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Tuesday Open Thread

I've got clients this afternoon, the jail tomorrow and court on Friday-- then some Xmas shopping.

I'll be online periodically, but for right now, it's time for a new open thread, all topics welcome.

On T.J. Miller, I'm on his side. I've known him since he was 5 years old. I drove him to school for many years on my carpool days. He's always been friends with the TL kid. His parents are the most gracious, generous couple with a beautiful home they always opened up on holidays for parties for the entire class or group. The alleged incident is totally out of character for the T.J. I knew.

Here's TJ and his wife Kate's statement. [More...]

We met this woman over a decade ago while studying together in college, she attempted to break us up back then by plotting for over a year before making contradictory claims and accusations. She attempted to discredit both of our voices and use us against one another by trying to portray Kate to be a continuous abuse victim of T.J. (further efforts to hurt the two of us). She was asked to leave our university comedy group because of worrisome and disturbing behavior, which angered her immensely, she then became fixated on our relationship, and began telling people around campus “I’m going to destroy them” & “I’m going to ruin him.”

We are confident that a full consideration of accounts from and since that time will shed light and clarity on the true nature of not only this person’s character, and also on the real facts of the matter.

We stand together in stating this is nothing more than an unfortunate resurgence of her lies designed to wreak havoc on two happily married people in the public eye.

She began again to circulate rumors online once our relationship became public.

Sadly she is now using the current climate to bandwagon and launch these false accusations again. It is unfortunate that she is choosing this route as it undermines the important movement to make women feel safe coming forward about legitimate claims against real known predators.

We stand together and will not allow this person to take advantage of a serious movement toward gender equality by allowing her to use this moment to muddy the water with an unrelated personal agenda. We feel we all have an obligation now more than ever to prevent people from using reporters to spin lies into headlines, and focus instead on what is real.

We both champion and continue to stand up for people everywhere who have truly suffered injustice seeking to have justice brought into their lives.

The alleged incident occurred in 2001 -- 16 years ago. It was addressed by the school in 2003, there was a hearing with witnesses, the result is not public, and TJ graduated. During the past 16 years, no other woman has publicly accused him of acting inappropriately towards them.

Again, this is an open thread, all topics welcome. But please remember I have a long-standing policy of not allowing readers to criticize or make accusations against my friends, and while I haven't seen TJ in several years, the TL kid has, and I still consider him a friend. As such, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence in the TalkLeft court of public opinion.

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  • Display: Sort:
    I've been taught (5.00 / 3) (#20)
    by CST on Wed Dec 20, 2017 at 08:07:54 AM EST
    Never to speak ill of the dead.

    On that note, Cardinal Law is dead.

    In this case (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by Repack Rider on Thu Dec 21, 2017 at 12:06:46 PM EST
    ...God grants an exception.

    Have at him.

    Parent

    I don't believe in God (none / 0) (#45)
    by CST on Fri Dec 22, 2017 at 01:11:47 PM EST
    But sometimes I hope there's a devil.

    Parent
    It's a helluva thing the he could attain the near-pinnacle of his calling, only to then fail so miserably in his leadership due to some appallingly bad policy decisions on his part, which he further compounded with his subsequent attempts at cover-up. Speaking for myself only as one of the Catholic faithful, the Holy Mother Church has yet to reckon fully with the extensive damage and harm caused by those who abused our trust by misusing their power and authority.

    Parent
    I would think the near-pinnacle (none / 0) (#52)
    by jondee on Sat Dec 23, 2017 at 03:27:53 PM EST
    of his calling would be embodying humility and love, wherever one happens to find oneself in the chain of command.

    Parent
    Cardinal Law's Humility (none / 0) (#53)
    by Repack Rider on Sat Dec 23, 2017 at 05:52:45 PM EST
    ...was like Trump's humility.  They use the same Humility Vendor.

    The Cardinal sported beautifully constructed humility, made with the finest imported materials and quality workmanship, and blessed by the Pope Himself.  

