Roy Moore is Just a Reboot

Everything about this Roy Moore situation is unsurprising. This already happened when the Access Hollywood tape of Trump bragging about committing sexual assault came out and millions said “gosh darn that’s disturbing if true” and then elected the man President of the United States. The same principle is still at work today, and while it’s manifesting itself to increasingly disturbing extents, it isn’t anything novel. It’s just a sad reboot of a terrible original.

So when I hear someone say that Mary was a teenager while Joseph was probably in his 30s, and they were parents to Jesus so what Roy Moore did might not be all that bad, it isn’t shocking. When I see someone on twitter write that a pedophile is still better than any democrat, I check that it’s a real person but it doesn’t surprise me when it turns out they are. This is the world today. Actually, this is the world as it’s always been, laid bare for all to see.

Part of me misses last year when everyone at least pretended to be morally opposed to sexual assault. But most of me considers this part of a necessary growing process. We’re better off realizing that some people will justify or willfully ignore literally anything for the sake of political power.

We’re also better off now that many people can no longer pretend their homophobia and opposition to marriage equality has anything to do with sexual morality. We’re better off now that fewer people can act like their opposition to trans people using the correct bathroom has anything to do with protecting children from sexual assault. People still will, of course, but they have no pretense of a platform anymore.

Yes, it’s extremely disturbing that so many people are defending Roy Moore. But it really isn’t anything new, and it’ll leave us better off in the long run. Take heart.