Sunday, February 4, 2018

Pandora's Box ~ Innocent Until Publicly Disclosed!

John Suiston's Opinion:
It is not a Pandora's Box that Science opens ~ it is rather a treasure chest.
We, humanely can choose whether or not to take out the discoveries
and use them ~ and for what purpose.

An ideal quote for today's perpetrators whose past escapades violate 'human rights'!

From Oklahoma: Former 2-term Republican state Senator, Ralph Shortey, accused of engaging in child prostitution entered his plea of 'guilty' to a federal charge of child-sex-trafficking...in exchange for dropping 3 child pornography charges against him. Wearing a GPS tracking device on his left ankle, Shortey faces between 10 years and life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for child trafficking.

Netflix Writes Accused Actor out of Comedy “The Ranch” Actor, Danny Masterson! Los Angeles police investigated sexual assault claims against him that date back to the 2,000's. He has denied the allegations by 3 women that were assaulted by him. Netflix said Monday was Masterson's last day on the show...and producers will resume next year without him.

Hoffman Grilled Over Sexual Misconduct Claims: Discussion of the film, “Wag the Dog” turned testy recently when moderator John Oliver confronted Dustin Hoffman about allegations of sexual harassment. Hoffman, defensive by the questioning from the host at HBO's “Last Week Tonight explained the accusation was 40 years old and maintained he did nothing wrong. Actress Anna Graham Hunter has alleged that Hoffman groped her and made 'inappropriate comments' when she was a 17-year-old intern on the set of the 1985 TV movie, “Death of a Salesman.” Hoffman stated that, “The incident is not reflective of who I am,” when Oliver seized on the opportunity and replied, “It is reflective of who you were!”
(The foregoing are excerpts from Hamilton Spectator Wire Services)

Analyst Zaun Axed by Sportsnet for 'Inappropriate Behaviour.' Baseball commentator, Greg Zaun has been fired due to 'Inappropriate behaviour and comments' toward female employees. Rick Brace, president of Rogers Media, said the company was terminating the contract of Blue Jay analyst effective immediately. “This type of behaviour completely contradicts our standards and our core values.
Zaun, a former Blue Jays catcher, began a part-time broadcasting career with Sportsnet .

Fact: 90% of workplace harassment is never officially reported!

No Tomorrows for Today Host ~ This editional ran in the Winnipeg Free Press:
and published in The Hamilton Spectator December 5, 2017

The shameful rollcall continues. Another high-profile career has been brought to an end by allegations of sexual impropriety. NBC's 'Today' show took to the airwaves, Wednesday morning, with the startling announcement that host Matt Lauer had been fired from the long-running daybreak programs after network executives received a 'detailed complaint' from a co-worker about 'inappropriate sexual conduct.' The undoing of NBC's morning star reinforces the notion that we are in a new age:
a post-Weinstein age in which harassment and abuse and other misdeeds
of a social nature by people in positions of power will no longer be tolerated.
Those who have been wronged will not only be believed, they will be encouraged to speak their truths and be enbraced for having had the courage to do so.
Victims have been empowered.
Abusers have been exposed.
A long-awaited cultural moment has arrived.
One can't help wondering how many powerful people in how many corner offices and how many companies, industries and empires...go to work these days, sitting anxiously at their desks wondering, 'Is This The Day They Find Out About Me?'

The 'Silence Breakers' Who Started a Movement
(Excerpts from editorial by Doug Stanglin and Maeve McDermott ~ published in USA Today)
“Time magazine named “The Silence Breakers” ~ women who triggered a #Me Too national outcry over sexual harassment ~ as the 2017 Person of the Year.

“Editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal revealed the cover on Wednesday morning's Today show, which featured Ashley Judd, Taylor Swift, former Uber engineer Susan Fowler and a woman whose face is obscured (intended to represent women who haven't yet come forward).
“This is the fastest-moving social change we've seen in decades
and it began with individual acts of courage by hundreds of women and men
who came forward to tell their own stories of sexual harassment and assault,”
Felsenthal said.
“ActressAlyssa Milano and #MeToo creator Tarana Burke appeared on the Today show, (which recently experienced its own harassment scandal that ousted former anchor Matt Lauer), as well as Megyn Kelly TODAY to discuss the Time cover.

“Harvey Weinstein, whose scandal jump-started 2017's months of reckoning over sexual harassment,
looms large over the Time list, with Judd, one of the more than 80 women who have accused him of assault and sexual harassment, featured in the the story. Also included is Selma Blair, who accused director James Toback of misconduct, with Swift speaking out against Denver radio DJ David Mueller whom she prevailed over in court this past summer.
“Time's list cuts across the entertainment, media, tech and service industries
including an unnamed housekeeper at the Plaza Hotel.
“The short list included Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the Dreamers, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Colin Kaepernick (the former NFL quarterback who launched a national protest against racism and police brutality), special prosecutor Robert Mueller and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.”

Heidi Stevens from Time Magazine Comments:
A magazine can't wipe out sexual harassment.
But to paraphrase, Dr. Martin King Jr.'s view,
The arc of the moral universe is long...but it's starting to bend towards justice.”
“Women have had it with bosses and co-workers who not only cross boundaries that don't even seem to know exist...they've had it with the fear of retaliation...of being blackballed...of being fired from a job they can't afford to lose...with men who use their power to take what they want from women.

“These 'silence breakers' have started a revolution of refusal, gathering strength by the day and in the last 2 months alone, their collective anger has spurred immediate and shocking results: nearly every day, CEO's have been fired, moguls toppled, icons disgraced...and even criminal charges laid.”

Compiled by Merle Baird-Kerr: December 7, 2017

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