    The Cardinal's humility makes your pathetic, loser humility look like something found in the gutter after a storm.

    Parent

    I was referencing Law professionally. (none / 0) (#55)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Dec 23, 2017 at 08:12:08 PM EST
    I'm really not qualified to speculate about his individual morals and what was actually in his heart, when he made the decision to not report offending priests to law enforcement authorities.

    I would only note here that Law was not the only cardinal or bishop who did that. Our own Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles stands equally disgraced before the American faithful and the general public.

    Suffice to say that while Cardinal Law may have meant well in seeking to shield the interests of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Roman Catholic Church, as the old adage goes, the road to Hell is often paved with good intentions.

    These multiple attempts at covering up all these criminal assaults over the many decades are first and foremost representative of the Church's failure as an institution. Cardinals Law and Mahoney are merely symptoms of a greater rot that afflicts the Church.

    Personally, I believe that Pope Francis recognizes this problem and is really trying to address and remedy it. But he's clearly facing a lot of resistance from conservative circles within the U.S. Catholic Church who likely think that due to the pope's relatively advanced age of 81, they can effectively run out the clock on him.

    That would be a huge mistake, in my estimation, and would inflict far more damage to the Church over the long term, than would any formal admission of guilt and request for forgiveness by Pope Francis on its behalf.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Happy Solstice... (5.00 / 2) (#26)
    by desertswine on Thu Dec 21, 2017 at 10:53:23 AM EST
    It's all turning around now.

    : VIVA UNITED NATIONS (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 21, 2017 at 11:05:01 AM EST
    fu@k you Nikki and the Cheeto horse you rode in on.

    Seriously

    This is a big deal

    Proof (none / 0) (#32)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Dec 21, 2017 at 07:18:10 PM EST
    everything Cheeto touches turns to crap.

    Parent
    This is a joke, do not panic (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by Repack Rider on Thu Dec 21, 2017 at 05:01:37 PM EST
    I sent five dollars to a website for information on how to make money on the Internet.

    I got a postcard back.  It said, "Fleece the rubes."

    We're off to Honolulu tonight. (5.00 / 1) (#33)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Dec 21, 2017 at 07:53:10 PM EST
    Our son-in-law called earlier this afternoon to tell us that Elder Daughter's baby is in a breach position with no sign that he'll turn, so she's scheduled to undergo a C-section tomorrow morning, about three weeks earlier than her stated due date.

    He also told us that it's a boy, and he's estimated to already be about nine pounds, so he's practically full-term anyway. The doctor said that other than the breach position, both mother and son are in fine health, and they're undergoing this procedure now to avoid complications. But he's asked us if we could babysit our two-year-old grandson, since the little guy can't accompany his parents to the hospital for obvious reasons.

    So, it'll be an exciting day, as we welcome our second grandchild into the world. He's arriving a little earlier than we expected, to be sure, but we're looking at the event as an unexpected Christmas present. We were actually supposed to leave for L.A. tomorrow night, but have now postponed our departure until Dec. 30.

    Aloha.

    Exciting news, Donald! (none / 0) (#35)
    by Anne on Thu Dec 21, 2017 at 08:29:34 PM EST
    Close to Christmas, but not on the big day - and early enough for that extra tax deduction!  

    In the midst of all the craziness of our own Christmas prep, I have to keep reminding myself that our nest-to-youngest grandson will be two ON Christmas Day!  So easy for it to get lost in that shuffle.  His "big" party won't be until after the New Year, but we'll do a little cake Christmas afternoon.  And tell - as we will probably do every year - the story of our wild Christmas when he made his appearance.  Including my husband asking our daughter if they'd considered naming him "Jesus."  Not a serious question, but you'd have to know my husband's twisted sense of humor...

    He's still too young to have a clue what's going on - birthday or Christmas - but I think this will be the last birthday that will be the case.

    I'm sure all will go well for your daughter and her baby, but I will keep them in my thoughts and look forward to your happy recap!

