Hikergirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2016
First, this is a subject that riles me. I am not intending to upset/offend anyone. BUT if you (general) are upset or offended by my words/tone, take a step back and look into yourself and ask yourself why before you respond, please.
On behalf of survivors everywhere, Lisa (and believe me we are EVERYWHERE)....
Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU.
There IS. NO. RIGHT. WAY. FOR. VICTIMS. TO. ACT. P E R I O D.
Not a SINGLE ONE of these survivors are responsible for Weinstein's actions. They are not serial predators/rapists. They have not been abusing their positions of power to victimize the powerless for decades. They have not forcibly (Yep, forcibly INCLUDES COERCION) claimed another persons body/mind through their actions. They are not responsible, they are not required to act a certain way, and they don't owe you (general) or society ANYTHING.
And EVERY SINGLE PERSON who reacts with this victim blaming horse... poo is PART OF THE REASON MEN LIKE THIS ARE ALLOWED TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE!
When society responds by scrutinizing the victims actions, we end up thinking of these cases almost like perfect storms. "Well yes, he acted horrendously... BUT if the victims had/hadn't done XYZ and the other then it wouldn't have happened/been as bad." I get that mindset. It protects you. it makes you feel like you would have some measure of power to stop it if you found yourself/a loved one in that situation.
But guess what? That security is FALSE. It CAN happen to you, your daughters/sons, your sisters/brothers, your mothers/fathers.
And until we as a society can all together, every single one of us, lay blame ONLY at the perpetrators feet, this will always be happening.
"But why oh why didn't these women come forward earlier??????"
Look at what's being said about them. Look at how they are being treated. There's your answer.
Yes you are right, we are everywhere.
The two women I mentioned were victim's of Harvey's inappropriate advances. They were not raped, they were not physically molested, they were not victims of physical sexual abuse. They were victims of verbal sexual harrassment, and according to them it was 1 time. 1 time.
And of course the victims are not responsible for his behavior, nobody ever said it was, that is just a strawman argument.
Now, you can continue to stick your fingers in your ears because you don't want to hear this but it is the truth, and sometimes the truth hurts. Here it is.
Those 2 specific women who I mentioned have been vocal publicly about sexual abuse against women. They were harassed by someone who was known to behave that way, and there were women who he physically violated, raped, not just verbally harassed. In all the years that those women kept silent they condoned that behavior. They knew what he was doing to women, but they had their own career to worry about. I didn't see either of them at their podiums mentioning Weinstein when talking about how we as a society can't tolerate sexual abuse against women. So yes I will call those women hipcorites because that is exactly what they are. Telling others it can't be tolerated, and to stand up against it. Where they hell were they when HW was raping those other women? They were enjoying their life made possible by the industry that protects those who make the money, that is where.