Condit's Conduct

Jason Pront
August 15, 2001

Im sure by now all of you are quite familiar with the disappearance of Chandra Levy, the former intern of Congressman Gary Condit. Furthermore, Im sure all of you have come to hold some fairly strong opinions on the subject. According to recent polls, a majority of Americans are so dismayed by Condit that they believe he should resign immediately from his office as Congressman.

I have one question to ask all of those people who have called for Condits resignation: Why? Thanks to the tenacity of the media and the voracity of the public for a good scandal, Condit has been smeared in nearly every single major media outlet this country has to offer. But what exactly has Condit done to warrant such an attack?

From the moment Chandra Levys disappearance was made public, a media circus erupted that would rival the O.J. Simpson trial. Speculation raged that Condit murdered Levy, so that he could hide their affair. Yet, after several police interviews, Condit was not named as a suspect. In fact, Condit was not named as a suspect in a murder case, which was never opened, in which the victim may or may not be alive.

However, Condit has already been convicted in the media and, transitively, by many in the public. While I personally have strong questions about Condits actions, as well as his role in Levys disappearance, I am not ready to convict yet. The only thing Condit has been proved guilty of thus far is lying about his affair with Levy. While lying may be immoral, Condit was not under oath and therefore is innocent of perjury, not to mention one would have to be an extraordinarily na«ve rube to expect an elected politician not to lie. Furthermore, President Clinton has set a precedent that lying about an affair with an intern, while questionable, is not inexcuseable.

I would like to take this moment to urge all readers to stop for a moment and consider Condits situation. Dislike him if you choose, doubt him as much as you want, but wait for a moment. Wait until more facts are uncovered. Wait until evidence is procured or charges are levied. CBS anchorman Dan Rather has refused to air any story about the Levy disappearance until more information becomes available. While this may not be the lucrative thing to do, it is certainly the objective one. I agree with Rathers decision. Whatever the outcome of this situation may be, I hope it is reached due to facts and not because of sensationalism.