Senator Norris – Dead Man Walking
Published on June 15, 2011. Appeared in Independent Group Newspapers. Written by Gavin Duffy.
This week Senator David Norris is addressing County Councils seeking their nominations for him to contest the Presidency. He hasn’t a hope. Politically he is now a dead man walking and he only has himself to blame. His appallingly poor judgment and disastrous media strategy have ruined his campaign which, only a fortnight ago, looked so promising. A Liveline, RTE Radio One, tele’-poll then had him way ahead at 41%.
Constitutionally the office of The President is above politics and must not take policy positions. David Norris demonstrated, beyond doubt, that he cannot help himself when it comes to expressing an opinion even if it is going to destroy his ultimate objective. Does anyone actually believe he could go for seven years in the Aras without expressing a single controversial opinion?
Further his campaign demonstrated appallingly poor media judgement. The worst type of president we could have is one who doesn’t have the wit to realise when he or she is in really big trouble and graciously reverse. But not Senator Norris, he should have immediately apologised for his 2002 Magill and 2010 Irish Mail reported comments, stating that he should not have allowed himself say something so ambiguous and so open to misinterpretation. Instead David Norris ploughed on and over the cliff.
He stoutly defended his position by condemning paedophilia but apparently condoning pederasty. So what is the actual definition of the word “pederasty”. Dictionary.com offers three definitions as follows;
1. Sexual relations between two males, especially when one of them is a minor.
2. Homosexual relations between men and boys.
3. And it offers a Medical Definition as - anal intercourse especially with a boy as the passive partner.
This raises the question what is the difference between pederasty and (sexually) “grooming” a boy aged thirteen to sixteen? Clearly Senator Norris’s stance raised more questions than it answered and so his hopes of becoming President effectively ended by his own doing last week on Morning Ireland.