Weinstein, Clinton, and Trump is not the name of a law firm but the face of a select predator's club. They are all rich, famous, and powerful men who have used their privilege in life to prey on women. Are we surprised? Not if you're a woman. Most women have met men like these frequently. The experience of unwanted sexual advances and/or assault is a weary tune we've all heard. Cat calls, wolf whistles, groping, exposing of men's dicks, roofies, and sexual force are well known to women. We live with it on a daily basis. It is a rare woman who has not experienced or does not know of someone upon whom has been sexually aggressive.
Our current President, known for loving to "grab pussy", is now giving talks on American values. This, in spite of his former (?) propensity to prey on teenage girls at beauty contests and speak about women if they were his personal blow up dolls. I wonder how he would react if a woman close to him got raped. Most predators like Mr. Trump live in denial land-they think women are begging for it. Mr. Trump has never acted contrite about the many women upon whom he has preyed sexually. In fact, he has threatened to sue all of them for slander. What's most disconcerting is Ivanka's defense of him-this proves predators train those around them to dismiss or deny their perverted behavior. Considering his current behavior, I wouldn't be shocked if he writes an executive order which makes accusing men of sexual misconduct punishable by law.
Bill Clinton was, and probably still is, an affable, consensual kind of predator. His hypnotic appeal and position in power entices women to consent to his sexual advances. After all, isn't it flattering to be the object of desire from a President, or a Congressman, or a Celebrity? The women I have read about who fall under this trap seem to be victims of their own low esteem. They may think this kind of skewed affirmation is thrilling, but end up like Monica Lewinsky or Gennifer Flowers, being a discarded joke or seen as a 'scheming woman' with secondary gain. Many women I know did not vote for Hillary because she stayed with Bill after the Monica Lewinsky scandal. They felt if she would protect a predator, she'd would not do a good job protecting this country. Then when her top assistant, Huma Abedin, got embroiled in an email scandal involving her predator husband (Anthony Weiner) and did not immediately leave him, it left many of us women wondering if we could vote for an administration that harbors sexual carnivores. Do you vote for a predator or women in power who protect their predator husbands?
Harvey Weinstein is certainly the grossest of these three. Who knows how many untold women he has preyed upon who won't come forward because of their careers. He has allegedly groped, masturbated in front of, and raped actresses seeking stardom. His story is proof that if you have enough money and clout, you can almost get away with anything. People in Hollywood knew or knew of his behavior for years and kept silent.
Therein lies the dilemma all victims of this know: no matter what choice we make, we are all seen as the instigators who have something to gain. Many women (and their support system) protect the predator because of the fear of how it will look, how it may affect their future safety, how it may impact their family or friends, or how the glaring spotlight on them will exacerbate their own feelings of shame and self-condemnation for allowing the act to have happened.
Women in general are trained to keep silent about sexual assault or are too traumatized to come forward. Let's face it: a criminal defense attorney's best case always sets up the sexual assault victim as a consensual participant or is 'asking for it'. Very few see the precise subtlety of how predators choose their victims. The smart enough powerful predators instinctively know which women will prosecute and which will take a pay off.
If you want to want to view an insightful documentary about the devious intelligence of sexual predators, I would recommend, "The Keepers". This horrific documentary details survivors of a Catholic high school priest's sexual depravity, replete with a succinct description of the psychological torture which preceded the abuse. Molestation is too gentle of a word to define the heinous rapes this priest, and some of his cronies, did to more than a hundred victims (that is known at this time). This illustrates how a religious institution created sexual holocaust legacy which enabled their sexual predators fresh victims with each move. Yet, it is also a testimony to the courageous spirit emerging in his victims, many of them still struggling with being betrayed by the Catholic Church. Even in the face of confronting gruesome incidents of degradation they somehow banded together in an effort to find the murderer of their beloved nun teacher, in whom they confided the priest's assaults. The arrow points to the now deceased predator priest but there is not enough evidence to close their beloved nun's decades old rape and murder.
"The reality is that sex is only one of many arenas in which the criminal seeks to establish his power and dominance. The mental processes in pursuing a sex partner are similar to those involved in the commission of other crimes. The thinking in a bank robbery and a rape are virtually identical although the “target” is different. The offender fantasizes, schemes, and develops a modus operandi. There is excitement in every phase – before, during, and after the act. In a bank robbery, he selects his target. He makes a series of choices as to how he will carry out the crime. There is excitement en route to the scene, in committing the crime, in the getaway, and in the self-buildup after the offense. Gaining publicity and eluding the police enhance the excitement. Even if he is apprehended, there is the challenge of dealing with the police, his attorney, and others who hold him accountable. If the perpetrator ends up in jail or prison, the excitement may not end even there. For many criminals, prison is simply the streets brought indoors with more opportunities for intrigues, con games, and conquests. "- Psychology Today
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