Pedophile Posing as a Conservative: Alex Knepper and Moral Relativism

Ann Coulter has picked up on the Alex Knepper pedophilia controversy, and she tweeted a few of the relevant reports, snarking "COULTER ATTACKED BY ACTUAL PEDOPHILE!"

Ann correctly identifies Alex Knepper as a "pedophile posing as a conservative." And it goes without saying, really, since throughout this episode the pro-pedophile defenders of Alex Knepper have been former conservatives and radical leftists. QED.

And there's some new developments at my blog, in any case. Checking my Sitemeter earlier, I found that Alex Knepper linked one of my entries at the gay hookup site Gay Teen Forum:

The author of the posting is "Lostpainting," a.k.a. Alex Knepper, as identified at NewsReal Blog, "David Frum and His Pro-Pedophile Protege Alex Knepper." And scrolling down Gay Teen Forum we find this comment from Lostpainting:

Someone from RightWingNews.com told me in an e-mail that he couldn't believe that someone with the username "lestermolester" was on this board talking about CHILFs with me. I absolutely savaged him in my response, but I'm sure he'll take me out of context in the printed piece.

But, I mean, these people are living in an utter fantasy world.

Anyone stupid enough to think that the user "lestermolester" is an actual child molester should be waterboarded and deported.

That "someone" from Right Wing News is John Hawkins, who has posted his exchange will Alex Knepper at the blog: "The David Frum/Alex Knepper vs. NewsReal Child Sex Fight – Exclusive: Alex Knepper Comments." John provides the background to the story, but the highlight is the e-mail communication. Folks should RTWT. And pay attention to John's excellent analysis, and not to mention his non-confrontational approach to Knepper. The money quote, from John, regarding Knepper's contorted response to inquiries:

The impression that letter leaves is of someone who got caught publicly saying really disgusting things, doesn't have a good answer for why he said them, and now, he's trying to lash out to distract people from what he's done wrong.

It is that, but it's more. At one point Knepper notes that:

People's sexuality is wildly in flux at this age, although most of us were fortunate enough not to have creeps like you rummaging through our sexual past. Of course, you and your readers probably think that the only proper partner I should have in my sex life is Jesus, who will keep me from doing something evil like having sex outside of marriage.

Notice the blaming, but besides that, to be precise, it's not "people's sexuality" that's influx, but the social norms that historically constrain sexual behavior and mores. As can be seen at the "Lostpainting" quote above, Knepper believes that those who disagree with his set of morally-relativist values are "living in an utter fantasy world." Sad to say, but it's in fact Knepper who's living an ethereal fantasy world of complete obliteration of society's moral standards, a world of reckless moral abandon seeking the fulfillment of unlimited man-boy sexual desires. This is the world of the members of the Gay Teen Forum, as seen from the comments at my post from last night:

If you say that in your opinion it is morally wrong for a twenty year old to have sex with a sixteen year old I won't argue with you. Morality is, to a large extent, subjective, so what I consider moral and you consider moral are two entirely different things.

Well, no, actually. Morality is not subjective. Individuals in society simply don't get to decide what's right or wrong (or even what they think is right and wrong). Western values in the Judeo-Christian ethic are universal standards and are the basis for what we identify today as moral conduct and human rights. There will always be rejection of those standards by individuals and groups who refuse to live in a civilized society. Moral right --- along with law and order --- holds people accountable. And if need be, the law imposes consequences for violations of the prevailing moral and legal regime of acceptable behavior. Adult sexual intercourse with children is not only illegal, but deeply immoral. Alex Knepper has protested ad nauseum that he's within his legal right to engage in sexual intercourse with a 16 year-old boy. And while that may be so (depending on the state, incidently), there are no exceptions for adult sexual intercourse with 8 year-old children. Alex Knepper pleads that he's just joking when making statements of such desires. If so, the question becomes one not only of moral relativism and depravity, but of Knepper's psychiatric firmity as well. Habitual references to CHILF, to miniture penises, to child rape, and so forth, reveal not the mind of a healthy individual and upstanding member of the larger community. These behaviors, statements, gay hookup postings, etc., indicate a pathological contempt for the inalienable rights of society's most vulnerable, and for the objective moral system that protects them. This is a dangerous and deranged moral relativism that puts lives at risk. Anyone who defends this genuinely contemptible behavior is hardly better than the perpetrators themselves. They are enabling pedophilia. And they are not conservatives.

RELATED: At First Thoughts, "Does David Frum’s Moral Compass Need Calibrating?", Weasel Zippers, "Alex Knepper and David Frum, the Gatekeeper of CHILF-Loving Writers."