    Merriest of Christmases to you, Donald...

    Parent

    I actually (5.00 / 1) (#36)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Dec 21, 2017 at 09:35:19 PM EST
    remember you telling us about him being born and how crazy it was. Exciting times for you and your family I'm sure!

    Parent
    UPDATE: Mother and son are doing well. (5.00 / 4) (#51)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Dec 23, 2017 at 01:38:51 PM EST
    The C-section went smoothly, and Elder Daughter says that she feels fine. Baby weighs in at 8 lbs., 4 oz. and has a rather surprising amount of dark black hair on his head, same color as his grandmother's. His eyes were closed all day yesterday, but they're wide open today. If all goes well with doctors' check-ups, they'll be home tomorrow for Christmas Eve.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Mazel tov, Donald. (none / 0) (#57)
    by caseyOR on Sat Dec 23, 2017 at 09:20:24 PM EST
    What a wonderful Christmas gift, a new baby. Glad to hear mother and baby doing okay.

    Parent
    Thank you. (none / 0) (#60)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Dec 23, 2017 at 09:57:58 PM EST
    It's certainly been an eventful week, with lots of good things happening. Just got off the phone with our younger daughter, who is at my mother's in Pasadena, CA -- you know, where we were supposed to be before circumstances intervened. They just got back from dinner, and her cousins are coming to pick her up for a night on the town.

    Parent
    Thank you, Anne. (none / 0) (#44)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Dec 22, 2017 at 12:24:05 PM EST
    And the happiest of Christmases to you and yours, too. Our new grandson is due to be delivered sometime this morning between 9:00-9:30 a.m. HST. As for our daughter, she just really wants it over with, as she's been pretty uncomfortable this past month.

    Who knows how big her son would've gotten in these final weeks, had he gone to full term. Her first child checked in at over 11 lbs. at birth and had to be delivered by C-section, as well. My daughter's my height at 6 feet tall, so she's not a small woman, and I guess she's just destined to have big babies.

    The doctor fully expects mother and son to be home by Christmas Eve, assuming that there's no complications. We'll stay the week over here in Honolulu, and then her mother-in-law is arriving from New York on Thursday to assist her while she recovers her sea legs. If this is anything like last time, she'll be exhausted.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    UPDATE No. 2: Home tomorrow. (none / 0) (#58)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Dec 23, 2017 at 09:40:48 PM EST
    Here on Oahu, it's been a beautiful day, if a little on the brisk and cool side. And because his mother said we could, we're taking Older Grandson out to get some frozen strawberry yogurt, his favorite. He had somewhat of a rough time emotionally yesterday and last night without his Mama around, which was the first they've been separated for any real length of time.

    (Well, okay, I'll admit it, he looked for her around the house several times yesterday and had more than a few bouts of tears, before throwing a major league tantrum last night when she wasn't around to put him to bed. And because Gaga and Pop-Pop were evidently a very sorry substitute for maternal reassurance, he wound up crying himself to sleep, and then woke up twice during the night to yell for her. How did I miss that chapter in The Grandparent's Manual?)

    But he seems much better today after we went to the hospital this morning, and Mama came out to the waiting room to see and hold him for a little while. Tomorrow, he'll meet his new baby brother.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    It's such a helpless feeling to so want (none / 0) (#61)
    by Anne on Sat Dec 23, 2017 at 10:04:09 PM EST
    to comfort these little ones, and somehow not be able to.

    But it's hard to be two, or three and be facing and dealing with the emotional equivalent of scrambled eggs...Mommy's not around, there's this new little person everyone's all gaga over, "what's a hospital - I don't like it," the routine that makes them feel safe is out the window, and when is it going to be like it used to?  I'd act out too!

    When things are spinning sideways, "this too shall pass" is a great mantra, and remembering to breathe helps, too!

