Betrayed By A Representative
Nobody wants to write about the Ted Klaudt case of child molestation, but it has sucked the fresh spring air out of South Dakota like few other events. Like the elephant in the room, Ted Klaudt can't be ignored. Of course, the biggest tragedy is the harm done to the young girls. We trust that the State of South Dakota will do all in its power to help them heal and to make some amends for what happened to them.
If you are reading this from afar, here is a link to the Argus Leader stories. You'll be very saddened.
Attorney General Larry Long and his staff seem ready and able to see that justice is served. Court papers indicate that the former legislator has already acknowledged guilt. Unless something unforeseen develops, Ted Klaudt will be in prison for a long time. If he is guilty, then hopefully he'll at least have the sense to plead the same and save the state and his victims any more pain.
A lesser but still-important issue is what this case does to the image of South Dakota – internally and beyond our borders. We like to see ourselves as a clean and decent place, rich with wholesome "God, flag, mom and apple pie" virtues. Sure, we have our villains, our fools and our criminals of passion -- but we see them as outsiders who slink in the back alleys of society, and the occassional neighbor who suffers a mistake in judgement.
When elected officials – men who represent us – break not only the law but the most basic tenents of decency and morality, it shakes our confidence in who we are as a people. He was elected by his neighbors four times to represent us; and now he represents us, on the front pages of the papers, as the lead character on the TV news. Soon, no doubt, to be on 20-20 and Dateline and maybe even Entertainment Tonight. Ted Klaudt will become the best-known representative of South Dakota; the face of South Dakota, at least for 2007.
Accidents happen. People make mistakes. We all suffer failures. Everybody has a weakness. But all caveats aside, these charges are abominable and go far beyond the pale. Crimes of passion and lust and greed can be reviled and yet understood; but these accusations represent months and years of plotting, scheming and deception by a powerful and respected community leader against defenseless youth placed under his care by the State of South Dakota.
We expect all people, whether in or out of the public arena, to adhere to certain human standards. Society deserves and must demand a still higher standard of those we elect to represent us in leadership positions. No one knew what was happening in little Walker, S.D. The voters believed Ted Klaudt's words when he talked about morality and decency and family values.
If the charges are true, Ted Klaudt has cheapened life in South Dakota in an audacious and disgraceful way. As a lawmaker in Pierre, he was quick and sharp with his tongue; he used language well in public debate. Today we learned that we cannot believe in people or in words. We've lost quite a lot today.
If you are reading this from afar, here is a link to the Argus Leader stories. You'll be very saddened.
Attorney General Larry Long and his staff seem ready and able to see that justice is served. Court papers indicate that the former legislator has already acknowledged guilt. Unless something unforeseen develops, Ted Klaudt will be in prison for a long time. If he is guilty, then hopefully he'll at least have the sense to plead the same and save the state and his victims any more pain.
A lesser but still-important issue is what this case does to the image of South Dakota – internally and beyond our borders. We like to see ourselves as a clean and decent place, rich with wholesome "God, flag, mom and apple pie" virtues. Sure, we have our villains, our fools and our criminals of passion -- but we see them as outsiders who slink in the back alleys of society, and the occassional neighbor who suffers a mistake in judgement.
When elected officials – men who represent us – break not only the law but the most basic tenents of decency and morality, it shakes our confidence in who we are as a people. He was elected by his neighbors four times to represent us; and now he represents us, on the front pages of the papers, as the lead character on the TV news. Soon, no doubt, to be on 20-20 and Dateline and maybe even Entertainment Tonight. Ted Klaudt will become the best-known representative of South Dakota; the face of South Dakota, at least for 2007.
Accidents happen. People make mistakes. We all suffer failures. Everybody has a weakness. But all caveats aside, these charges are abominable and go far beyond the pale. Crimes of passion and lust and greed can be reviled and yet understood; but these accusations represent months and years of plotting, scheming and deception by a powerful and respected community leader against defenseless youth placed under his care by the State of South Dakota.
We expect all people, whether in or out of the public arena, to adhere to certain human standards. Society deserves and must demand a still higher standard of those we elect to represent us in leadership positions. No one knew what was happening in little Walker, S.D. The voters believed Ted Klaudt's words when he talked about morality and decency and family values.
If the charges are true, Ted Klaudt has cheapened life in South Dakota in an audacious and disgraceful way. As a lawmaker in Pierre, he was quick and sharp with his tongue; he used language well in public debate. Today we learned that we cannot believe in people or in words. We've lost quite a lot today.
15 Comments
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I could not agree with you more, Bernie. It is absolutely disgusting!!!
