So, once again we have a situation where a Congressman is somehow or other embroiled in a sexual semi-scandal. In this case, we don’t know whether he is or isn’t responsible for sending these pictures to some woman, but I’ll tell you my gut instinct on the guy is that he’s not. I’ve seen him a few times on TV, and he strikes me as remarkably candid, even offensively so when appropriate, but honorable. But what concerns me about this case (the little I’ve chosen to learn about it) is that it runs against a very simple principle I believe strongly in. In the law there is the presumption of innocence, and you can’t be deprived of life, liberty, or property without evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. But in the media, where people’s reputations and all the consequences thereof are jeopardized regularly, there is the presumption of guilt. No, even that’s not quite the right terminology. There’s the eagerness for guilt. News outlets are so eager to find guilt because they make their living from it at the expense of others. It has always been this way, and perhaps always will be this way, but evil doesn’t become good just because it’s being done by everyone. So I prefer to presume innocence and wait to see.
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