Due Process

I’ve watched one man after another lose his career because of allegations he took advantage of his position to sexually harass women.

The most public matter, which spawned the Me Too movement, was Harvey Weinstein. The court system has yet to weigh in but he has been charged. Make no mistake, Weinstein is a slob.  Bill Cosby has been convicted. But there are countless other men who have been accused and convicted in the court of public opinion. 

Our entire American culture is built on the premise that someone is innocent until proven guilty. For some reason, that tenant has been tossed in a dumpster in these matters.

Let me take a moment to say, I think the idea of powerful men, using their position to force women to do things they wouldn’t normally do, is disgusting. It disgusted me when Bill Clinton did it. But there were those willing to give him a pass.

I have a friend who often says there is always two sides to every pancake, no matter how thin.

I turn to the case of Asia Argento, the Italian actress who was one of the first to accuse Weinstein of sexual assault. A report this week says she secretly paid off a young actor who accused her of sexual assault. According to a New York Times report, former child actor Jimmy Bennett was paid $380,000 by the 37-year-old actress to keep qjuiet. Bennett says he was assaulted when he was 17 in a California hotel by Argenta.

I point this out to illustrate a point----there are rare episodes when women are the aggressor and use their power to get what they want.

But again, a claim of a crime does not mean a crime has occurred.

Harvey Weinstein was the birth of the Me Too movement. And as I said earlier, he’s a slob.  

The courts will decide if he is a slob…..and a felon.