The truly sad part of Senator Craig and all the other "straight" folks like him who partake in anonymous sex in all the various locations where such things happen, is that, at a very young (pre-pubescent) age, by the disparaging comments and actions, and in some cases very strident lessons they're likely to have heard in some religious institutions, they've been taught unequivocally that to be homosexual (and yes, that includes those who self identify as gay) is the most disgusting, most vile, most reprehensible thing a person can be. When young men who have been raised with these attitudes reach puberty and, by virtue of the approximately seven testosterone rushes they experience each day suddenly discover themselves to be exhibiting sexual arousal while engaged in what was previously normal, close physical play activity with their male friends, they are so terrified and panicked at what this might mean that they shift into total suppression and repression of any affectionate feelings they might have had for their male friends.

In the case of straight men raised with these attitudes, this means 1) they can no longer have close friends for fear of what feeling even brotherly affection for them might mean (except, perhaps when they're drinking together?) and 2) when they subsequently encounter the reality, possibility or idea that men might be physically affectionate with each other, that initial, deeply suppressed panic response is invoked and they exhibit a phobic reaction (this is the difference between a simple, calm, neutral reaction which says, "sorry, I'm not interested in that," and a reaction which is overwhelming, childishly emotional and can range from a more benign "ewe!!" to murderous rage).

Senator Craig clearly seems to have been programmed with this internal homophobia, but, by evidence of the fact that he has repeatedly and regularly gone to the trouble of seeking out locations where opportunities exist for anonymous male-male sex and spent sufficient time in such locations to actually partake of such, is quite strongly physically attracted to other men, despite his protestations to the contrary.

Throughout his career he has done what so many religious and civic leaders programmed in this way have done - he has projected his homophobia out into the world and tried to damage and punish what's hidden within himself by damaging and punishing healthier gay and lesbian folks. Barring a Holy miracle of inspired self-acceptance, Senator Craig will never be able to admit to himself that he's primarily homosexual, because to do so would be to see himself as vile, dirty, reprehensible and beyond redemption.

If the truth forces itself up from beneath his repression, he's likely to become, homicidal - to go to someplace where's he's had anonymous sex and physically attack anyone who seems to be interested in him, or he's equally likely to become suicidally depressed.

It is truly sad what damage we do to the youngsters among us when we teach them that one or more of the ways God created them to be buys them a lifelong ticket to being outcasts in this world and a one-way ticket to hell in the next! But, at least in my theology, this is not God's doing, nor God's teaching. It is a human control mechanism designed to draw wealth and power to those promising to stamp out or cure evils that never were evil, but rather simply variations of humanity brought into this world by God as a part of the infinite variety that is healthy, natural life.

Friends, this is what "free market" capitalism is. Absolutely no regulation and profit extracted from anyone possible by any means possible (except perhaps out-and-out violence, although that could follow, too, if you count government-enforced collection efforts). If you can make money doing it, no matter how misleading or dishonest your sales pitch, it's obviously OK. If people are taken in by you, it's their fault for believing you, not your fault for lying. Let the buyer beware because anything goes and everybody is trying to maximize their profit at your expense. I repeat, this is the "free market" that's supposed to save us all. What was it about this that you didn't understand?

Geeze! Can we climb off our soap boxes and stick to the point of the actual article. The point is, when the original study expressing concern over the danger of football players being infected with this new and more dangerous form of Methycillin resistant staff was published, it got zero airplay, even here in Minnesota where they canceled two weeks of the high school wrestling season last year because of an outbreak of herpes-based skin rashes that had clearly been spread across several teams during wrestling meets.

But when the same Methycillin resistant staff strain was documented to ALSO be occurring among gay populations on the coasts, suddenly it's BIG NEWS and cause for the homophobes to come out of the woodwork demanding that gay people all go back to their closets at the least or locked up at the most.

Now... in responding to a previous post. If you see a mouse in your kitchen and you calmly set up mouse traps and/or set out mouse poison to kill or capture the mouse, you're having a normal reaction. If you scream and jump onto a chair, table, or countertop, you're expressing a phobia.

In the same manner, if the idea of two men expressing affection for each other, including sexual contact leaves you thinking, no thanks, I'll take a woman any time, you're having a normal reaction. If it creeps you out or freaks you out, you're having a phobic reaction.

Normal reactions are... well... normal reactions. Phobic reactions are generally learned from friends, family members, religion and the culture around us and can also be unlearned. Just because everyone else you know has the same phobic reaction you do, doesn't mean it's not expressing a phobia.