A column about rape from one of the most conservative

[murielm99]

writers I know:

http://www.journalstandard.com/opinion/20180919/my-view-its-not-unusual-to-wait-years-to-talk-about-sexual-assault

This guy usually makes my blood boil. But this is what he has to say:

My View: It's Not Unusual To Wait Years to Talk about Sexual Assault

"Do most women wait 40 years to claim someone tried to rape them? Or is that just liberal women?"

-A meme posted on my Facebook news feed by a high school friend.

When I read those words, I sighed.

Regular readers of this column will remember that last December I wrote about being assaulted when I was twelve.

-snip-

I hope some of you read this and follow the link describing this assault, and how this was a family secret for years.

[wryter2000]

1. Good for him for speaking up

Still, why is it something has to happen directly to a "conservative" before they understand?

I know...lack of empathy. I wish we could give them mandatory empathy pills.

[murielm99]

3. He first wrote about this

long before Dr. Ford came on the scene.

And, I don't think that when he was twelve, he was planning on a career as a conservative politician and writer. He probably thought he would continue on the family farm.

Maybe you need some empathy pills yourself.

[wryter2000]

4. I'm assuming, then

He's always been in vocal support of victims of sexual abuse/assault.

As a rape survivor myself, I have a great deal of empathy for other survivors. However, it's been my experience reading the opinions of a lot of conservatives that they have a hard time understanding social problems unless they've experienced them directly. I may have misjudged this particular conservative.

[murielm99]

5. I don't particularly like the man,

and I disagree with most of his opinions. But he did start coming out in support of sexual abuse victims last December. It did not seem to have anything to do with his politics. I don't know if he was supportive before that. I do know he was not ready to talk about it earlier.

There are plenty of people here who are recounting their own experiences. Their experiences certainly have an effect on their understanding of sexual assault. They are getting nothing but support. This man deserves the same support, conservative or not. And, since he has many conservative fans, some of them may set politics aside when thinking about this. They may have some sympathy for Dr. Ford and other survivors.

[Garrett78]

2. Response to sexual assault has become a left vs. right issue.

And that says a lot about how morally bankrupt the Republican Party has become.