Re: Karma and sin

["Schrade, Scott" <sschrade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Therefore, according to the law, this man is guilty of a crime and 
> Pete is not.

Let's not lose site of the fact that Pete Townshend accessed an illegal
child pornography site on the internet, by himself, in his home.

We can argue all day about whether or not the law is fair in Pete's case
but that simple fact - that he accessed an illegal site, with his credit
card, by himself, in his home - is very, very disturbing.

Regardless of the whole research defense, regardless of all the charit-
able work he's done in the past, regardless of his possible abuse as a
child - he did something knowingly immoral, knowingly legally question-
able, & just plain knowingly wrong in today's society. 

> Is the fuss about a moral offense, then?

Yes. I think it mostly is.  Forget the "he paid for it" hang-up.  And
maybe it's not even so much a morality thing, either.  At least not for
me.  I know Pete's a weird, strange dude.  Whatever.

But the thought of him, a man admittedly addicted to porn, punching in
his credit card on his computer to access a child porn site is....disturb-
ing I guess is the right word - for me as a Who fan.  It makes Pete look
weak.  Befuddled.  Confused.  Not in control.  Unthinking.  Stupid.

And I'm sorry if that's selfish of me to have those thoughts.  I'm sorry
if I crave some sort of apology or atonement from Pete.  I'm sorry if I
seem to be treating Pete unfairly within the idol worship relationship I
have with him.  But that's just how I feel.

Many of you are so shocked that some of us are simply asking for an apol-
ogy or a sense of acceptance of responsibility from Pete.  "Pete Townshend
doesn't owe *me* an apology!  He doesn't owe me anything!"  If that's your
relationship with Pete, if *that* attitude fits the mental dance that you
engage in with the rock idol Pete Townshend - then fine.  

I don't dance with him that way, I guess.  He & I are doing a different 
dance than the one he's doing with you.  *My* dance would sure go a lot
smoother if he sounded a bit more conciliatory in his tone & came across 
as accepting the fact that his current state of affairs are solely the re-
sult of his own actions.  I'm sorry if I & others seem shallow for wanting
something like that.  But we do.      
  
> Alcoholism and drug addiction are accepted as part of the rock and roll 
> lifestyle, but looking at child porn isn't? 

No, our society doesn't accept any of those things.  That's why there are
drug & alcohol treatment centers, that's why Brittany Spears is catching
shit for allegedly "partying" too much.

That's why Pete went in for treatment for heroin addiction.  None of it's
accepted!  It's tolerated up to certain levels but, after that, a person 
either dies, breaks a law, or has to seek help.

Looking at child pornography isn't accepted either, & it's even, IMO, placed
on higher level of "wrongness" than even drug addiction.  When Pete was
shooting up with heroin there wasn't a little infant girl in the syringe
getting fucked up the ass.

> Interestingly, I think this might be a moment when we might understand 
> how Pete looks to our parents, who think alcoholism and drug addiction 
> are immoral.

So, we who feel let down by Pete for looking at child pornography are 
akin to old, set-in-our-ways, unaccepting parents, bemoaning the kids of
today with their wild antics?  That doesn't seem correct. 

> He was responsible for it, but the consequences hugely outweigh the 
> offense.

Regardless, the first half of your statement takes precedence: he was re-
sponsible for it.

> Pete is complaining because the cosmic balance is now off. 

See ya'!


- SCHRADE in Akron