Sexual predators and the new revolution

I am an unapologetic admirer of the American media, for here the major media houses employ some of the most fearless, independent and determined journalists and give them a free rein and the necessary resources to get to the bottom of matters of public interest, regardless of where the chips fall.

This is not new though for even during the civil rights struggle, I dare say the battle that Martin Luther King Junior and other leaders fought for desegregation and equality, would have been much more difficult and possibly unachievable, had not courageous persons in the media been prepared to join in highlighting the atrocities in the society and fearlessly bringing pressure on reluctant politicians to amend the laws.

I see a similar pattern now emerging in the quest to expose and change the culture concerning the pervasive sexual exploitation of women. This is something which has plagued us women and children from the beginning of time and made our lives a living nightmare. For make no mistake, this is a direct result of patriarchal domination and the religious doctrines developed by men, that determined that women are men's property who were put on earth to look after the home and most importantly, provide pleasure for men.

No women suffered more from this doctrine than imported African slaves who were not only valued as factories for producing an unending supply of workers for the plantations but also, importantly, for the sexual pleasure of their masters and their teenage sons who were supposed to be taught how to enjoy sex, by slave women.

The high percentage of mixed race people in former slave societies is a permanent reminder of those terrible days.

What the American press is beginning to do today as they have done so many times in the past, is to take the lead to bring about a change of culture. Hopefully this will have worldwide implications, for in general, when America leads the world follows.

We therefore cannot allow ourselves to be sidetracked by the loud, perverted voices who want to resist this cultural change. For example, it was shocking to read in the Washington Post that Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox news, an organization where the sexual exploitation of women was apparently accepted as a perk for senior persons and media celebrities for decades, said in a recent interview that the outing of his news organization was largely political because "we are conservative."

This is absolute nonsense as predatory men of all political stripes are being exposed by the media.

On another plain, we have other apologists who are seeking to cloud the issues by putting flirting, sexual harassment at the workplace, adultery between consulting adults, rape and pedophilia all into one barrel. For example, I was horrified to hear people who should know better, trying to downplay the despicable actions of an alleged pedophile running for the senate in Alabama, by categorizing him as a sexual harasser. Pedophiles are the very lowest of sexual predators and I totally agree with Ivanka Trump that "there is a special place in hell for men who abuse children."

I have also heard others trying to resurrect Bill Clinton's confessed adultery, an immoral but non-criminal act, and comparing it to that of the current president who has openly boasted about groping women an action confirmed by some fifteen women have come forward to affirm that they have actually been his victims.

While every type of sex crime is serious and deserves in-depth investigation, persecution and criminal penalties where possible, every incident has to be dealt with on its own merit.

The current attack on predatory behavior by men who stymie the progress of ambitious women, causing mental trauma and destroying lives forever, may have elicited concerted and  perverse attempts to downplay this real problem and provide cover for those who have committed these harmful sex crimes no matter how long ago but I reiterate, this should not be allowed to succeed or detract from the issue.

Among the strategies I see at play by some persons seeking to derail the movement to expose powerful men who previously used their money, dominance in their organizations and even the media, to attack and destroy their victims is to belligerently denigrate the valiant women who had to suffer in silence for even decades. An even more pernicious strategy is to try and even paint the independent press as purveyors of fake news and go as far as to try to set them up by having them publish false claims as was exposed recently when Jaime D. Phillips from Stanford, Connecticut approached the Washington Post with a false accusation that she had been raped by Senate candidate Roy Moore. 

However, the American press is proving itself to be far too sophisticated and resilient to be taken in by such devious ruses devised by deplorable people but we still need to stand firm and support them.

We women have to be careful however not to jump to the conclusion that most men or all men are sexual predators, for those now being accused, though popular and powerful, are just a small fraction of the total number of men who hold similar positions in the society. 

What distinguishes perverts from the decent men in positions of authority, is their penchant to abuse power, something most powerful men never do. I therefore disagree with those who declare that one solution simply lies in more women being elevated to senior positions.

Of course, I am all for women who wish to do so, to become managers based on their ability, but women can also abuse power and have been exposed for doing so, therefore that cannot be considered the solution.

We must instead salute the good journalists, many of whom are men, who seek out and work with the victims to bring irrefutable evidence to expose that small minority of even some of their most popular and powerful colleagues, Hollywood celebrities, media bosses and importantly too, the organizations that shielded them over the years. 

By encouraging and allowing the brave women to share their stories, the media has put a roller coaster into motion that is unstoppable because the predatory men now have to pay a real price, not only in terms of being named and shamed but also, because the society is evolving culturally and they are losing their livelihood and positions of power. Yes, many will miss facing criminal consequences because their crimes were committed decades ago and are not prosecutable because of the statute of limitations, but at least now they are paying a real price with their pockets, careers and reputation, for past misdeeds.

Another nudge in the right direction came via a report in the New York Times of December 16^th, which revealed that Senator Robert Mendez proposed an amendment to the tax bill to the effect that any settlement, payout or lawyer’s fees related to sexual harassment or sexual abuse could not be deducted as a business expense if such payments were subject to a nondisclosure agreement.

This may not be a revolutionary amendment but at least it is a good step in the right direction considering that in the past, even taxpayers had to pay hush money for predatory congressmen.

Yes, this cultural revolution is no “nine-day wonder” but the beginning of necessary change, in attitudes in the USA.

However, despite what appears to be rapid progress because there are almost daily reports of the unmasking of new, powerful perpetrators, unfortunately this is a revolution which will take decades before it is totally effective in all sections of the society. For while high-profile white-collar female workers in top professions now have a voice, it will probably take decades before women in lower paying and menial jobs will have the confidence to come forward in numbers to expose their exploiters. For in many instances, in their field of work, there are numerous takers for their jobs and most times they are the sole bread winners in their families or may often be insecure in their immigration status.

As we start on this long journey however, a method has to be found to shine the searchlight on their plight too and that of the twenty to thirty-six million sex slaves (it is estimated) living in hell today throughout the world.

This is an awesome task but every journey begins with the first step so hopefully this cultural revolution will continue to shine in every dark corner throughout the world until all women are free.