“That’s life… that’s what people say
You’re riding high in April
Shot down in May”~ Partial lyrics of “My Way” by Frank Sinatra
Kevin Spacey.
Al Franken.
Charlie Rose.
Louis C.K.
Although riding high in April, they took a little longer to fall from grace.
I write this column on Wednesdays, it’s published started the following Sunday. In that four-day window, at the rate events are unfolding, who knows who else will be added to this tragic list.
Before I proceed; two comments:
- Their alleged or admitted transgressions are not all of the same stature. It’s crucial to appreciate that there is a gradient. In the same fashion that a malnourished child stealing bread is not the same as a violent criminal robbing a bank at gunpoint; yet both are acts of theft.
- There are other extremely high-profile men who have committed more vile behaviors and I have not listed them for reasons that will hopefully become apparent. This is not a partisan “hit piece.”
Having put that on the table, I admired these men, so sticking to my principles isn’t easy. But, per John Mellencamp, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”