by Les Zsoldos

Created on: September 03, 2007   Last Updated: August 24, 2009

Senator Larry Craig had to resign from the senate. Not only did he abuse the trust of those who voted for him, but he entered a guilty plea. If he had not resigned, the pressure on him to do so would have certainly increased. For these reasons, Senator Craig's decision was the correct one.

Senators have a very important duty to their voters and to their state. Because they occupy such a high position, much is expected of them. Senator Craig was known as a social conservative and as a man who opposed the redefinition of marriage to include homosexual unions. Most of his supporters probably never suspected that he could be the type of man who seeks homosexual encounters in public washrooms.

It is important to emphasize that Senator Craig has not been convicted of indecent activity in a public area. However, his actions do not make him look totally innocent. He was not forced to plead guilty yet he did so. If he were completely innocent, it is very difficult to believe that he would not have pleaded his innocence.

Also, he apparently said nothing about the incident to family and friends for a period of two months. Apparently, he wished that by not saying anything, the entire matter would simply go away. Obviously, he was gravely mistaken.

Though the senator was never convicted of indecent activity, his actions were consistent with those of a person seeking a homosexual encounter. He tapped his foot and put his hand into the next stall. He claimed that he was looking for toilet paper, but if he knew that there was another person in the next stall, that is very odd behaviour. Rather, if he knew that there was another person in the stall next to his, he should have simply asked the person to pass him some toilet paper.

The police officer who was in the stall next to Senator Craig apparently recognized his signals as those of a man who was seeking a homosexual encounter. It is possible that Senator Craig has had homosexual encounters on several occasions. If this is the case, he had clearly lost the trust and confidence of the people who he represents. Under those circumstances, it becomes absolutley necessary to resign.

Though Senator Craig claims that he made a mistake when he decided to plead guilty, the fact is that he did so. That alone makes him look very suspicious. If he were completely innocent, he should have mentioned the incident from the beginning and vowed to fight it. His actions do not reflect those of an innocent man. Sadly for Senator Craig, his actions make him look like a man who cannot be trusted.

Senators are elected by people who trust them to represent them to the best of their ability. Though it is unrealistic to expect senators to be perfect, voters demand that they be truthful regarding criminal matters. Attempts to make such matters go away do a great disservice to the people who senators represent. The reason is that this not only shows a lack of respect for those people who senators represent but also a lack of respect for the importance of the office.

Since it is imperative that senators be honest with their constituents on matters that directly affect their positions, situations in which senators abuse the public trust leave them with no choice but to resign.

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