Hey Tweety - Foley IS a pedophile

[JFN1]

I'm watching MSNBC right now, waiting for the Hastert announcement.

Tweety (Chris Matthews) just bitched out one of the guys he's talking to for calling Foley a "pedophile."

Tweety just about went apoplectic, telling the guy it is wrong to call Foley a pedophile, since pedophiles are only interested in pre-pubescent children.

WRONG!!!

According to Wikipedia:
============
The word comes from the Greek paidophilia (παιδοφιλία ), pais (παις, "child") and philia (φιλία, "love, friendship"). Paidophilia was coined by Greek poets as a substitute for "paiderastia" (pederasty).<2>

The term paedophilia erotica was coined in 1886 by the Vienna psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing in his writing Psychopathia Sexualis.<3> He gave the following characteristics:

the sexual interest is toward children, either prepubescent or at the beginning of puberty
the sexual interest is the primary one, that is, exclusively or mainly toward children
the sexual interest remains over time
Strictly speaking, this definition would include many adolescents and pre-pubescents, for whom such an interest might be normal; thus, some experts add the criterion that the interest be toward children at least five years younger than the subject. However, according to some experts, a diagnosis of pedophilia can also be appropriate for a post-pubescent adolescent.
==============

As usual, Tweety is out to limit the damage to Republicans any way he can.

Please write Mr. Tweety an email to let him know that a spade is a spade, and a pedophile is a pedophile. If we don't jump on these jerkwads when they try to control the language of a debate, we will continually lose.

[kiahzero]

1. Wikipedia's wrong on this.

The psychological definition of pedophilia is limited to an attraction to pre-pubescent children. Additionally, Foley doesn't seem to be "exclusively or mainly" sexually attracted to children, since he apparently has been seeing a man in Florida for quite some time.

[karlrschneider]

4. Wikipedia (pedia?...hmm) is wrong about most things. It's worthless

for 99.5 % of any research.

[kiahzero]

7. It's an encyclopedia

It's a pretty good one, despite its flaws. However, it's still an encyclopedia, which should be the start of one's research, not the stop.

[karlrschneider]

27. Actually, it's a forum for people with an agenda. You do know that

anybody can write -anything- in it, don't you?

[JFN1]

12. Sorry, no they are not

From Wikipedia: "In contrast to the generally accepted medical definition, the term pedophile is also used colloquially to denote significantly older adults who are sexually attracted to adolescents below the local age of consent,(1) as well as those who have sexually abused a child."

Words that have a formal meaning may also have a colloquial meaning that, while technically incorrect, is recognizable due to common usage. In other words, a word can have a common definition that goes beyond the technical or clinical definition.

In America, a person who has sex or tries to have sex with an underage person is termed a "pedophile." it is the popular term for such monsters, and I'll not stand for this hair-splitting by Tweety or his Republican buddies.

FOLEY IS A PEDOPHILE.

[tabasco]

13. Linkie?

I see a lot of people say this but I have seen no sources.

The dictionary definition of pedophile contradicts Tweety:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pedophile

[JFN1]

15. Here you go

Link to Wiki's definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophile

[tabasco]

16. I was replying to the other poster who said Foley is not a pedo.

I think he is a pedo and it is weird how many people claim he is not but have no sources that support their position.

[greyl]

21. He might be a pedophile, but

we have no evidence of that yet. I think it would be wrong to say he definitely isn't one.
He's definitely a sexual predator of minors.

[greyl]

20. Here are some more authoritative links:

When most people think of child molesters, they are thinking of pedophiles, and the APA strictly defines a pedophile as "a person who over at least a 6 month period has recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children (age 13 years or younger)." Several other terms exist in the literature. For example, there is the term "hebephile" which refers to sexually attraction to post-pubertal adolescents (ages 14 to 17), the terms "ephebophile" and "phebophile" which refer to those who focus on the moments of puberty in their victims (puberty for males ranges from ages 10 to 17; for females from ages 9 to 14), and the term "teleiophile" which refers to an attraction for adults but also for children under certain circumstances. Regardless of the terminological debates and other controversies over where the "primary" sexual preference lies, most forms of pedophilia are regarded as a mostly incurable condition in which the sexual object (or fetish) is a child, and the behavior pattern manifests some obsessive-compulsive characteristics similar to the fantasy-driven cycles of serial killers, rapists, and other repeat offenders.
http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/psy/psylect09.htm

Pedophilia is considered a paraphilia, an "abnormal or unnatural attraction." Pedophilia is defined as the fantasy or act of sexual activity with prepubescent children. Pedophiles are usually men, and can be attracted to either or both sexes. How well they relate to adults of the opposite sex varies.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/pedophilia.html

It is important to understand the differences between pedophiles and molesters. Pedophilia, which is a psychological disorder, is a distinct sexual preference for pre-pubescent children. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 111-R), which is published by the American Psychological Association, supplies this definition of pedophilia: “recurrent, intense, sexual urges and sexual arousing fantasies of at least six months duration involving sexual activity with a pre-pubescent child” (DSM, V.3, 1987). Generally, this means the target of the fantasy will typically be less than 12 years old. Notice the definition does not require the person to actually engage in a sexual act. Pedophilia is a psychological disorder that does not require, and usually does not involve, a criminal act. The pedophile might keep his desires a secret. He may never go public or share his fantasies with anyone.
http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/psychology/pedophiles/1.html

[kiahzero]

22. Thanks

I knew I saw that information posted earlier in other threads, and quite honestly I didn't want to go searching to find it.

