By R.C. Seely
WHEN A “CRIME” OR SIN, was committed in a Puritan commune, the punishments were severe and inhumane. Probably the most tame was having to wear a sign with a crimson initial–the Scarlet letter–of your transgression where ever you went.
But that was a long time ago, surly we have moved past all that, right? Apparently not. Starting with Hollywood mogul, Harvey Weinstein, we have seen a litany of allegations of sexual abuse and harassment. Weinstein has suffered the worse of it, with many actresses claiming he took advantage of them to advance their careers.
What’s also interesting is how the claims are being prioritized. Those made against Mariah Carey by her body guards have gotten little attention.
Not to sound callous, but the nature of the showbiz industry is not exactly a big secret. You fall in line and do what your told or you move on. This is not to say I condone it, just saying you know what you’re getting yourself into. And now is it possible to change it? Doubt it.
It’s not just Hollywood that has to be concerned, this has affected politicians as well. The two most suspicious ones are the allegations against Judge Roy Moore and Jeff Sessions. The timing is just too convenient. Moore is running for office and Sessions is on the verge of getting replaced. Dirty politics at play here? Very likely. No matter how you feel about those accused of such things, you should be worried. This silences the voice of the voters.
Another politician who has been marked is Senator Al Franken but this one is different. For starters, the accuser–Leeann Tweeden–is not asking for any form of retribution, simply trying to empower of legitimate victims of abuse. Joe Biden too, has been accused of having “friendly hands” by the Senators children.
Inevitably, President Trump has been marked, in yet another attempt by the Democrats to “dethrone” him as Commander in Chief. With numerous claims of impropriety weighing on him, how can he possibly be deemed a valid sitting president? Ask Bill Clinton how he handled it. Or one of the many other previous executive office holders before him.
In yet another lie by the Sleeping Media, during a press conference one reporter asked why the administration called out Franken but not Moore. In a tweet, Trump said that if Moore did do what he was accused of he should step down. And there is photographic evidence to back up Tweeden’s claim against Franken. While Trump is being accused of playing politics, it appears he’s the only one not guilty of that.
Such acts of assault are the worst kinds of power and control over others, and should have hefty consequences if found guilty. But should the false accusations of harassment and those do happen. It’s not even uncommon; sometimes the claims are intentionally malicious, others simply a misunderstanding. Even the harassment accusations can ruin lives and should not be taken lightly. More than that, such laws and work related repercussions are ineffective and many times useless. Think about, basically you’re asking an irrational person to act rationally. So the innocent and rational person will comply and the one capable of such acts will find an easier target. What could help with that is a more clear concise definition for harassment, one less open to interpretation.
It might seem misogynistic but asking for scrutiny of the accusers is not invalid. It’s routine in every other crime but is being scaled down in harassment cases and that’s because of the feminist movements protestations. That’s not to say they didn’t helped changed things in a good way either, by shaking up the “good ole boys” clubs but have taken it too far. There has to be a third route of reason, away from the “good ole boys” and the radical, man-hating feminists. If calm discussion can’t be held, this will one more time when the solution is more bravado than substance. At the moment the current environment feels eerily similar to that of Salem, so who’s the next to hang.
R.C. Seely is the founder of americanuslibertae.com and ALTV. He has also written books on pop culture the most recent Victims of White Male: How Victim Culture Victimizes Society is available at Amazon.
Gratitude
Posted: November 25, 2017 in Social CommentaryTags: activism, americanus libertae, Colin Kaepernick, grateful, gratitude, libertarian, NFL, r.c.seely, respect
By R.C. Seely
COLIN KAEPERNICK CREATED a sense of notoriety for himself when he decided that he wouldn’t stand for the national anthem. Since then, the NFL and many of the owners have sanctioned the idea and made it the new policy.
Besides the original protests, Kaepernick joined with the Native American “Unthanksgiving” movement. There has been enough discussion on this matter, so I won’t further engage in it (besides at this point I find it simply boring). Critics of Kaepernick and the other players have called him ungrateful, which got me thinking about gratitude … What is it? How does it affect us?
Author Melody Beattie, has this to say:
As appealing as that literary declaration is, does it have anything more substantial to back it? According to a Forbes article by Amy Morin on the subject, yes it does. Here’s a sample:
Kaepernick and the rest of the NFL need to learn a lesson about gratitude, being grateful for their audience. That’s what the major issue has been. Other celebrities have done their protesting at inappropriate times, on the audiences time, and paid the price for it as well. Linda Ronstadt did an anti-bush tirade during a performance in Las Vegas and was booed. That’s not giving gratitude to those who came to hear you sing. Then there are bands like Metallica and Avenged Sevenfold, who can get away with it, but why? It’s more acceptable because both have social and political activism built into their songs. It’s a part of the show that the audience paid for.
More specifically to the NFL, they not only disrespected the audience, but demonstrated they’re out of touch with them. Many sports enthusiasts are conservative patriots, who view such actions as intolerable. Yes, the players have a right to free speech but at times expressing your views does have consequences.
If the NFL wants to gain back the support of their audience they will have to demonstrate they are willing to listen them and the sponsors. Others wise it appears they don’t appreciate them and aren’t dependent on them–which they are! For starters, publicly apologize and don’t let the players protest before the games, save that for their own time.
As for the issue they are protesting, this is not an effective way to reach people; when a group of rich athletes do a stunt like that they appear out of touch. If they want to demonstrate they truly care, they have to donate their money and time to make those areas of economic turmoil better. Or use your assets to fight against the laws that keep those who live in squalor out of modern slavery–policies such as, the “War on Poverty,” government run Indian reservations or the social welfare programs.
I don’t know if Kaepernick, or any of the NFL protestors for that matter, are doing this for themselves or to help others. Fighting against police brutality is an admirable cause but not if you alienate those around you. If you don’t see what you have to be appreciative, you can’t see clearly how fix problems in your life, let alone the world. Gratitude clears your mind and body, making everything better. If Kaepernick had been more grateful he wouldn’t have dropped the ball in his career or his activism.
R.C. Seely is the founder of americanuslibertae.com and ALTV. He has also written books on pop culture the most recent Victims of White Male: How Victim Culture Victimizes Society is available at Amazon.