Comment by Inez L. Harris — May 19, 2007 @ 11:17 am
Having worked in public education for almost 30 years and knowing many foster children during that time, I can only say that part of the blame belongs with our foster care system. A system that will place a child in a home just because it is available and the people are willing to take any child. I have heard numerous stories similiar to this one about the abuses done to foster girls (and boys) by their foster parents. Yes, we reported such abuses and nothing was done. It is also people like this man that make it very difficult for decent people to work with young people. In my early years in the education field, I thought nothing of hugging children, having them drop by my home for help with homework but today at the beginning of most school years teachers are given a verbal or written list of ways they can protect themselves against being accused of sexual abuse. Its scary and it means that a teacher is even afraid to pat a student on the back for work well done. Its men like Klaudt, a despicable man, who drives this wedge in the way of normal relationships between adults and the children that are either in their care or whom they teach. We have kids today who are starving for normal affection because what they have known is abnormal, sick affection from deviant foster parents or youth leaders. It infuriates me but our foster home system needs a house cleaning not only among the homes but also among the case workers who turn a blind eye to events they know are happening but do nothing about. I guarantee you that someone knew what was going on with this man a long time ago, and did nothing and looked the other way.
Comment by MaryH — May 19, 2007 @ 11:57 am
Correct me if I am mistaken, someone, but wasn’t Rep. Klaudt a big critic of the Social Services Department? If only hyprocrisy was a crime, too.
Comment by Charlie — May 19, 2007 @ 12:14 pm
I don’t believe this has anything to do with being Dem or Repub but I do think that through the course of time, while a lot of very good people have been in the legislature, on the other hand a lot of very weird people have been elected.
Comment by JK — May 19, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
Note to Charlie above:
Rep. Klaudt was also a big critic of the juvenile detention system. Looks like he had his own ideas on how to deal with kids. Lock him up for life.
Comment by Allan Andersen — May 19, 2007 @ 12:55 pm
This will further indicate the problem with sentencing in SD. Janklow drives through a stop sign and kills somebody and gets 90 days in a private cell. Some possessors of child pornography who may never have touched an actual child have been given sentences in the 50 or 100 year area. Sounds like Klaudt may get 25 years or so if he is convicted of allegations and charges.
But, how many years in prison will those politicians who voted for Bush war powers knowing it was based on a fraud and hoping that it would get them re-elected easily or equally bad where so incompetent and ignorant that they actually believed Bush, Cheney, Condolezza, and Rumsfeld and the other neo-cons despite others knowing it was fraudulent information and arguments. There was also Sen. Robert Byrd telling them that the powers Bush were seeking violated the US constitution.
And then there is Bush and Cheney themselves. 3000 US soldiers wasted in Iraq. Billions of dollars already wasted and perhaps 70,000 Iraqis dead.
It is really hard to establish perspective on any of this.
Comment by Douglas Wiken — May 19, 2007 @ 1:10 pm
These things are a terrible tragedy for our whole society. But before becoming too cynical read Doug Lund’s blog of May 20.
Comment by Leonard — May 20, 2007 @ 11:47 am
There is something extremely heinous about this particular episode. It’s hard to be shocked anymore, but because of the small town atmosphere and the jolly country lawmaker and and teens working on the farm, this is especially dismaying. It’s sickening, like the murders of the Amish school children.
Yet Douglas Wiken is right; how do we balance it with the horrors planned and administered by our elected officials in Washington? How many lives have they ruined and for what? Good point Mr. Wiken.
Comment by JK — May 21, 2007 @ 10:44 am
Apple pie, mom, etc., what about innocent until proven guilty? Talk about drive-by journalism. Stoke the burning pit and sharpen the stake.
Comment by Anonymous — May 21, 2007 @ 11:13 am
to anonymous #9 — I think if you read all the documenation and articles on this, you’ll see that Rep. Klaudt has pretty much admitted to enough already. So the niceties of “innocent until blah blah” is pretty much out the window here.
Comment by JK — May 21, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
It’s not a nicety, it’s a pillar of American jurisprudence, philosophy, and thought. Close the window. Can’t we wait until he’s adjudicated guilty? I guess if I had personally heard his confession, I would feel differently.
Comment by Anonymous — May 21, 2007 @ 3:25 pm
Mr. Wiken–The attorney general has been clear that Mr. Klaudt is facing over 225 years in prison. Also the sentence that Mr. Janklow recieved was harsh compared to similar cases. In fact, there are plenty of examples where someone, who is not intoxicated, fails to yield and recieves a simple class 2 misdeameanor ticket. Check you facts before you rant.
Comment by SP — May 21, 2007 @ 5:13 pm
Killing a guy is not a class two misdemeanor
Comment by Jerry Hinkle — May 21, 2007 @ 9:56 pm
SP, the “fact-checker” comment obviously missed the fact that Janklow, in his failure to yield, killed someone. That 90 days he “served” seems quite distant from “harsh”. What would repay YOU for the loss of a son or brother or father or friend in such a situation? Certainly more would be expected … and for a government figure, in this case, not delivered.
Comment by mary — May 22, 2007 @ 7:28 am
Actually and unfortunately in the case I’m referring to there was in fact a fatality. The failure to yield ticket did not even require a court appearance.
Comment by SP — May 22, 2007 @ 3:02 pm