Moral Balancing in Boston

http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2010/06/moral-balancing-in-boston

We've been writing here some about the phenomenon of "moral balancing," in which a person who is less than righteous in one area tries to compensate in another, or vice versa. The latest example comes from Boston, where the Boston Globe describes the rise and fall of a Democratic state senator, Dianne Wilkerson, who pleaded guilty to federal charges of attempted extortion and accepting a $23,500 bribe: "She was an early champion of domestic partnerships, and later gay marriage, and an outspoken and effective foe of racial profiling. She was an eloquent voice on behalf of gay marriage as a civil rights issue...she was caught on tape taking bribes from a Roxbury businessman who wanted a liquor licence. She could help him, she said; she believed in doing good and making good.There she was on video, stuffing the money down her bra."

Another Globe article on the guilty plea reports: "Wilkerson's other lawyer, Max D. Stern, read a statement saying that his client had courageously stood up for human rights on Beacon Hill and that 'there is much more to this person than the one who stands before you today.""

by Ira Stoll  |  Jun 4, 2010 at 8:22 am Related Topics:  Politics, Press receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free futureofcapitalism.com mailing list