In 1988 when Senator Gary Hart withdrew from the Presidential Race because of his affair with Donna Rice he told Staffers, "...through thoughtlessness and misjudgment I've let each of you down and I deeply regret that..."
About two decades later in this country, we seem to have lost any moral compass for decency, society has no shame and one has to fear that we may becoming desensitized by immodesty.
Last week XM Satellite Radio hosts, "Opie & Anthony" (Greg 'Opie' Hughes & Anthony Cumia) broadcast on their program remarks by a guest named "Homeless Charlie" in which the guest said that he wanted to sexually assault Condelezza Rice, Laura Bush & Queen Elizabeth. During this interview Greg Hughes and Anthony Cumia laughed when they imagined the "violation and horror" of the sexual assault on Dr. Rice as she would be punched in the face.
This was not the first time this morally bankrupt pair were responsible for airing sexually explicit remarks, in 2002 they were fired by CBS for running a contest in which they said two listeners had sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral.
While Greg Hughes & Anthony Cumia have made public apologies for their outrageous behavior, are we to take their apology seriously? It has been said by one wiser than I, "actions speak louder than words."
Likewise only one month after CBS fired Don Imus for making insensitive remarks about the Rutgers Womens Basketball Team, CBS Radio has terminated Jeff Vandergrift & Dan Lay ("The Dog House with JV & Elvis") after these two made racial slurs and disparaging remarks about Chinese in a prank phone call rife with offensive Asian sterotypes broadcast on WFNY-FM (in New York City)
This frequent exposure to sexual innuendo, bigotry, violence and graphic reality of instant news on television, radio and the Internet may have attributed to the desensitization in society, acceptance and tolerance of bad behavior and punitive action only occurs when there is a public outcry. If there is no public outrage for inappropriate conduct, there appears to be no consequence and---society will have validated indecent behavior.
Take for example the public advertisement which Ray Peterson of "Peterson Thermal Equipment Company" in Columbus, Ohio ran in 2006 which Mr. Peterson advertised for College Cuties to deliver food to his offices and he wanted the would be employees to,"...just inside the door you drop your coat and reveal you are wearing very little. A little flirting, neck rub and serving up the food..." Mr. Peterson offered to pay $75.00 for this indecent proposal.
These events provide an insight into how far society has traveled down the road of moral decadence, a path of immoral and intellectual discipline, the corrosive decline and erosion of moral traditions. Decadent societies are often times economically prosperous though usually have serious social and economic inequalities.
Former President Bill Clinton skillfully dismissed the scandalous indecent conduct of his administration by claiming it was irrelevant to the governing of the country.
Since the lack of virtue, modesty, discipline and respect for decency by Bill Clinton during his White House years, has society benefited or have we spiraled downward?
Sadly society has earned the consequences by our lack of moral discipline and today we are facing a creeping barrage of bigoted, sexists, repulsive and vulgar comments being made in the name of Entertainment in our day of mindless self indulgence.
