Whore. Liar. White trash.
Those are only some of the kinder names that men – well, men in the loosest of meanings – have been calling Roy Moore’s accusers online.
I cannot print most of the harassing language they’re using to describe these eight middle-aged ladies from Alabama.
It’s contemptible, and guys, this ugliness must stop.
Show your sons and daughters how real men speak about ladies, even those they find offensive.
Sure, accusers should always be appropriately scrutinized just as their accusations should always be taken seriously. But there’s a difference between weighing the facts and hurling obscenities at a 53-year old woman.
At best, these small-town ladies are telling the truth.
At worst, they’re simple people being exploited by powerful political interests.
Either way, they deserve compassion or at least the courtesy of not having to endure such name-calling from grown men.
Instead, we have guys rationalizing the behavior of a grown man molesting a child (yes, 14 is still a child, so is 16 … must we actually debate this?), blaming the accusers because they made poor choices later in life (who hasn’t?), and calling grown women – mothers, grandmothers even – awful, despicable names (would you allow someone to say these things about your grandmother?).
Tell me, what’s manly about this behavior?
“This is exactly why women wait 40 years,” said Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host who was sexually harassed by the guy who ran the network.
She’s right. And ironically, the insults directed at Moore’s accusers are great examples of precisely why these ladies didn’t come forward years ago.
They knew some people wouldn’t believe them. They knew some people would attack their character. They knew some people would even call them vile and disgusting names.
Hmm…I wonder what gave them that crazy idea?
And here’s a question for those who insist that the age of the accusations somehow weakens their believability: why didn’t you tell authorities about when you were molested as a child?
If you can answer that question, then you know what these women went through all of these years.
If that question doesn’t apply to you, well … then you don’t know what you’re talking about.
It takes a great deal of strength to do what these ladies have done, and the adjectives I’d use to describe them are courageous, brave, and heroic.
But for those who insist on calling them names, here are a just few more suggestions:
Leigh.
Wendy.
Gloria.
Beverly.
Tina.
Gena.
And Becky.
(Agree? Disagree? Take this article over to Facebook and start a conversation with your family and friends)
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