    Parent

    That's for sure. (none / 0) (#64)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Dec 24, 2017 at 02:52:34 PM EST
    He was really much better last night. Plus, Daddy came home and spent the night, so he wasn't so much unhappy any more as he was resigned to the present situation. I think taking him to the hospital yesterday to see Mama made a big difference. He seems to understand now that she's coming back to him -- which will actually be in about two hours or thereabouts.

    Merry Christmas, Anne.

    Parent

    I can't believe all the (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Dec 22, 2017 at 10:15:05 AM EST
    "2017 AS IT HAPPENED" things.

    I know it's standard end o the year but, really, does ANYone want to relive this year?

    Got all my Xmas shopping done.  Ordered a half a dozen of those "to fat to put on your socks" things and a case of Jack Daniels

    I sure (none / 0) (#46)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Dec 22, 2017 at 02:25:25 PM EST
    don't want to relive one minute of this past year and I'm getting up there in years.

    Parent
    THE LAST JEDI (5.00 / 1) (#41)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Dec 22, 2017 at 10:25:51 AM EST
    OH my god

    I am firmly in the "best one EVAH" camp.

    I guess (5.00 / 1) (#43)
    by Repack Rider on Fri Dec 22, 2017 at 12:12:46 PM EST
    ...that makes Somalia and Afghanistan the most crime free zones on earth.

    Travel Ban 3.0 bites the dust, too (5.00 / 2) (#47)
    by Peter G on Fri Dec 22, 2017 at 09:09:45 PM EST
    According to Friday's opinion from the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

    Meanwhile, in the land of reality ... (5.00 / 1) (#49)
    by Yman on Fri Dec 22, 2017 at 09:14:29 PM EST
    It's snowing ! (5.00 / 2) (#62)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Dec 24, 2017 at 08:14:46 AM EST
    Merry Christmas!

    Snow for you Howdy but, (none / 0) (#65)
    by fishcamp on Sun Dec 24, 2017 at 04:27:05 PM EST
    it's 80 degrees here.  Merry Christmas.  🌴

    Parent
    Hey, fish, Merry Christmas! (none / 0) (#66)
    by caseyOR on Sun Dec 24, 2017 at 05:59:36 PM EST
    How goes the hurricane recovery? Your house? Your boat? Your town?

    Please tell me the Keys are doing better than Puerto Rico.

    Parent

    With no opinion one way or the other, (3.50 / 2) (#4)
    by Anne on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 01:15:18 PM EST
    as to TJ Miller, I'm not sure how much stock we can put in our own positive interactions and associations with those accused of misconduct/abuse/harassment.

    I'm also not sure what having wonderful parents has to do with anything.  We all know people who had terrible parents, who turned out well - just as we know people who didn't who had wonderful parents.  

    And I think, too, that what we all see from the outside isn't always representative of what's happening behind closed doors.

    I think about the legions of women who have been subjected to domestic abuse by husbands/partners who were universally well-regarded and -liked in the community, who, because the abuse occurred when no one else witnessed it, had to suffer the additional indignity of going up against a wall of "that's not the person I knew - he's always been wonderful."

    That's one of the most insidious elements of these situations, and why a lot of women don't report, out of fear that no one will believe that the Nice Guy could possibly have been violent or abusive in any way.

    And yet, we see it over and over again.  

    And when there is a single (none / 0) (#7)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 02:07:00 PM EST
    person accusing someone of inappropriate conduct occurring almost 20 years ago, and no one else has made such a claim against that person, I think the presumption of innocence is appropriate before the accused loses his career.

    Parent
    Clarence Thomas (1.50 / 2) (#8)
    by thomas rogan on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 02:20:22 PM EST
    No one in the universe but Anita Hill said that Clarence Thomas made dirty jokes to or sexually harassed them, and certainly he never allegedly hit her.  Yet people wanted and still want his career to end.  


    Parent
    Another who resides (5.00 / 3) (#14)
    by KeysDan on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 03:11:03 PM EST
    in the universe who made allegations at the time of the hearings, was Angela Wright; and a 1999 incident reported in 2016 by Moira Smith.

