If you are a fb friend you may be wondering why write about this right now when I have an anxiety inducing medical issue (or two) hanging over my head....one word...DISTRACTION.
So this Cuomo thing is getting to me. I see people defending him because the Dems are so quick to resign over sometimes minor issues compared to the crap we let the GOP get away with ( I am talking to you Al Franken, who resigned way too fast and countless new members of congress who continue collecting paychecks despite doing far worse...let's see we have the Hawthorne guy who basically completely lied about everything, Boebert..who where to even start...Marjorie...same thing and let's not forget the big ones...the insurrection supporting senators and the governors killing off their citizens with shitty COVID rules or giving vaccine preferentially to the rich). But pointing to other situations to justify how we handle this one doesn't seem fair.
We need to all agree that if Cuomo sexually harassed women, he needs to go. I don't care if he's blue, red or any other color! But, of course, we first need to find out if the allegations are true AND are they sexual harassment.
This is the key to my argument. Do I think the guy is a sleazy womanizer? Sure...he sounds gross to me. As bad as Trump? Kavanaugh? HELL NO...But again we aren't making comparisons, it should just be about HIM.
Are the allegations against him tantamount to the workplace definition of sexual harassment? Not by the accounts of what I have read. In none of the cases mentioned did he use his position of power over these women, by threatening to not promote them or in any other way harm their current positions. In most cases he was reported and the women moved to more comfortable environments..at their request. Did he continue "harassing" them afterwards..none of them are accusing him of that. Should he stop doing the behaviors he's been accused of? Absolutely. It's tiresome to deal with men like him, but is what he is doing enough to warrant removal from office? At this point I'd say no.
However....his response to these allegations have left me liking him even less (I didn't really have an opinion either way prior to this--he comes across as gruff and unpolished to me, but other than that, I don't follow news on him to know much else). I blame his PR staff, they aren't giving him the best advice or he's too arrogant to listen to them. As with any time a person feels wronged, a heartfelt apology goes along way and I haven't heard one yet.
As for the anonymous claim of groping...investigate it, but I am having issues with the timing of when she decided to come forward...why not when the first claim was made? Why anonymously? I know there are valid reasons for both of those questions but we also all know that if you choose to do it that way those questions are going to be asked!
I hate that the metoo movement has devolved into more about how awful men treat women than about actual 100% I lost my job because I wouldn't date/fuck/flirt/whatever. There is a system in place to stop harassment and I feel like these women used that system and it worked. Should we keep track of how many times a man asks different women out and is turned down? Should people never be allowed to date people they associate with professionally? How many people meet through work and how are they going to know there is mutual interest if we keep pushing the line that we get offended at farther and farther? Should single men not be allowed to be in positions of power? Or do they have to remain celibate while they are?
I googled articles on the accusations and with the exception of the groping one, I just don't see that the system of reporting when you feel harassed failed. At some point we have to accept that just being asked isn't harassment. They ask, you say no. They start an uncomfortable conversation, you say this isn't comfortable, they touch you somewhere that makes you uncomfortable, that isn't overtly sexual, you say so and if they comment about your displeasure, call them out on it...but unless your future employment isn't threatened verbally, I am not sure this rises to the level of being anything more than shitty behavior on the guy's part.
As for Cuomo, he's treading water with me...I don't like how he's handling himself, it's very off putting and if he doesn't fix that attitude, I feel like the pressure to resign is going to increase from all sides.
What do you think? As you can see, my mind isn't made up and am willing to change my mind with the right argument.
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