Is the continuing outing of sexual harassment to excuse Don or true change?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. I don't think it's intended to excuse Orange Foolius. Not at all.

I do think it's mainly people - mostly women, but some men, too - having had enough of powerful men taking advantage of them. The fact that many are coming forward encourages others to do so as well, because they realize that they are finally likely to be believed. None of this will get Dolt 45 off the hook; the opposite will most likely happen. Women who complain now are being believed for a change, and therefore the women who were harassed by Trump will be believed.

The only thing I worry about is whether this new onslaught of credible complaints will also support a few bogus complaints by people with agendas, if it becomes the accepted wisdom that the complainant must always be believed without question. During the '80s there was a rash of allegations of sexual abuse of children by day care center employees. At that time the mantra was, "Believe the children!" and if you didn't believe the children you would be accused of enabling child molestation. But though very few claims were ever substantiated, innocent people ended up in jail. I'd hate to see a really important realization - that sexual harassment is widespread and is particularly pernicious where there is a significant power differential - derailed by too much credulity, ultimately resulting in a backlash.