    Parent
    Oh, no (5.00 / 6) (#15)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 03:38:17 PM EST
    there were many more with Clarence Thomas. There even was a new one last year that came forward. Just because Anita Hill was the only one allowed to speak doesn't mean there were not others.

    Parent
    What "universe" are you in? (5.00 / 7) (#16)
    by Yman on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 05:09:27 PM EST
    Moira Smith, Angela Wright, Sukari Hardnett ...

    Parent
    Protective order dismissed against (none / 0) (#1)
    by McBain on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 11:57:23 AM EST
    Rodney Anderson.
    Anderson was accused of sexual assault by Courtney Thornton but prosecutors had their doubts about the allegation.
    Prosecutors explained Thornton never told Anderson no after they had engaged in consensual sexual activity and she had called a friend while in the bathroom to tell the friend she was excited Anderson was at her place.

    According to the article, Thornton was trying to use the allegation to further her career.
    One friend told police Thornton had said "this would be a `great thing' for her political career following the Air Force," The Oklahoman has learned. The friend told police Thornton had said "female-empowered political organizations would love something like this."



    Clearly (5.00 / 3) (#2)
    by Repack Rider on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 12:35:10 PM EST
    ...you find this interesting enough to post here.

    Can you explain why you find it interesting?

    Parent

    This is big news (1.00 / 2) (#6)
    by McBain on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 01:59:36 PM EST
    If it's true she made the allegation to help her political career, it adds to the growing suspicion of recent high profile allegations.

    It's open season on the rich and famous and many don't seen to care about any kind of due process in the court of public opinion.    

    Parent

    I bet you can't name one single person (5.00 / 3) (#10)
    by CST on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 02:33:15 PM EST
    Who has ever successfully launched a political career over harassment/assault allegations.

    All this says is that one woman is a g*d d*mn moron.  She's much more likely to get blacklisted like Lauren Grant, or Mira Sorvino.

    Follow up question, do you think the existence of high-profile sexual assault cases adds to the growing suspicion that all men in power are perverts?  If not, please explain how you can extrapolate this one person's behavior to all others that are potentially in that position, but you do not do the same for the people being accused.

    Parent

    Please expand on what (5.00 / 3) (#11)
    by Anne on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 02:40:52 PM EST
    "due process in the court of public opinion" is.

    So you say, "what if it's true?"  And I respond with "what if it isn't?"  Then what?  Does that mean that perhaps it really isn't open season on the rich and famous?

    So, maybe what it comes down to, after all, is that the dam has broken, the wall of silent acceptance is coming down.

    I'm really sorry that this makes you feel like there's some kind of persecution thing going on, but if you'd ever gather a cross-section of ordinary women and ask them, I'd be willing to bet that most of them have had an experience, have been harassed to some degree or another, have been made to feel uncomfortable and trapped between saying something and maybe losing their job, or saying nothing and putting up with it.

    Do you think the many women here who've related their own experiences are not representative of what's been going on out there in the larger world?  Are we an exception?  More important - do you believe us?

    Parent

    Believe what exactly? (1.00 / 1) (#24)
    by McBain on Wed Dec 20, 2017 at 03:42:02 PM EST
    You and others in here are telling the truth about your experiences?  I have no idea and I'm not really interested in that kind of discussion. Unless you've been harassed by one of the politicians/executives/celebrities who's cases we've been discussing, your experiences aren't very relevant to what I'm talking about.

    My post that you responded to was specifically about a woman who might have made a false allegation to help her career.  When you look at that along with the "clients" of Gloria Allred and Lisa Bloom, you can see a potential credibility crisis.  

    It appears people aren't just making accusations to seek justice, they're out to benefit in other ways... financially, gain publicity, and who knows what else. This is why I said it's open season.

     

    Parent

    So...you are only interested in (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by Anne on Wed Dec 20, 2017 at 04:13:33 PM EST
    the sordid details of famous people's lives?

    I'm afraid to ask what the difference is between a "client" and a client.  

    Yeesh.

