A "Weiner" is Food for Fodder

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No, we're not talking about hotdogs, just about being one.

Everyone has a private life and a public life. When do personal actions in one's private life cross the line? At what point can we the public expect certain moral and ethical standards from those in elected office or in positions of power? Anthony Weiner and his sexcapade of late is all over the news. Lisa Maxwell believes that what people do in their private life has no relevance to their public or professional life, at least that's what she said in 2009. The Bill and Monica episode was probably okay too. John Edwards and Rielle Hunter? Sure, why not. Anything is ok if you do it in private, some believe.

Back in early 2009, Mark Kaplan who was then principal of the Falcon Cove Middle School in Fort Lauderdale was charged with a felony count of battery. You see, he attacked is wife, Alyson, and the cowardly batterer tried to strangle her while she was peacefully sleeping. Tried to kill her...murder her. He used the "sleep walking" defense. "I didn't really mean it, I was sleep walking, Judge." Of course, prior to that murder attempt, there were other battery charges filed against him...this was not new to Kaplan.

The School Board took no action against Kaplan and considered the charge irrelevant to his ability to conduct his duties in a professional manner. After all, this was a personal thing. It had nothing to do with his working around little children and his ability to perform. It's that "performing" that gets us worried. And Lisa Maxwell agreed with the Board.

Lisa was the executive director of the Broward Principals and Assistants Association and defended the School Board's stance on Kaplan. She said, "Kaplan's arrest is a private matter that does not warrant his removal from the school."

What would be relevant? If he actually had killed his wife? What if Kaplan had been running for office or was an elected official and something like this occurred? What if he had fallen asleep on the job and then "sleep walked" and killed a kid? What about perverts and porn? Any relevance then? What about any domestic assault, murderous or not? When does the public have the right to demand standards and reject these people...fire their butts and/or kick them to the curb?

Allen West recently said, "Don't you want someone representing you who's sort of a reflection of yourself?" Anthony Weiner's wiener needs to be put to bed as well as anyone who would agree with him that what he did or what the Mark Kaplan's of the world have done were just "private matters" or irrelevant. Everything is relevant when you are in a position of affecting people's lives. It comes down to character.