Molestation and the reputations of great men

[Neil]

The greatness of the man overwhelms his crimes.

[Razgovory]

Also I find it difficult that Italian trains ran on time.

[Razgovory]

I get the feeling that the "Great Man" in question here, is some relative of Lettow's.  If it's actually Nathan Bedford Forrest then for the love of God, release that information!

[CountDeMoney]

[merithyn]

I thought it was pretty well documented that Benjamin Franklin had a thing for very young teenaged girls (13-14 year olds), which is part of why he was shuttled off to France as embassador. There, he was allowed to partake to his heart's content, since there was no such thing as an "age of consent" in France at the time.

That, to me, makes him brilliant and despicable. A person can be both.

[garbon]

I thought it was pretty well documented that Benjamin Franklin had a thing for very young teenaged girls (13-14 year olds), which is part of why he was shuttled off to France as embassador. There, he was allowed to partake to his heart's content, since there was no such thing as an "age of consent" in France at the time.

That, to me, makes him brilliant and despicable. A person can be both.

I tried to do a quick search on that and couldn't really find anything. Any links?

[MadImmortalMan]

What if a man is a great man because he was a genius cop who prevented 100 molestations, but then to celebrate that milestone he molested one of the boys he saved.  Is he now a despicable man?

Yes, because Spock was wrong. The needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.

[Barrister]

I thought it was pretty well documented that Benjamin Franklin had a thing for very young teenaged girls (13-14 year olds), which is part of why he was shuttled off to France as embassador. There, he was allowed to partake to his heart's content, since there was no such thing as an "age of consent" in France at the time.

That, to me, makes him brilliant and despicable. A person can be both.

I've never heard that.  Not saying it isn't true, but I've never heard that.

[CountDeMoney]

I've never heard that.  Not saying it isn't true, but I've never heard that.

Ditto.

[merithyn]

I thought it was pretty well documented that Benjamin Franklin had a thing for very young teenaged girls (13-14 year olds), which is part of why he was shuttled off to France as embassador. There, he was allowed to partake to his heart's content, since there was no such thing as an "age of consent" in France at the time.

That, to me, makes him brilliant and despicable. A person can be both.

I tried to do a quick search on that and couldn't really find anything. Any links?

Nope, can't find any either. I must have remembered it wrong.

[HVC]

He liked him some hookers, but I'm pretty sure they were age appropriate hookers.

[garbon]

I thought it was pretty well documented that Benjamin Franklin had a thing for very young teenaged girls (13-14 year olds), which is part of why he was shuttled off to France as embassador. There, he was allowed to partake to his heart's content, since there was no such thing as an "age of consent" in France at the time.

That, to me, makes him brilliant and despicable. A person can be both.

I tried to do a quick search on that and couldn't really find anything. Any links?

Nope, can't find any either. I must have remembered it wrong.

I found one mention of him in France with young ladies in the 18th century, but it was from a message-board post of someone ranting about pedophilia or something - didn't really read the post.

[DGuller]

His *suspected* bad deeds are far worse - there is a circumstantial case that he "collected" pregnant women (or rather, paid his gang of toughs to collect them) for disection before they were in fact dead.

They were only hours away from dying, so close enough.

[merithyn]

I found an article that claimed that he preferred older women, writing numerous letters to a young friend of his suggesting that he take up with an older woman rather than a younger one. Also, that he was in a sex club in London. Nothing about under-aged girls.

No idea where I got that from. I was pretty sure there was a stink about it some 10 years ago or so, but apparently not.

[Razgovory]

I thought it was pretty well documented that Benjamin Franklin had a thing for very young teenaged girls (13-14 year olds), which is part of why he was shuttled off to France as embassador. There, he was allowed to partake to his heart's content, since there was no such thing as an "age of consent" in France at the time.

That, to me, makes him brilliant and despicable. A person can be both.

I tried to do a quick search on that and couldn't really find anything. Any links?

Nope, can't find any either. I must have remembered it wrong.

I found one mention of him in France with young ladies in the 18th century, but it was from a message-board post of someone ranting about pedophilia or something - didn't really read the post.

Yeah, that was Meri.