    Parent

    The only person with a ... (none / 0) (#48)
    by Yman on Fri Dec 22, 2017 at 09:10:17 PM EST
    ... "credibility crisis" is a man who is obsessed with two female lawyers whose credibility is several orders of magnitude higher than his own and who doesn't understand that the female clients of Bloom and Alred are, in reality, clients (no quotation marks needed).

    Parent
    "Growing suspicion" - heh (5.00 / 4) (#17)
    by Yman on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 05:15:35 PM EST
    It's open season on the rich and famous and many don't seen to care about any kind of due process in the court of public opinion.

    It's open season on the victims of sexual harassment/abuse and someone doesn't seem to care about any kind of due process in the court of public opinion for them, but simply prefers to smear all victims (including those joined by many other women) by pointing to a weak accusation and generalizing.

    Fixed that for ya ...

    Parent

    This guy got due process (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by Repack Rider on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 11:24:04 PM EST
    Because he was a politician.

    Referred to the criminal court (not public opinion) by the judge. Sexual assault charges on top of the civil.

    Bummer.  Apparently she wasn't lying.

    Parent

    no one here (none / 0) (#9)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 02:31:55 PM EST
    has to justify to another reader why they post something. If you aren't interested in it, just scroll on by

    Parent
    No they don't (3.67 / 3) (#18)
    by Repack Rider on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 10:59:27 PM EST
    Which means they are under no obligation to answer the question, which was rhetorical anyway. I knew it would not be answered.

    Fifth Amendment doesn't say you can't be asked, it just says you don't have to answer.

    A rhetorical question does not push a forum boundary. It started a conversation, and that is the reason one poses rhetorical questions.

    Parent

    Why is it whenever there is a false allegation (none / 0) (#12)
    by McBain on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 02:53:05 PM EST
    of sexual assault, the first thing we're supposed to do is talk about how it will make things worse for the real victims.  Shouldn't the immediate focus be to clear the name of the falsely accused and punish the accuser?

    We saw this in the Duke Lacrosse fiasco. Everyone was apologizing to future rape victims we didn't even know of yet.  The false accuser in that case, Crystal Mangum, never faced any significant punishment for her lies. She was later convicted of second degree murder for stabbing her boyfriend to death.  Perhaps, jail time for the false claim would have prevented the murder.

    Until, false allegations are properly dealt with were going to continue to see more nonsense.  

     

    maybe if you weren't (5.00 / 4) (#13)
    by CST on Tue Dec 19, 2017 at 02:58:15 PM EST
    talking about how this should make things worse for other accusers we wouldn't be talking about that.

    Parent
    It may surprise you to know that (5.00 / 2) (#21)
    by Anne on Wed Dec 20, 2017 at 09:43:14 AM EST
    it's possible to have concerns on more than one track: one can acknowledge that false accusations make it harder for women to be believed, or to even decide to report in the first place, and one can also acknowledge that false accusations damage the accused.

    I can't tell you why women make false accusations.  Maybe they are embarrassed or don't remember or are looking for revenge for one thing or another.  Doesn't matter: it's wrong to do it.  And the fact that there may be a long time between the accusation and the conclusion that there is no truth to it means a lot of damage can be done to someone's name and reputation that can linger long after being exonerated.  

    Neither of these things are small.  And it's no small thing to be forever known as the woman who made a false accusation that damaged an innocent person's reputation and likely cost that person a lot of money defending.  I'm assuming there are civil remedies - not sure about criminal ones.

    What I guess I'm not clear on is who you think is supposed to be making a falsely accused person a priority - are you talking about the media?  The justice system?  The public?


    Parent

    (Sigh!) What I told you two weeks ago ... (5.00 / 5) (#22)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Dec 20, 2017 at 03:01:32 PM EST
    ... obviously bears repeating, since you keep intimating that men are somehow besieged by a plague of false sexual assault allegations:

    "While such instances of false rape accusations are often dramatic and widely publicized, ... they are also quite rare given the overall numbers of actual assaults, and are clearly the exception and not the general rule."

