Are you a paedophile sympathiser?

[EDIT: YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ BEYOND THE YOUTUBE LINK TO GET THE POINT. DON'T LET TLDR PHOBIA PUT YOU OFF]

Trigger warning!!

Reading the pasted article, or clicking on the link to the YouTube audio file, might incur feelings of guilt and shame, especially if you feel yourself moved or entertained by the content because the authors of both have since been exposed as child sex abusers.

I have not named either (most unecessarily, I suspect) but the writer of the song performed by Imogen Heap is now dead and his reputation, such as it was, has recently been besmirched by allegations--widely believed--of paedophile behaviour with young boys. He was nevertheless one of the best selling recording artists of all time and although I was never much of a fan of his music, I really do like Ms Heap's version of his biggest hit.

As for the sports journalist: he was once one of Ireland's finest exponents of the genre but is now currently serving time having pleaded guilty to the "Defilement of a minor", namely a young girl who played for a sports team he coached.

The issue I have is what should be one's attitude to the high-quality creative output of people who are subsequently exposed as deviant, perverted or criminal? Several radio stations have announced they will no longer play the music of the deceased pop superstar. The catalogue of writing the sports journalist produced for his main employer, a leading Irish daily newspaper, is similarly no longer available on its website, even to subscribers to its paywalled content.

Is this acceptable? Are we better people for shutting out our ears and minds to content that was once widely and highly praised as being among the finest of its type?

The article, published on the funeral day of the daughter of a leading GAA manager, is touching in its appreciation of the family relationship between father and daughter. Bear in mind that as it was written, the author probably knew that he was about to be exposed as a criminal by his own daughter who had discovered evidence of his wrong doing (phone texts) and informed her mother and consequently the police.

Of course you may feel unable to consume either piece of content. The baying of the mob demanding commonality of outrage set at the lowest common denominator is hard to resist. What Cork Hurling fan would dare today to wave the Confederate flag that was once popular because of its "rebel" association for fear of being condemned as a racist apologists for white supremacy marchers in Alabama?

I am not an apologist for paedophilia or for grooming young teenagers 30 years my junior. Nor is it any part of my case that said journalist should be excused punishment. (The singer/song writer is beyond retribution) He transgressed, he was caught, convicted and is doing the time. Quite right.

But just as being a talented person does not absolve people of crimes, nor do those crimes devalue the quality of their work. Do they?

What do you think?



Let's hope Mickey can return to his gift
Irish Times, Monday, January 17, 2011

Source