You, JayB, aren't qualified to comment here. But your statement is so incredibly stupid, I feel obligated to remind you that never in any of my posts (including this one) will you find me stating that climbing ability carries weight in ethical debates. Yet the number of times wankers on this site have stated that we should defer to hang-dogging 5.13 climbers regarding the legitimacy of sport climbing is......"greater than zero".
This beer-induced, late-night post was simply a reaction to the notion that pope's peers are convicting him. Again, I ask, "What peers?" BTW, the summer I soloed 30 pitches before lunch (up to 5.10c at Castle Rock, Snow Creek Wall and Givler's Dome) was not twenty years ago (more like 12). Regardless, these climbers you mention who are superior to pope.....you ain't among them. Not today, not twenty years ago (if you were even out of diapers). I can out-climb you on your best day and I could out-drink you right now.
Yes, but climbing is but one measure of a man, and I have no doubt life provides you with no small number of rather stark reminders of this fact rather more often than you'd like.
Priceless