Suddenly, NY Times Is Interested In The Line Between Sexual Assault And A Mistake

by William Teach | November 18, 2017 7:06 am

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The NY Times has (mostly) long been on the Everything Is Sexual Assault bandwagon, and that the accuser is always right, should always believed, proof is not necessary, and the accused should have their life destroyed. Unless it was Bill Clinton (with Hillary as his enabler). Or Ted Kennedy. Or virtually any Democrat. Which is how we end up here

A Fresh Debate Over the Line Between Abuse and a Mistake[2]

A day after the latest in a dizzying series of sexual assault revelations enveloped Senator Al Franken and rattled the Capitol, politicians and comedians were left trying to assess the line between predatory behavior and an inexcusable mistake, as calls mounted for him to resign. (snip – we know we he did)

But while there was no widespread public showing of support for Mr. Franken, a number of his allies, including three former “Saturday Night Live” colleagues and 10 former aides, all women, said that they did not believe his behavior fit a pattern or was in the same realm of misconduct as other high-profile men accused of sexual abuse in the entertainment industry, including the comedian Louis C.[3] K. [4]and the producer Harvey Weinstein[5].

“I’m just so upset about this atmosphere and good people being dragged into it,” said Jane Curtin, a member of the original cast of “Saturday Night Live” with Mr. Franken from 1975 to 1980 who has been close with him since. “It’s just like the red menace. You don’t know who’s going to be next.”

If she’s referring to the overall atmosphere where someone is hauled up in front of a kangaroo court at a college for an innocent kiss on the cheek, or accused of sexual assault months after the consensual sex occurred and not allowed legal representation or to face the accuser, well, yeah.

As Washington wrestled with how to categorize Mr. Franken’s behavior, which was accompanied by a photo that showed him appearing to grope Ms. Tweeden as she slept on a military plane, even some ardent defenders of women’s rights said the senator’s offense was not so grievous as to require his resignation.

“This is not a Harvey Weinstein situation,” said Debra Katz, a civil rights lawyer who handles sexual harassment cases. “Harvey Weinstein was a serial predator who used his power to put women in very vulnerable situations. He abused that power by sexually assaulting women. That’s not what this is.”

Ms. Katz also drew a distinction between Mr. Franken’s role as a comedian and that of a senator.

There are plenty of people mentioned along these lines in supporting Franken. And, they might have a point: where is that line between doing something stupid, being a jerk, or just making a mistake and sexual assault/harassment? I’ve written such on many websites in the comments. Let’s not forget, though, that this is a situation created by the hardcore, extremist Democratic Party base, where everyone is a Victim, and penalties must be extreme and harsh. According to SJW doctrine, even words are reason for personal destruction, and Franken has said some nasty things.

Also, let’s consider: if Franken was a Republican, would the NY Times and the people interviewed be so charitable? Remember, Democrats helped in the destruction of Larry Craig, whose offense was supposedly tapping the foot of another person while looking for consensual gay sex.

“He’s had unsavory jokes in the past that he’s regretted,” Ms. Volin Lehr said of Mr. Franken’s comedy career. She said the photo published Thursday fell into that category, “but it is hard to see how this is comparable to the other incidents that women have brought forward in the recent past.”

On one hand, Lehr is right. On the other, imagine Franken was a Republican. And there’s your answer.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove[6]. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach[7].