I confess I don’t know who Harvey Weinstein is. That’s how isolated I have become out here in the Florida boondocks. But I gather from the Internet that he is some kind of Hollywood big shot. Or at least, he was.
The stories that are coming to light are stomach turning. I won’t go into detail but I’m sure you must have read some of them.
I wonder how he’s managed to escape prosecution for so long.
But I guess when you’re rich and powerful, you’re allowed to behave like a pig. Indeed, it seems to go with the territory.
Consider how media mogul Roger Ailes behaved. And Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly. And, of course, Trump.
Not one has faced prosecution.
I wonder how many other guys exploit their positions by preying on women?
And I bet it’s far more prevalent than you or I might suspect. The blight seems to spread throughout society from the most minor levels to the highest.
How many bosses, I wonder, sexually abuse their employees?
Decades ago, when I was working for the Tampa Tribune, I came across a story about a rural sheriff who required oral sex as part of his secretary’s duties.
And the abuse extends beyond the workplace – far beyond.
I understand that many landlords collect their rent in bed. And I’ve even read about police officers who demand sexual favors in exchange for dropping traffic charges.
Of course there’s another side to the story. Sometimes the victims are complicit.
Long, long ago, when I worked at the Harbourfront project in Toronto, a female city executive bragged to me that she had “climbed the ladder of success” on her back. No kidding.
Obviously, there’s a sick sexual undercurrent in society that gets swept under the rug. We look the other way and act shocked when some ugly incident comes to light.
I am not a psychologist but don’t you think there ‘s something awry in our society? It seems to me there’s a deep-rooted sickness that needs serious examination – instead of the finger pointing, tut-tutting and salacious snickering that usually goes on.
