David Norris: Socrates, Plato & Guys Like Me

'Irish presidential hopeful David Norris in row over paedophilia remarks'
Really?
I wonder what David actually said.

“We got into an academic discussion about Plato’s Symposium and the things that were discussed in that. It was ancient Greek classical literature.
“I made a distinction between paedophilia and pederasty, which is a totally different thing. To the average person it would not make any difference I suppose but to me it did because I knew what I was talking about. That got mixed up and stayed mixed up.
“I abhor with every fibre of my being the idea of interference with children, sexual abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse. My record on that speaks for itself.”
Asked about the distinction between pederasty and paedophilia he said the former was referred to in Plato’s Symposium .
“They discussed stuff and they talk about love between two men and the system in Greece where an older man at the gymnasium took a younger man, but a man, classified as over the age of consent in this country, under his wing and lovingly started a relationship with him. They were proud of it.
“The debate on the Symposium is very interesting because at the end of it, Alchibiades, who is a beautiful young man, has offered himself to Socrates. Socrates refuses because he says wisdom is forever but the body perishes.”
He said it was a mistake to have allowed himself get involved in what he said was an “academic and intellectual discussion” on pederasty. He maintained he was flabbergasted by the questions put to him by Ms Burke, and their graphical content, and should have got up and left the restaurant.
“I was foolish. I should not have let myself get into an academic discussion with somebody I knew only as a restaurant critic. I felt astonished at the questions. I said I did not want to talk about sex and she said that in the article.”

The Irish Times.
Senator David Norris is running for Irish President.
He should have learnt not to talk sense in the Age of Stupid.
And that good men tend to get crucified.