    "Someone here please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that less than 40% of sexual assaults ever get reported to the authorities, and very few official complaints ever result in a conviction. In the majority of instances, the victim of sexual assault or abuse knows her (or his) assailant personally as either a family member, friend, boss or acquaintance."

    "Contrary to what some would have us believe, not every rape accusation is a potential Massie Affair or Duke Lacrosse case waiting to happen. And from my perspective, treating these accusations as such does a huge disservice to very real victims, by contributing mightily to a false public stigma about sexual assault in which women are somehow 'asking for it' and invariably deemed responsible for their own misfortune. Not surprisingly, this serves only to discourage those victims from ever coming forward in the first place."

    So, here are the facts. With regards to the actual prevalence of false rape allegations, various reports place such instances at anywhere between 2% and 10%. For example, a 2009 study of eight U.S. communities commissioned by the National District Attorneys Association, which surveyed 2,059 cases of sexual assault, found a 7.1% rate of false reports.

    Again, that means false allegations are the exception and not the rule. As such, they ought to be properly understood, analyzed and disussed within the overall context of the issue of sexual abuse and assault. Per the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 91% of the victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and 9% are male. 1 in 5 women, and 1 in 71 men, will be raped at some point in their lives. And 1 in 5 women, and 1 in 16 men, are sexually assaulted while in college.

    Further, it's estimated that at the very most, only 37% of all sexual assaults are actually reported by victims to the police. And among college students, it's even worse; more than 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault. Due in part to such low reporting rates, only 9% of all sexual assault cases ever get prosecuted, and only 5% lead to a felony conviction. Not surprisingly, only 3% of all sexual assailants will ever spend a day in prison; the other 97% walk free amongst us.

    Survivors often fail to report sexual assault to the criminal justice system for a variety of reasons, which include a very real fear of reprisal, the not-unfounded belief that they'll be re-victimized by the criminal justice system and its processes, and the sad fact that a significant majority of victims know their assailants personally. Some victims find that the services provided by rape crisis centers or similar providers are the only services they feel comfortable pursuing.

    For those cases of sexual abuse and / or assault committed against a minor child, the statistics are particularly grim, and often render our society's stated desires regarding the protection of children as well-meaning but pretentious. One in four girls, and one in six boys, are sexually abused and / or assaulted before they reach 18 years of age. 96% of sexual assailants who prey upon children are male, 77% are adults, and 34% are family members. Yet only 12% of all instances of child sexual abuse and assault are ever reported to the authorities.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Despite no evidence Mery Streep had anything (none / 0) (#23)
    by McBain on Wed Dec 20, 2017 at 03:22:27 PM EST
    to do with sexual harassment in Hollywood, anti-Streep "#SheKnew" posters  have been put up in Los Angeles.
    On Wednesday, CBS Los Angeles shared footage of posters showing a photo of Meryl Streep with Harvey Weinstein, emblazoned with the text #SheKnew, near the SAG-AFTRA building in L.A. The posters also showed up in several other places around the city, and appear to have been installed before sunrise Wednesday morning.

    The posters follow McGowan's tweets this weekend calling out Streep for her professional relationship with Weinstein, and imply the Oscar-winner actress knew about Weinstein's alleged predatory behavior.

    I don't know who actually put up these stupid posters but it's drawing more attention to just how crazy and unhinged Rose McGowan looks right now. She's picking fights with anyone who doesn't support her angry cause 100%.  

    In a tweet that appears to have been taken down, McGowan wrote that "actresses, like Meryl Streep, who happily worked for The Pig Monster, are wearing black @GoldenGlobes in a silent protest. YOUR SILENCE is THE problem. You'll accept a fake award breathlessly & affect no real change. I despise your hypocrisy. Maybe you should all wear Marchesa."

    Streep denies knowing about any Weinstein sex related crimes.

