#MeToo

The #MeToo movement ….

Stories of sexual abuse of power by religious are of biblical proportion.  Is there any other import to 2 Samuel 11 – the lust of David, the seduction of Bathsheba, and the murder of Uriah?  Little has changed. Stories abound of religious seducing, raping, or taking advantage of

• Altar boys
• Children
• Penitents
• Church secretaries
• Employees
• Parishioners

Stories of sexual abuse by those in the entertainment industry are historical.  How long have there been stories of the casting couch?  This theme has even found regular play in the industry itself through television programs like How I Met Your Mother and in a variety of movies some of which are captured in The Casting Couch in Classic Hollywood Movies.  So, the escapades of Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Asia Argento, Charlie Rose, Tavis Smiley, and others are far from new.  To believe otherwise is to be terribly naïve.  To believe that these things could not happen to you means that you don’t have a firm grasp on reality.

Stories of sexual abuse by those in government have been around for forever.  Was there the practice of jus primae noctis (a noble’s right to take the virginity of peasant women) in medieval society?  Members of Congress had (have) a practice of abusing congressional pages.  Presidents of all parties have abused power for sexual purposes.  To believe otherwise is to be terribly naïve.  To believe that these things could not happen to you means that you don’t have a firm grasp on reality.

Stories of sexual abuse in business and education equal those of religion and government.  The AARP magazine chronicled a law firm’s senior partner unreported rape of a summer intern.  The 10 examples of harassment describe behaviors that can result in complaints and litigation.  (Since off-color stories are included in the 10 examples, a former colleague regularly told off-color stories at department meetings without recrimination.  That pretty much set the tone for the institution.) However, it still continues today.  To believe otherwise is to be terribly naïve.  To believe that these things could not happen to you means that you don’t have a firm grasp on reality.

Isn’t the resurrection of alleged events that occurred 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or more years ago troubling?.

• Was it consensual?
• Was alcohol involved?
• Were drugs used?
• Was it rape?
• Was it sexual battery?
• Was it groping?
• Was it petting? (Anything that happens between the neck and the knees.)
• Was there a “relationship”?
• Was it consensual until the “relationship” ended? (The jilted lover?)
• If it was consensual, was there regret afterwards? (A college student’s sexual harassment complaint admitted to consenting to fondling and cunnilingus but became remorseful because good, Christian girls don’t.)
• What was the situation?

So many questions ….

Admittedly, a double standard exists.  However, a double standard doesn’t excuse the behavior, and “no” means don’t even begin and if it has begun to stop, cease, desist, discontinue, halt, end ….

Simply because these things have occurred since the beginning of time doesn’t make them right.  But … hiding in everyone’s past is an encounter that probably shouldn’t have, and could probably be classified as some category of sex crime and/or sexual harassment today.  Should every one of those events see the light of day to be investigated, prosecuted, explained, and defended?

The #MeToo movement ….

 

Politics

I hate politics.

It strikes me that party trumps country, state, county, or city.  That’s wrong!  Politicians can play party UNTIL elected, but once elected the standard ought to be what’s in the best interest of the country, state, county, or city … and party be damned.

Congress sits divided: the Democrats on the left and the Republicans on the right.  This shouldn’t be!  It fosters group think … and party conformity.  Perhaps state delegations should sit together.  (Or, maybe, the elementary school paradigm should be adopted and the legislators should sit in alphabetical order.)

On Constitution Day, a speaker asked, “How many believe that our elected officials represent you?”  No one raised his or her hand.   (Isn’t that why our elected officials were chosen to begin with?)  That’s wrong!  Why do we keep re-electing them?

It’s wrong to play politics to disenfranchise voters such as voiding registrations because the registrations are not on the “proper” weight paper.  (Ohio tried it.)

It’s wrong to deny voting rights because of a physical or mental disability. (Poll workers have refused to allow citizens with disabilities to vote.)

It’s wrong to accept money and gifts to vote a particular way.  (It’s all that special interest and lobbyist money.)

It’s wrong that elected officials respond to inquiries by simply spouting the party line and failing to address the questions presented. (My representative did.)

It’s wrong that the media continue to identify our elected officials by party instead of simply by office.  Too many people turn off when the party designation is revealed.  (Sadly, I must admit that I turn off when politicians speak.  Politicians lie.  Politicians can’t answer questions.  Politicians always try to tell me what the pollsters tell the politicians what the pollsters think I want to hear. Politicians only seem to really care about me when it comes time for re-election’ otherwise, I’m a nuisance.)

Is it at all surprising that I hate politics?

Misinformation

Wasn’t it obvious?  An African-American had been elected president; wasn’t it time for a woman?  It was “Her Story.” She was entitled!

The nomination process had been successfully choreographed.  It didn’t matter what other candidates might do; the nomination was in the bag.  Let the people choose whomever they wanted, the super delegates would deliver the nomination to her!  It was her turn!

How much better could it have been?  The other party nominated a buffoon!  Who, in their right mind, could even consider voting for the fool?  This election was truly wrapped up! What ever happened on November 8 would simply be a formality.  After all, she was entitled!

The campaign droned on.  Biased surveys and polls reinforced the candidates’ philosophy.  Speeches presented.  Positions remained flexible to accommodate the audience while each candidate (and party) craftily created their own version of reality depending upon the spectators.  Analyses made.  She had to win; it was her turn!

Everyone made mistakes. Faux pas happened to all parties. All candidates and parties applied spin to tell the voters want the voters wanted to hear.  Objectivity, if it had ever been present, vanished.  She was entitled!

All suffered delusions.  Every party and every candidate spread misinformation.  Was there tampering?  Of course, there was.  All the candidates did it; it’s a characteristic of the political process.  Internally, yes.  Externally, yes.  The truth cannot survive a political campaign; just watch any political advertisement or read any campaign literature; it’s pure spin to either play upon the ignorance of the reader or scare them into voting a particular way.  But … it was her turn!

How could anyone vote for the ass?  It’s inconceivable!  Wasn’t she entitled to the presidency?

Oh, there had been corruption in the process.  Tampering?  Outside influence?  Misinformation?  It had been arranged.  She had played with the process.  She employed people, organizations, and associations from inside and outside the country to sway the vote.  She spread lies.  She distributed money – political money, soft money, hard money, Citizens United money, foundation money.  It had been arranged.  The other party did everything she did, but she did it better, didn’t she? Damn it!  It WAS her turn!

Then came the dawn on November 9.  She carried the urban areas; they loved her.  The religious communities were not so embracing; there must be something about telling people that the government’s values supersede those taught in churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples, and on a loving mother’s lap even if you ARE entitled.  The forgotten rural areas were even less so.  While the popular vote resides in the big cities, the rural areas generally determine how the electoral votes are cast.  She should have been beware of the stupid, ignorant, uneducated deplorables even if it was her turn.

It really was “her story.”  It was a story of manipulation.  It was a story of entitlement.  It was a story of misinformation.  It was a story of outside influence.  It was a story of choreography.  It had worked previously.  However, people need to believe that they are part of the process and that the message resonates with them. This is politics; it isn’t the second grade playground, and no one cares whose turn it is.