Friday, February 19, 2010

Tiger's Tail


It's true, I think, that we are a nation of Puritans obsessed with sex--especially sex that other people are having. I don't know why we feel so entitled to poke our noses into other people's bedrooms. Tiger cheated on his wife, and because he is a public figure, we think it's our business. I'm not sure he or his wife need our intervention. She did a pretty fine job of going after him with his golf clubs. If he's going to apologize to anyone, it ought to be to her and in private.
HOWEVER, I think there is something about bad behavior within certain "trusted professions" that shouldn't be tolerated. Clergyman shouldn't have carnal knowledge of their parishioners. Doctor's either. Or psychologists. Teachers should sleep with other teachers, not their students--or at least wait until they graduate. Cops shouldn't patronize hookers unless they are going to forego rounding them up. And lawyers....I think their word--personal & professional--should be good and that they should uphold it as if it were the law.
Years ago when Mr. Ex was getting ready to graduate from law school and was interviewing for jobs, I remember that the wife of one of his classmates had her own take on which firms were most suitable for her husband. She didn't care about salary or clients or prestige. She wanted to know how many of the partners were still married to their original wives. If there was a culture of divorce at a particular firm, she didn't want her husband to work there. I don't know if they are still married.
I didn't worry about Mr. Ex. back then. I was sure he loved me. He was terrified of both hell and herpes, and I figured that alone was enough to keep him from cheating on me. But big L. A. lawyers are easy prey. The same sense of entitlement that overpowers celebrities can take them down, too.
I don't really care what a golfer does with his balls or his putter, but it seems to me that an attorney is professionally obligated to give his ex-wife what is rightfully hers under the law.

photo credit: Kaboodle.com

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