    Street artist, Sabo, takes credit (none / 0) (#63)
    by McBain on Sun Dec 24, 2017 at 11:54:39 AM EST
    for the Steep posters
    The right-wing artist, Sabo, unmasked himself to The Guardian, explaining that a collaborator suggested they create a campaign against The Post, because it was being "used as a platform" to criticize the current president. "We wanted to take a swipe back," Sabo said, failing to explain why he did not attack any of Streep's collaborators on the film as well.

    I prefer the one he did of Ted Cruz


    Parent

    US life expectancy decreases - again. (none / 0) (#28)
    by desertswine on Thu Dec 21, 2017 at 11:47:50 AM EST
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reported that the life expectancy in the U.S. decreased in 2016 for the second year in a row.

    The United States ranks below dozens of other high-income countries in life expectancy, according to the World Bank. Highest is Japan, at nearly 84 years.

    The darkness of backstage... (none / 0) (#30)
    by desertswine on Thu Dec 21, 2017 at 12:10:29 PM EST
     Three opera singers and a classical musician say that world-renowned conductor Charles Dutoit sexually assaulted them - physically restraining them, forcing his body against theirs, sometimes thrusting his tongue into their mouths, and in one case, sticking one of their hands down his pants.

    The women said they never filed formal complaints because they were young and Dutoit was the maestro, but felt inspired to come forward now by all the women speaking out about sexual misconduct by powerful men in other industries and by the Metropolitan Opera suspending conductor James Levine earlier this month after misconduct accusations surfaced.

    More guns, more accidental shootings. (none / 0) (#42)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Dec 22, 2017 at 11:38:02 AM EST
    Since December 1 of this year and at the time of this writing (7:52 a.m HST), there have been 75 accidental shootings in the United States, which have resulted in the deaths of 20 people and the wounding of another 56. One of these instances happened just last night in South Carolina, leaving a teenaged boy dead.

    All the people did was Try to break in (none / 0) (#50)
    by jondee on Fri Dec 22, 2017 at 10:02:54 PM EST
    what more proof do you need that guns have reduced crime in America?

    RIP, Bruce McCandless (1937-2017). (none / 0) (#54)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Dec 23, 2017 at 07:35:42 PM EST
    We first heard McCandless's detached voice in July 1969 when, as the chief of NASA'S flight communications team, he regularly spoke with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins during the historic Appolo 11 mission to the moon.

    By the time he finally became a NASA astronaut in his own right in the 1970s, Americans had become rather blasé about space travel, until the January 1986 explosion of the space shuttle Challenger killed seven of his colleagues (including New Hampshire schoolteacher Sharon Christa McAuliffe) and brought home to all of us just how dangerous the journey to the heavens still really is.

    As a payload specialist on space shuttle flights, McCandless helped to develop the nitrogen-fueled jetpack, and during Challenger's April 1984 mission, his untethered flight far above the Earth -- the first time that feat was ever performed -- is forever memorialized in a timeless photo.

    Six years later in April 1990, McCandless served as a member of the shuttle Discovery crew that delivered to orbit the Hubble Space Telescope, which has since done so much to advance our modern knowledge of astronomy.

    Aloha to a guy who clearly loved his job.

    RIP Pat DiNizio... (none / 0) (#56)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Dec 23, 2017 at 08:15:44 PM EST
    lead singer of the NJ's The Smithereens, who passed away too early at the age of 62.

    No pretty boys, no big hair, just good music.

    In a Lonely Place (w/Susanne Vega)

    Blood and Roses



    There is lots of snow on the Big Island. (none / 0) (#59)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Dec 23, 2017 at 09:51:41 PM EST
    It looks like the Trump household at Mar-a-Lago isn't the only place where there will be a very "White" Christmas. (Bah-DUMM-Bumm-Bump!)

    Both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa (in the distance, far left) are heavily snowcapped, with much more of the white stuff on its way according to weather forecasts -- along with 110 mph wind gusts.

    Hope everyone's weekend is mellow, and you've finished your shopping.

    Aloha.