Guilty until proven innocent!? Really!? Are we losing all perspective?!
How about "Due Process for a Man Accused of Sexual Harassment"? THAT is the potential title of Al Franken's new book which can tell the story of each of the women who accused him of sexual harassment, and being a boorish celebrity.
The story can be edited by Kate Harding [Kate's article is below suggesting Al do a tour across the nation, like walk of shame stuff] unveiled openly, transparently, freely, and without any harm to anyone, in every detail possible.
Al Franken's book can help America, men and women, boys and girls, with the purpose of helping everyone recognize sexual embarrassment, molestation, predation, assault, and outright rape, as distinguished from stupid, boorish, childish, misogynist pranks of a high school level offense.
High school boys snapping bra straps is ugly and offensive, we did it in high school. But snapping bras is not a crime compared to bullying a boy or girl to suicide!
There are levels of stupid which eventually rise to crimes.
Not appropriate, and definitely a stupid, high school boy kind of joke; high-school silly. BUT, obviously, since he had a picture taken he did not "grab 'em by the pussy." This act was degrading and indicative of Franken as a comedian on tour before he became a Senator. People change and maybe today's Al Franken might help women's cause, especially if he was allowed DUE PROCESS.
You know, it is ironic that women who do not wish to be treated in an "unfair, arbitrary, or unreasonable" manner are so easily led to that behavior, treating men accused of molesting women that exact way.
"due proc·ess
d(y)o͞o prəˈses/
noun
noun: due process; noun: due process of law
fair treatment through the normal judicial system, especially as a citizen's entitlement."
Lots of due process explained in these links:
"Definition of due process
1 : a course of formal proceedings (such as legal proceedings) carried out regularly and in accordance with established rules and principles — called also procedural due process
2 : a judicial requirement that enacted laws may not contain provisions that result in the unfair, arbitrary, or unreasonable treatment of an individual — called also substantive due process "
Now for TRUMP: ADMITTING HE grabbed women by the pussy, accusers stating he putting his hand up skirts, THAT IS TRUMP'S THING, AND PUSSY GRABBING IS WORSE!
There is a continuum of crime in ever court, every case, so where was the due process to determine what degree/level of "bad" Franken committed?
"‘We’re losing the war for truth’: Franken denounces Trump, GOP in final floor speech"
By Elise Viebeck By Elise Viebeck December 21, 2017
"The speech put to rest questions about whether Franken (D-Minn.) would follow through on his promise to resign over more than a half-dozen allegations that he had touched women inappropriately."
Now to the point . . .
"“As I leave the Senate, I have to admit that it feels like we’re losing the war for truth,” Franken said in his final speech on the Senate floor. “Maybe it’s already lost. If that’s what happens, then we have lost the ability to have the kinds of arguments that help build consensus.”"
"With several references to Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), a political mentor who died in 2002, Franken said the Trump administration and the Republican Party have “eviscerated” policies designed to protect racial minorities, women and LGBT people, among other vulnerable groups."
"“The policies pursued by the Trump administration and congressional Republicans today could not stand in starker contrast to the values Paul championed,” Franken said. “The values propelling the Republican agenda today are about consolidating political and economic power in the hands of corporations and the very wealthy.”"
Al Franken was not offered due process so we may never kno if his various accusers had any credible facts or proof he did harm to them. That is wrong. Due process is the process used in American justice to learn an accused crime, or if they are innocent, or if there is something in between.
"I’m a feminist. I study rape culture. And I don’t want Al Franken to resign."
by Kate Harding [Spoiler alert: Katy wants a Walk of Shame kind of thing for Al.]
Kate Harding is co-editor of "Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America" and co-host of the podcast Feminasty.
". . . if we set this precedent in the interest of demonstrating our party’s solidarity with harassed and abused women, we’re only going to drain the swamp of people who, however flawed, still regularly vote to protect women’s rights and freedoms. The legislative branch will remain chockablock with old, white Republican men who regard women chiefly as sex objects and unpaid housekeepers, and we’ll show them how staunchly Democrats oppose their misogynistic attitudes by handing them more power.
Isn’t that hypocritical? I hear you asking, Because Republicans won’t do the right thing, we shouldn’t, either? But if the short-term “right thing” leads to long-term political catastrophe for American women, I think we need to reconsider our definition of the right thing. I am in no way suggesting that we decline to hold Franken accountable for his offenses — only that we think in terms of consequences that might actually improve womenj’s lives going forward.
For example, if Franken genuinely wishes to be an ally to women, as he claimed in an expanded statement Thursday, here’s what I would like to see him do. First, cooperate fully with an ethics investigation, as promised. Second, declare as soon as possible that he will not run again in 2020, so other Democratic candidates for that seat have plenty of time to prepare their campaigns. Third, go on a listening tour to learn what the women of Minnesota — Native American women, Somali women, Hmong women, Karen women, disabled women, queer women, working-class women — most want him to fight for in his remaining time, and go to the mat for their needs. Accept that some women will not want to talk to him at all, or will only want to yell at him for being a pig. Go anyway.
WRITE THE BOOK AL. Kate Hardding wants you to expose more "bad guys" and suffer a bit, while helping the cause. I suggest you conduct interviews of any willing accusers and complete the due process, document it in a book, THEN go on a tour . . . .
