With sadness, I and others learned on Thursday that Sen. Al Franken is but the latest public figure to find his career and reputation destroyed by the disclosure of an incident of inappropriate sexual behavior. The trickle of accused abusers is rapidly forming a flood, with new names from all areas of society being added every day.
While many will delight in Franken’s downfall, this is still a windfall teachable moment for Democrats. He has instantly admitted his behavior was reprehensible, and his resignation now would be a powerful statement by him and the Democratic Party concerning their stance on sexual abuse.
Gov. Mark Dayton could also do the right thing by appointing former Congresswoman Michele Bachmann to serve out the remainder of Sen. Franken’s term. Setting aside the shenanigans involved in her failed presidential campaign, Ms. Bachmann was victimized by simply being slightly ahead of her time while in office. She would be a perfect fit for the Washington of today.
While no excuse, I can sympathize with Sen. Franken’s difficulty in transitioning from the world of show business to that of politics. As a young actor, my colleagues and I engaged in behaviors during rehearsals that people outside of the theatre might well also find reprehensible, if not downright lunatic, but these were all consensual activities performed among eager and willing participants.
Thankfully, none of us are ever running for office.
David Hannula,
Big Lake, MN.
