Monogamy In The Presidency Essay, Research Paper
In January of 1998, President William Clinton; forty third president of the United States, was publicly accused of monogamy while in the office of presidency. The accusations were made by a female Whitehouse Intern named Monica Lewinsky. Lewinsky, whom was a Whitehouse Intern, claims to have had sex with President Clinton in the Oval Office of the Whitehouse. These accusations shocked the American public, but in recent polls that asked if Americans believed President Clinton, the polls were split.
When President Clinton was running for the office of presidency in the 1992 Presidential elections, allegations of a sexual affair with Clinton came from a woman named Jennifer Flowers. Jennifer Flowers alleges that while Clinton was governor of Arkansas, she had multiple affairs with the married Clinton. These allegations came at the worst time for Clinton: during the Presidential elections. These allegations nearly cost Clinton a term in the office of the presidency. Flower?s alleges that Governor Clinton and her engaged in sexual affairs over a three year period. President Clinton denied the affair and after many reviews and time, many people had forgotten, or not believed this scandal and put it past them.
When President Clinton was accused in January of 1998 of having a sexual affair with a twenty two Whitehouse intern named Monica Lewinsky. The scandal against Clinton was reborn. The press swarmed to any lead, cause, or mishap in the president. President Clinton fired back at the allegations by issuing a statement during his State of the Union address. The president made his statement very rich in vocabulary, but wasn?t 100% clear on all the questions that press asked. Clinton claimed of no sexual relations between him and Lewinsky, but the press attacked his unclear statements to portrayed Clinton to the American people, as a guilty man. A complete denial of his constitutional rights.
Americans began to demand more from their presidents since the beginning of time. When Ex-president John Fredreck Kennedy was in office in the 1960?s. Kennedy while in office fought for the civil rights of blacks, tried to control the Cuban Missle Crisis in Cuba, and tried to control organized crime by establishing Alcatraz in San Francisco. There was another side to Kennedy and that was his private one. Kennedy shared many mistresses over his time served in office. Many women have been seen leaving the Whitehouse compounds, some as famous as Marilyn Monroe. The Whitehouse personal and Press never made it an issue of journalism. The personal and press of the Whitehouse respected Kennedy and allowed his privacy and didn?t inform the country. While Jackie Kennedy, wife of John may have objected to actions of her husband, she kept a strong, and well being face that she put on to the public.
Americans need to demand more from the highest office in the land, in that when a president is sworn into office, he or she assumes all responsibilities of the laws of the of the Constitution, and the moral values involved. The United States is a free, democratic country. This means that elections, laws and acts are established by the people and for the people so citizens have a say in politics on a whole. While there are no laws against monogamy(except in divorce court) there is definitely a moral issue. This country was started by White Anglo-Saxon forefathers who believed in good and would have views the moral issue of monogamy while in office, as morally wrong.
My personal thoughts of President Clinton?s situation coming from a mildly conservative family are pretty strong. I feel that action should be taken on the president, if found guilty. When Clinton swore in as President of the United States, he promised to protect and uphold the laws of the constitution and also agreed to the moral issues involved on his part. I do not agree that monogamy should happen in government. I believe this leads to Americans believing that the government is weak, unmoral and causes a lot of embarrassment to the United States. In this worldly society, such actions could cause problems in government. I believe that President Clinton should remain innocent until proven of guilt before a congressional panel. I also view Clinton as a great president leader for the 90?s. Clinton has created Medicare for the poor, cut-back unemployment, and welfare to work-fare in his six years of presidency. While he may be a good president, this does not excuse his actions and duties that he holds to the American people. If President Clinton is guilty of monogamy while in the office of presidency, then what is to do as a punishment? Impeachment would not be proper, in that it would show incredible weakness in government and require congress to have a 2/3 vote from congress for impeachment(something never done before in a presidency). Monogamy is a moral issue that is now embarrassing the presidency and government before a legal decision is made. In my opinion, If President Clinton is guilty of such actions while in office, then I think resignation is the proper thing to do for the good of the nation.
Work Cited:
Internet: America Online, America Online?s News Service
February 6, 1998 February 11, 1998