Politicians and education: Anthony Weiner and the Politics of Shamelessness by dianerav

26/7/2013 The most amazing thing about Anthony Weiner is that he is still running for mayor of New York City despite the revelations about his tawdry behavior. Maybe he will drop out because his poll numbers have plummeted in the last few days. Maybe he already has, and I haven't heard the news. It is upsetting to hear the "man on the street" say that he doesn't care about Weiner's behavior because it is personal and has no bearing on his fitness to serve. If a teacher or a principal did what Weiner did, they would be fired. Imagine if he were mayor. Would he continue sending lewd photos of himself to women he never met? He would be in full charge of the schools and 1.1 million children. Would he set a high moral standard for those who work in the schools? Weiner continues to campaign because he has no shame. He believes that a majority of voters are also shameless and will forgive him his every trespass of what we once thought was a moral code. The moral code is not law. It is a basic sense of decency. Shame is important in a civilized society. Shame is the recognition that certain behaviors are wrong even if they are not illegal. As for Elliott Spitzer, who resigned the governorship in disgrace after being caught patronizing prostitutes, don't get me started! He is running for City Comptroller, a position that requires a leader of unimpeachable integrity. New York City politics feels like a Gong Show right now.