Judging motives

It is hard to imagine that sexual harassment would be condoned by anyone. A survey of this country would surely show that every American disapproves of it, no matter its severity.

Being disturbed by it, at one time, would have been universal. Such an emotion would never have been questioned.

Yet, now, the universality of this is in doubt.

With the current overwhelming number of charges of sexual harassment being leveled against celebrities and politicians, a new attitude has been exposed.

A few cases are clear. The allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, accused of chronic sexual predation, have caused him to be pilloried. Too many women were afraid of confronting the situation and too many men apparently looked the other way.

Beyond this, the lines of disgust seem less clear.

Senator Roy Moore, up for election in Alabama, has been declared unfit for office by many in his party, yet an army of supporters call the decades long accusations patently false.

It is just dirty politics, they say, or fake news.

Senator Al Franken has even been photographed acting inappropriately.

He has apologized for his behavior.

Very few calls for his resignation have been made.

Congressman John Conyers has stepped down from a prestigious committee chairmanship.

Reportedly the House black caucus may be trying to get him to resign but hopes to keep from destroying his reputation in light of his years of service.

Responding to the allegations against him, Nancy Pelosi called him an “icon.”

The response to the plethora of charges against so many men has varied. In many cases, it depends on politics. For instance, President Donald Trump has endorsed Moore, apparently seeing the retention of a Republican in the Senate as more important than the accusations. The president himself has faced accusations of sexual improprieties. Still, he was elected president.

At this point, the accusations are just that. Little concrete proof has been provided. In fact, an accusation against Moore was proven patently false by the Washington Post.

One similarity in these situations surrounding men in public office is that accusations of sexual misconduct can become secondary.

Principles, morality ethics and common decently take a backseat to other considerations.

The worst kind of politics is at play.

It is situational ethics. In part, accusations are being judged by who the alleged perpetrator is. The men and the women in these cases need to judged based on facts, not on which party they belong to.

Facts will come out. The truth will be known. Sexual harassment will be punished as it should be, but this is a time for all Americans to look inwardly and determine their motives. The new awareness that we are living in a culture of sexual harassment is a positive and good thing. Using that awareness for political motives is not.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher