Another lost soul

I would like to write about a lost soul that happened upon my attention as I was driving home on Wednesday. As you all know, I have a fondness for NPR. I heard a man (lost soul) named Paul Weyrich interviewed during All Things Considered. Mr. Weyrich, a political activist for the conservative right, is a member of the Free Congress Foundation (http://www.freecongress.org/about/index.asp). Apparently, this is a conservative group that strives to continue the "War on Culture." I am not sure who, besides Mr. Weyrich, is fighting this "War" or whose culture they are fighting. Is it ALL culture? Popular culture? Horti-culture?! But, I digress...

Obviously, there was something in this interview that got my goat, and due to the magic of the Internet, I shall now supply you with the exact excerpt from said interview:

Weyrich: It has been known for many years that Congressman Foley was a homosexual. Homosexuals tend to be preoccupied with sex - the idea that he should be continued, or should have been continued as chairman on the Committee for Missing and Exploited Children, given their knowledge of that is just outrageous (Interview at 1:08).

Norris: Now, before we go on, I think I can say, Mr. Weyrich, that there quite a few people who would take exception to the statement that homosexuals are preoccupied with sex.

Weyrich: Well, I don't care whether they take exception to it - it happens to be true.

Norris: That is your opinion.

Weyrich: Well, it's not my opinion, it's the opinion of many psychologists and psychiatrists who have to deal with them (Interview at 1:40).

Ok, it's me again. I am not sure what in that segment is the most offensive; where does one start?! Clearly, I needed to know a bit more about this guy. Again, with some cyber magic, I stumbled (or was whacked in the face) upon a Wikipedia entry all about Mr. Weyrich. You can view it for yourselves at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Weyrich

It mentions in this entry that Mr. Weyrich had a spinal injury. According to Wikipedia:
"In 1996, Weyrich was diagnosed with a spinal injury. Since 2001, the injury has left him in a wheelchair and in constant pain. Complications from a fall in September 2004 required the amputation of his legs in July 2005."

The National Spinal Injuries Center (http://www.spinal.org.uk/services-clinical.html) helped me understand something about a spinal injury. Apparently, a person can go through great emotional turmoil after having such an injury:

"Spinal cord injury is a traumatic event which can create a great deal of stress. Most people experience a variety of emotions, which are entirely normal but may be difficult to cope with alone."
..........
"The clinical psychologist service also supports people with managing problems with chronic pain, concerns about relationships and sexuality, problems with memory, and a variety of other issues. Most people see a clinical psychologist at some point during their rehabilitation. The service is available to partners and family members too, as they may also be experiencing a lot of stress."

Apparently, Psychologists, after they "deal with all of the homosexuals", have to deal with spinally injured, cranky folks like Mr. Weyrich. Mr. Weyrich doesn't have legs, and he must be under a lot of stress and pain, because that is the ONLY reason why someone would blatantly demonstrate such irrationality during an interview. Due to Mr. Weyrich's preoccupation on his pain and stress, I think he should resign from his post and seek professional help.

Finally, I would like to comment on Mr. Weyrich's assertion that it is "the opinion of many psychologists and psychiatrists" that homosexuals are preoccupied with sex. I turned to the Internet gods once more and discovered a site that states the "Facts About Homosexuality and Mental Health." (See: http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_mental_health.html)

After going through the history of public views on homosexuality, it takes the reader through all of the changes/developments in testing the mental health of homosexuals. As was expected, the view on homosexuality in the past was that it was an "illness," a "disorder," etc. But this site also informs us of the current view on homosexuality by the psychological field:

"Some psychologists and psychiatrists still hold negative personal attitudes toward homosexuality. However, empirical evidence and professional norms do not support the idea that homosexuality is a form of mental illness or is inherently linked to psychopathology."

Huh. So, any logical psychologist is going to meet with Foley and say, "dude, you are a pedaphile, end of story."