Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Harassing the Harasser --The McCarthy Era at Work--Process Must Prevail

Al Franken solidified my opinion on the dozens upon dozens of men both here and around the world who are being accused of sexual harassment by dozens of female accusers. Those who know me understand I am an ardent feminist and yet ... and yet ... these massive accusations of sexual harassment are levied against men who fall from positions of high status and even ones who are not among the 2% richest fall as if they are feathers on a shelf that come down with one breeze.  I am a feminist because I love civil liberties and want them protected at all cost.

I examine our nation once an example of a modicum of judicial fairness devolve into a Rod Serling "Twilight Zone" episode, an Orwellian 1984 nightmare novel, a Hawthorne "The Scarlett Letter" shame and an Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" where fair play gives way to public hysteria that smothers the accused who has no right to a rational defense.   A man has the basic Constitutional right to face his accuser(s), be provided evidence of such accusations and compose a defense in front of an impartial jury before they melt into tears and resign their positions.  Even in the case of sexual harassment process must prevail.  Some process, as Mika Brezezinski on "Morning Joe" so correctly states, needs to be enacted to preserve the shred of this nation's civil libertarian due process rights that are left before the Trumpian train wreck will have killed all of them.

The horrific train crash near Seattle yesterday is a metaphor for our nation.  It has gone off the rails while the Constitution that has propped it up and protected it for over 240 years is coming down.
Much depends on what happens to the Abuser in Chief Trump who has been sued and quietly settled a complaint of egregious attack on a young girl.  The Billy Bush Access tape is evidence that mounts against the emoluments flouter Trump but Al Franken first accused by a right wing talk show host is not allowed to produce evidence of his innocence and be heard. Special Counsel, Robert Mueller, is investigating the other egregious Constitutional abuses the flimflam artist president has allegedly committed.  When through, one will need a wheel barrel to carry the final report and/or indictments to read.  I suspect Muller will not be through with Trump at Christmas nor will he exonerate him hopefully ever.

Good and humane policy in our nation is being trampled and crushed by unfair tribal loyalties, division and human discord around the nation ignoring due process.  Our nation is spinning out of control and revisiting the McCarthy era.  Paraphrasing Joseph Welch confronting Joe McCarthy the accuser of Communists in every corner of government -- "At long last have you no shame?" At long last, Republicans who pass an egregious humongous tax bill that unfairly gives Trump and his billionaire cronies massive tax breaks and killing healthcare while eventually sticking the middle class with the bill and Democrats who indicted Senator Franken without benefit of hearing have you no shame either?  McCarthy is dead but his era is still at work.   Sad!

RESIST

NOT ANYMORE

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