“Where in the annals of history is it correct to expose oneself to another? Where is it acceptable to pressure a worker for sex to keep their job or advance their career? Who thinks going to the door and meeting a colleague of the opposite sex in the nude is alright?”
Recently, my OpsLens colleague, Katie Begley, wrote an excellent article on the ongoing sexual harassment situation we are seeing in the news today. I wanted to give a different opinion and approach, from a man’s point of view. Before you, as the reader, assume that this is going to be an excuse piece, please read on, as it could be nothing farther from that position.
It is hard to find a news channel, newspaper, or any other information outlet that is not covering the myriad sexual harassment cases that have come to light. Every day a new name is added to the list, and that list is extensive. It is replete with big names known to all. These are public figures, politicians, television celebrities, actors, and powerful influential businessmen.
As I watch these men fall from their high towers of power, I wonder—how did this happen? Where on earth is the behavior these people engaged in accepted? Certainly not here. The stories, sordid in nature, are almost beyond belief. Who in their right mind would do these things and think there would not be severe career-ending repercussions?
So what is going on here? The adage of absolute power corrupts absolutely comes to mind. These morally repugnant people have placed a stain on all of the male persuasion. They have in a very short time made all men look at everything they do, every interaction they have, and every comment made as suspect. Sure, the things men—and women—say in private or among each other are sometimes less than correct. That is the way it has always been and the way it was, but not now, not anymore.
Who in their right mind would do these things and think there would not be severe career-ending repercussions?
I am not saying every less-than-politically-correct comment is bad, but in this day and age, this sort of behavior is not tolerated. Those are the little things, everyone, and I do mean everyone, has made a comment or said something that could be viewed as less than correct. That is one thing, but not what is going on here.
Where in the annals of history is it correct to expose oneself to another? Where is it acceptable to pressure a worker for sex to keep their job or advance their career? Who thinks going to the door and meeting a colleague of the opposite sex in the nude is alright? Who thinks that way?
Politicians (both parties) are guilty of using their power and position for sexual favors and demands. This goes all the way to the top of government, as we learned several administrations ago with President Clinton to Senators and Congressmen today.
Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., announced his resignation in the House of Representatives after a half-century tenure in office. That was the result of days of pressure following multiple allegations of sexual harassment were leveled against him.
He is not alone.
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., announced his resignation yesterday following multiple allegations against him and Ruben Kihuen of Nevada is also under pressure to resign after a former campaign staffer alleged he had sexually harassed her.
Actors are not immune. The liberal Hollywood crowd that screams bloody murder when this type of behavior is unearthed seem to forget to look inward to their own group, starting with Weinstein and trickling all through the Hollywood community, both famous and not so famous.
Television celebrities and network officials from the very heads of the organizations to those in front of the camera are not above this terrible behavior. The common denominator seems to be money and power. With power comes a sense of entitlement, and with enough cash, those egregious actions are paid for, and accusers are bought off.
It is possible not all mentioned are guilty of this type of behavior, and we must be careful to deal with that problem and not destroy someone by getting it wrong.
I for one am glad this is coming to light. It is about time those who abuse their positions, especially when it comes to this behavior, are called to task. The actions we are reading and hearing about are terrible, shocking, and frankly on many occasions, criminal. No one, regardless of wealth, power, or position, should be allowed to get away with this behavior.
Of course, we all have to be careful of sweeping someone up in the dragnet that is happening. It is possible not all mentioned are guilty of this type of behavior, and we must be careful to deal with that problem and not destroy someone by getting it wrong. This is a tightrope that is hard to walk.
The permanent destruction of lives we are watching, on both sides, is frightening. It will change innocent behavior to protective behavior. What am I talking about here?
Unfortunately, it has become the norm, not because I might do something stupid, but I would never want to place myself in a position to ever be accused.
Here is how the recent stories have made differences even in my behavior. The changes are small and simple, but they are something I would have never worried about some years ago. If I go to an elevator and there is a woman in the elevator, alone, I will wait for the next one. I will not talk to a female colleague with a closed door. I do not let my wife go to doctor appointments with a male doctor alone.
This is all protective behavior that has become necessary. Unfortunately, it has become the norm, not because I might do something stupid, but I would never want to place myself in a position to ever be accused.
But how did we get here? One way, and it is a clear example, is turning a blind eye to the behavior and then covering it up. We cannot allow these things to happen, and we owe each other a duty to try to stop it.
Recently, two female members of the House of Representatives, Barbara Comstock, a Republican from Virginia, and Jackie Speier, a Democrat from California, broke the story about a secret fund used to cover up for bad behavior from members of Congress. The news earlier this month revealed that over $17 million had been paid out to congressional employees over the past 20 years to resolve sexual harassment and other discrimination-related issues.
That is taxpayers’ money. Effectively, you and I are paying to cover these misdeeds.
The names of the members of Congress who have been saved by settlements have not been revealed, and even Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has said he doesn’t know the names. In a recent interview, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was asked the following on Laura Ingraham’s show just the other day.
Ingraham had asked McConnell if he was in favor of unmasking the names of the sexual harassers in Congress whose victims have been paid settlements out of a secretive “shush fund.”
Ingraham: “There are a bunch of people whose names are unknown even apparently to the congressman who’s in charge of the committee who’s apparently overseeing the fund.”
McConnell: “Well, Laura, I think my attitude about that is, I want to wait and see what the women of the Senate recommend on that and the other issues we’re talking about.”
Ingraham: “Why just the women of the Senate?”
McConnell: “I think they’re in a very good position to take the lead.”
The Office of Compliance administers the fund. The fund, ironically, was established following passage of the Congressional Accountability Act, which was intended to make workplace-related laws apply to Congress. After the passage of the law, for example, congressional offices had to begin to pay overtime to some staffers if they worked more than eight hours in a day.
But the fund, administered by the Office of Compliance, has had the opposite effect, shielding members of Congress from bad publicity while paying off their accusers with taxpayer money.
This sidestepping answer by Senator Mitch McConnell is precisely why these terrible behaviors have continued.
Politics, big business, news media, the Hollywood establishment, religious organizations, and almost every other entity where this happens seems to have a policy of coverup.
Adding the practice of paying the offender to just go away is unconscionable. In the Bill O’Reilly matter, even though he was forced off the air, for a short time, he was able to retain millions in contract payment. He was paid his multi-million-dollar contract as if he was still working.
Matt Lauer is now doing the same. He is said to be filing for his 20 to 30 million contract payment even though he has been fired for what are, in just about every state, illegal and criminal acts.
Placating the powerful and just moving them on without real repercussions is ludicrous. If we start to prosecute these offenders criminally, maybe some of these “soon to be” inmates will think before they act.