[bornskeptic]

18. Wikipedia's not wrong.

The OP is misinterpreting the sentence:
However, according to some experts, a diagnosis of pedophilia can also be appropriate for a post-pubescent adolescent.
The meaning is that a post-pubescent adolescent may be diagnosed as a pedophile - not that a person may be diagnosed as a pedophile based on being attracted to post-pubescent adolescents.

[greyl]

23. That part has been edited recently.

It used to say:

"Pedophilia or paedophilia (see spelling differences) is the paraphilia of being sexually attracted primarily or exclusively to prepubescent or peripubescent children. Persons with this attraction are called pedophiles.

In contrast to the generally accepted medical definition, the term pedophile is also sometimes used to denote significantly older adults who are sexually attracted to adolescents below the local age of consent, as well as those who have sexually abused a child.

previous wiki entry plus other definitions

[itsrobert]

2. Too close to home for Tweety?

hmmmm

[elehhhhna]

3. he's a high-school trolling CHICEKNHAWIK

[Iwasthere]

5. Yes.. EMAIL HIM THAT DEFININTION!

Gotta keep Tweey in line here. Lets see if he keeps doing it.

[Jed Dilligan]

6. Hebephile

technically.

[MazeRat7]

8. As much as I hate to admit it... Tweety was correct on this one (n/t)

[grizmaster]

9. I don't care how it's defined

stalking underage boys is sick and criminal

[LostInAnomie]

10. Tweety's actually got it right on this one.

Wikipedia isn't always the best source. Especially, when "some experts" is cited as a source. There isn't any need to confuse the definition for political purposes. The truth is gross enough.

[Igel]

11. So "some experts" and "can" now equate to

"universally accepted" and "required", or at least "standardly is appropriate".

Seems that the meaning's being stretched to where it *can* be stretched, but need not be stretched--and possibly might not be appropriately stretched. This requires using a particular definition, which requires specific conditions, as the general definition.

The standard of proof in order to say, "Foley is a pedophile" is to show that the definition does fit Foley. Not that it may fit Foley. The best you get with 'may' is "Foley may be a pedophile" or "According to some people, Foley may be a pedophile."

[greyl]

14. The wikipedia article currently says "some experts"

believe pedophilia can involve post-pubescents. One can find some experts to say just about anything. Fact is, the vast majority of the medical community uses the term pedophelia to refer to strictly pre-pubescent children.

But rather than argue the definition, just call the guy a sexual predator of minors.

[Giant Robot]

17. Thank you!

Just call him a sexual predator and skip the semantics argument. Definitions are a debate for another day. Now is the time to rally the public against the party of sexual predators. Dateline NBC has done a wonderful job getting the phrase sexual predator into our cultural consciousness that I think it carries the same weight that pedophile does.

[greyl]

19. No sweat.

For a couple of days I was one of those trying to make the point about the definition in a few threads here, but it only went so far.
I agree with you that sexual predator(of minors) is better, especially given the exposure to that term from the Dateline shows. I mean, how can anybody, including spinners like Tweety, argue with that?

[Rex]

24. Tweety works for the Man.

He will do whatever it takes to make sure they stay in power. Tweety is a traitor.

[enki23]

25. er... they're referring to the one being diagnosed

in that portion you bolded. i can see where you might find it *slightly* ambiguous, but really it's pretty clear. from the evidence we have so far, there is no basis for diagnosing foley a pedophile. that doesn't, however, mean he isn't a sexual predator found to have been engaged in numerous EXTRMELY serious breaches of ethical conduct. not a pedophile, just a run-of-the-mill sexual offender, and seems likely to be guilty of statutory rape under some of the applicable jurisdictions.

that doesn', however, mean you need to stop calling him a pedophile. every time a republican has to deny being a pedophile, or pedophile enabler, an angel gets its wings.

[MNWild]

26. Foley is a child molester. Any problems with that definition?

[never_get_over_it]

28. Actually yes

that is the whole point if he had molested CHILDREN he would be a pedophile - 16 year olds are NOT CHILDREN... Foley is not a pedophile (unless he acted that way with someone under 13)

dictionary.com

child (chld)
n. pl. chil·dren (chldrn)

A person between birth and puberty.



ad·o·les·cent (dl-snt) Pronunciation Key

n.
A young person who has undergone puberty but who has not reached full maturity; a teenager.