Boiling the Frog

A recent article in the newspaper had me doing a double take. A former professor of mine had been arrested for attempting to solicit services from a prostitute. He was arrested as part of a sting in which he and several other people from the community were caught-- including the VP of SUU. At first glance I was certain that there had been a misunderstanding, some sort of mistake made by the police force. But after reading a recent article I came to understand that there was no mistake, these men had truly fallen to such temptation.

It is a humbling and alarming thing to realize how vulnerable we all are to such temptations and addictions. None of us are above temptation. It's just like the primary lesson about boiling the frog. It can start out with such seemingly small things until it escalates into big things.

I think that Professor Groft summed it up best in his statement. He has made no attempt to justify or deny his mistake. It seems to me that he just wants to move past it and do everything he can to get back on the right path. The following excerpt is his statement from Iron County Today:

" I feel that avoiding bargains and paying the maximum penalty that the court believes will satisfy justice is the best way for me to begin on the path of healing and redemption," Groft said in a statement released Wednesday evening through his attorney Blaine T. Hofeling.

" I have made some decisions that I will regret for the rest of my life," he said. "The road that led me to this point started out with smaller offenses that seemed benign but gradually pulled me further and further into a pit of addiction and despair. Although I continually prayed for forgiveness and experienced bouts of fortitude and upright behavior, the cycle of addiction and darkness visited me again and again and engulfed me more and more."

"My beliefs taught me better, my convictions taught me better, but unfortunately my beliefs and my convictions were weaker than my resolve. My wife, family and friends are all angry and shocked, but have offered a tremendous outpouring of love, forgiveness, and encouragement. I thank them for that."

--Andy Groft