I couldn’t think of a generic, family-friendly blog this month. Instead, I’m doing a usual, and writing about something in the news I find annoying. Since you’ll probably find my views irritating as well, you might want to skip to the final line.
I typically reframe from political issues, but the problem of men abusing their power through sexual harassment isn’t going away soon, and. probably shouldn’t. I’m surprised the issue has taken this long to raise its ugly head. The fact that men are pigs desiring sex is no secret, but I’m a guy for whom the demands of human evolution and procreation have been bluntly obvious to me since reaching puberty. That’s not to say that those urges have ever been so strong that I felt the need to throw myself on an unwilling participant. I have trouble understanding how forcing a kiss or a feel on an unwilling person could be satisfying in any way, but then, I don’t understand feet fetish, either.
Now that the powerful men of the media and government are being called out for their transgressions, I believe corporate America will be next. The leaders of American industry are no less susceptible or guilty of sexual harassment than any other egomaniac of the world. My wife spent thirty years working her way up to the executive levels in an automotive company, including many years walking the factory floors. During those years, she can cite numerous instances of men treating her inappropriately. The difference between her and these “Me-too” women, is that my wife had the courage to stand up for herself and say “no”. That attitude didn’t do her career much good, but at least she’s not whining about it thirty years later. She retired with her pride and the respect of her co-workers. My point is; women should not be sexually harassed, but they have to show some pride, and defend themselves, too. Al Fraken’s first accuser, Leanne Tweeden, a radio host who has done promotions for Hooters, and appeared nude in Playboy in December, 2011, is a hypocrite. She’d already sold her naked pictures for all men see. What did she expect when interacting with sexual deviants? Respect? On the other side. How lonely and despicable does a man like Franken have to be to need to throw himself on an unwilling woman to get his satisfaction? If you’re that desperate for the feel of warm, naked flesh, why not buy a hairless cat? If Franken wasn’t such a cowardly asshole, I might pity the guy. I wonder if the brief eel was worth his career.
If we want to solve this problem, it’s going to take more than the guilty person’s career and public humiliation. It’s going to require, like many problems today, a change in the way our children are taught. Teach children to respect each other and human life. A quicker solution would be to enforce some cruel and inhumane punishment. I’ve always believed rapists should be castrated. Maybe these gropers should have their gonads hooked up to a car battery for shock treatment. A punishment like that might have some thinking twice.
My next question is: Why aren’t more men crying; “Me, too”? My father was an automotive exec. Not all the V.P.s were straight or even pretended to be. Sexual harassment runs both sides of the street.
On the lighter side: I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.