Victims have to be believed!

[Towlie]

I didn't get her name but that's what a woman just said as she was being interviewed by Craig Melvin on MSNBC.

Upon thinking about it, I realized what a logical fallacy that is. It's a tautology! If you know that someone is a victim then that means you believe them, but if you have doubts then you don't know if that person is a victim. What she said is like saying you have to believe those whom you believe.

I'm sure she wouldn't argue that Jamie Phillips, who was caught lying by the Washington Post, should be believed.

[OregonBlue]

1. They have to be listened to. Their claims need to be assesed. In the past that didn't happen.

That was the problem. So we do need that to change. But no, they don't automatically need to be believed, just taken seriously.

[MineralMan]

2. People who claim to be victims have to be listened to.

However, they may not be telling the truth, so an examination of the facts is needed.

In politics, such an examination often reveals misstatements or outright lies.

But we should listen to people who claim to be victims and examine their reports carefully to ascertain their truth or non-truth.

[rainin]

3. I would hate to be a man

in this "victims have to be believed" environment. Where does this leave an innocent man? All men must be afraid right now wondering if they ever crossed a vindictive woman. This is insanity.

Due process is what we should be standing for.

Plus, can we have some common sense about degrees of harm? I have been butt -brushed and touched while at work (I worked at a bar). I am not harmed for life, nor would I believe any of those men who copped a feel (inappropriately) should be removed from a powerful position. The harm I experienced was minimal.

I was significantly more harmed by Bush's recession!! R's policies kill people!

[LanternWaste]

4. I don't give it a second thought.

"All men must be afraid right now wondering if they ever crossed a vindictive woman..."

I don't give it a second thought. So no, all men must not be afraid.

[jaysunb]

5. At Last !!! Thank you ! n/t

[NCTraveler]

6. "All men must be afraid right now wondering if they ever crossed a vindictive woman."

[mythology]

7. I don't give that any more thought than I do worrying a woman will say I raped her

Until there is some rush of false claims, that's not exactly a slippery slope.

The fact that you weren't harmed is a particularly silly argument. You don't get to determine how somebody else is affected by their experiences.

[rainin]

8. Perhaps it's silly to you.

But, I will clarify that I wasn't harmed by a butt-brush. I didn't say I wasn't harmed.

[CTyankee]

9. for so long women who were raped out of fear that their rapist would beat them

if they didn't submit never reported the assault. That happened only too often.