"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Wednesday 26 November 2014

Can We Talk About This ?


 I am not comfortable about what is happening to Bill Cosby.

It may be a reflection of subconscious bias. I cannot be sure.

Experience is said to be the best teacher. Does greater experience mean better taught  ?  Not necessarily so.

In my faith, seven is deemed  to be the age of reason when a person can discern right from wrong.

I know something of my grandparents experience. I learned  from them.

I shared some of my parents' experience. Lessons derived there as well.

I had  a husband and many close friends whose lives I shared.

I have two daughters and five sons  and  while they were children ,much though not all of their experience was mine.

Grandchildren are already adults and embarked on life .

Great grandchildren  know me. I am an observer in their lives. The eldest is a pre-teen already.

As a politician, I have had opportunity to observe variances in how different people react  to

and handle identical circumstances.

Allegations against  Jian Ghomeshi's  appear to be appropriate.mThey are current and receiving  prompt  and proper attention.

His  high profile generates it's own  intensity.

He has an opportunity to defend himself.

Cosby's situation is not the same.

Accusations of wrongdoing  decades old are not easily defended or proven.

The burden of proof  not readily accessible.  But damage  is easily accomplished.

Any decision about guilt or innocence in decades old accusations is liable to carry greater bias than weight of evidence.

I think there should be a statute of limitation to accusations of sexual harassment.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are quite right - the time lines are different but Cosby sure has built up a lot of anger for whatever reasons. It would be terrific is just a few gals were speaking out about what he had done for them & their families.

Anonymous said...

As you pointed out with the theft of that poppy box in Aurora, once the system gets hold, it is difficult to stop . So far Mr Cosby has not been charged with anything. But public opinion as just as much power these days as the courts. Maybe more. Both are fraught with prejudice.

Anonymous said...

Couldn't agree with you more.