Northam story: An effective right-wing hit job

[cyclonefence]

21. Suppose you were a woman locked in a box

in a guy's backyard, and he came out and raped you and beat you up whenever he felt like it. Nobody knew, or if they did, they figured you liked it since you stayed there. After 25 years he let you out. You went to the police, but because he was an important elected official with a really progressive record, nobody believed you. Thirty-five years later, somebody found photos of him raping you and turned the guy in. Because he was a prominent citizen, he had a news conference where he said he was really sorry, that he was a changed man, and please don't make him leave his job as chairman of the school board.

His friends supported him--he was a good man, they said, who had done many good things for the citizens--he'd even sponsored a shelter for abused women! He did apologize, after all, and it was 35 years ago. What's a guy got to do to get a break? The statute of limitations had expired, so it's as if there never was anything illegal. And there are lots of guys who beat up and rape women, and don't even apologize for it.

All the men in town voted to keep him on in his official position. All the women said hell no. The men told them that it was a long time ago, and it wasn't that bad, after all, since he hadn't killed her--and he did apologize. It was, the men said, part of the culture back then for men to mistreat women; it was just the way it was. Why were they making such a big deal over something that, after all, didn't really hurt anybody?