially acceptable.
Unlike in this country, where a congressman from New York can tweet a picture of his bulge and suddenly his career is ruined. Let’s give Weiner a break – his wife was Hillary Clinton’s top aide. She’s been trained to not put out.
Strauss-Kahn could have potentially been the next French president, had it not been for the rape charges and the fact that a socialist probably shouldn’t head a worldwide capitalist organization.
But Strauss-Kahn isn’t the point.
It’s sex scandals in general. A sex scandal shouldn’t ruin an effective politician’s career.
We are so intolerant in the United States when it comes to infidelity. We’re too quick to judge without knowing either party personally. We don’t know what the marriage was like. We don’t know anything other than what the media tells us.
 
I have said this before, and I will say it again: A person’s sex life, a private matter, should not be factored into his or her electability – with two exceptions.
The first being rape, or any form of non-consensual sex. This is a crime just about anywhere and, obviously, we don’t want rapists in office.
The second factor is hypocrisy. If a politician has previously condemned the past sexual misconduct of others, he or she should be subject to the same standards.
If Strauss-Kahn is acquitted of rape and this joke charge of “aggravated pimping,” he could once again participate in politics. Unlike here, where a picture of a clothed penis – not even sex – brings calls for resignation. How can you cheat if you don’t touch the other person?
I’ve heard people say, “He was cheating emotionally, maybe not physically.” To them, I say grow up. Everybody lusts, accept it.
Politicians are real people, too. They have marriage problems, temptations and urges.
We cannot hold them to a higher standard than we hold ourselves.
Parker Cramer is a 21-year-old political science junior from Houston. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_pcramer.
 
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Contact Parker Cramer at [email protected]