Gawker article takes sympathetic look at pedophiles; outraged readers suggest #GawkersNextArticle

Fox News analyst Kirsten Powers is only one of many who are “super troubled” by an article published yesterday by Gawker which takes a sympathetic look at pedophiles. And by “sympathetic,” we mean depraved.

I wrote this big piece about trying to find sympathy and new treatments for pedophiles. Check it out, maybe: http://t.co/Sf8yapFu #longreads

— Cord Jefferson (@cordjefferson) September 7, 2012

The morally bankrupt article, written by Gawker editor and self-described progressive Cord Jefferson, is titled “Born This Way: Sympathy and Science for Those Who Want to Have Sex with Children.” It begins with a graphic account of sex with a 7-year-old girl — not rape, not molestation, but “sex.” It ends with a plea for understanding of this particular “sexual orientation”:

The old adage is that the true mark of a society is how it treats the weakest in its ranks. Blacks, women, Latinos, gays and lesbians, and others are still in no way on wholly equal footing in America. But they’re also not nearly as lowly and cursed as men attracted to children. One imagines that if Jesus ever came to Earth, he’d embrace the poor, the blind, the lepers, and, yes, the pedophiles.

While the revolting article appears under Gawker’s “Science” banner, many are outraged by the overall tone of the piece, which forgoes use of the terms “rape” and “assault” with only two exceptions: when describing threats made against pedophiles; for example, “Outside of jail, it’s not uncommon for average citizens to harass and assault pedophiles.”

So, what’s the point of trying to prove that pedophilia is just another sexual orientation with which one is born? “If this research proves to be correct,” writes Jefferson, “it should help shape both our public policy and our public attitude, so that we’re protecting kids while also protecting pedophiles from angry mobs, cellmates, and themselves.”

How long before they demand rights? Science: Born This Way: …Want to Have Sex with Children – @Gawker http://t.co/5bJpnP8W

— Tracy McCain (@tracy_mccain) September 8, 2012

https://twitter.com/ToddKincannon/status/244571117744959488

With no attempt to even hide its agenda, Gawker inspired the #GawkersNextArticle hashtag. Just how low can you lower the bar while keeping the progressive language highbrow?

https://twitter.com/AiPolitics/status/244581120589570048

https://twitter.com/ChrisBarnhart/status/244585551829815296

#GawkersNextArticle Snorting coke with your kids: How it improves the parent- child relationship.

— Thisgirlisright (@ThisGirlisRight) September 9, 2012

https://twitter.com/ToddKincannon/status/244599008293711873

https://twitter.com/Imaumbn/status/244600184456245248

#GawkersNextArticle Keep Getting Laid – Why Telling Your Partner-Of-The-Night About Your Deadly STD Is Morally Wrong

— Running Bone (@running_bare) September 9, 2012

#GawkersNextArticle Josef Mengele: Unsung Medical Pioneer

— BattleSwarm (@BattleSwarmBlog) September 9, 2012

#GawkersNextArticle Pol Pot-ential: The Overlooked Upside of the Khmer Rouge

— jon gabriel (@exjon) September 9, 2012

https://twitter.com/ToddKincannon/status/244601854502244352

Sad, but not at all hard to believe:

somewhere at gawker, they are reading the #GawkersNextArticle tweets and saying… Some of these are good ideas!

— (((Aaron “Worthing” Walker))) (@AaronWorthing) September 9, 2012