Community Chat

[Sooner]

A huge problem here is that it has become a gender issue, where one side or the other is believed/not believed/excused/not excused based on gender.  It is discrimination and it is wrong, be it race, gender or religion.

When we jump to conclusions and to support or not support one story or the other based on any of these stereotypes, we are to go against everything our country and Constitution should stand for.  As Americans, it is our job to look past these often inaccurate perceptions and look at each individual for who they are. 

[shoekitty]

Women weren't always taken seriously by Doctors, lawyers or police back 20 years ago.  It all depnds on where you live, and who happens to be listening to you at the time.  True story.  Police always questioned a womens motives, her life style, and what she did to deserve being molested or raped.  If the accused was a person of any leadership or standing,you were out of luck.  If a woman did get into the police station to report, she was grilled from there.  Often investigation just stopped or was slowed down.  This is true back then. I think things might be better now because of internet, and people speaking out if their accusations are not looked into.  There is more technology today to help prove a persons innocence or guilt.

i can't get in a persons mind to know why they wait, but I have a suspicion it is fear. There was a time where a husband or boyfriend would leave you if they knew you were touched by someone else. I have heard of women hiding a rape or sexual assault because their husband would leave. Also many felt totally ashamed, guilty, or feared their attacker.  Time passes and things are easier to talk about. Or not.  Many women feel guilty or that they are to blame.  They got drunk partied and then were raped.  They where brought up to believe it is your fault if you put yourself in a compromising situation.  Jmho

I

[MorningLover]

Current and former colleagues of Tom Brokaw defended his character.

Subject: Letter on Tom Brokaw

As professional women, we fully endorse the conversation around abuse of power in the workplace. In the context of that conversation, we would like to share our perspectives on working with Tom Brokaw.

We are current and former colleagues of Tom’s, who have worked with him over a period spanning four decades. We are producers, correspondents, anchors, directors, executives, researchers, personal assistants, editors and technical staff.

Tom has treated each of us with fairness and respect. He has given each of us opportunities for advancement and championed our successes throughout our careers. As we have advanced across industries — news, publishing, law, business and government — Tom has been a valued source of counsel and support. We know him to be a man of tremendous decency and integrity.

Signed,

Susanna Aaron

Anne Binford Allen

Heather Allan

Marilyn Altman

Liz Bowyer

Mary Casalino 

Christine Colvin Casper

Martha Cotton

Karen Curry

Sara Cusimano

Helene Darvick

Linda Ellman

Judy Farinet

Dianne Festa 

Tammy Fine 

Mary Laurence Flynn

Susan Friedman

Soraya Gage 

Maralyn Gelefsky

Cheryl Gould

Erika Beck Grothues

Colleen Halpin

Jody Henenfeld 

Susan Morris Holey

Julie Holstein

Julie Huang

Peggy Hubble

Kiko Itasaka

Nancy Jacoby

Kat Keeney

Ann Kolbell

Audrey Beles Kolina

Susan LaSalla

Rachel Maddow

Donna Mastrangelo-Ryan

Andrea Mitchell

Mauri Moore 

Frieda Morris

Elena Nachmanoff 

Michele Neubert

Kelly O’Donnell

Bonnie Optekman

Mary Alice O’Rourke

Nancy Doyle Palmer

Polly Powell

Meaghan Rady 

Elizabeth Vaughan Romaine

Amy Rosenberg

Stephanie Ruhle

Bita Ryan

Ruby Shamir

Maria Shriver

Robin Skolnick

Andrea Smith 

Patricia Sullivan

Clare Duffy Swift

Yuka Tachibana

Bambi Tascarella

Zoya Taylor

Dee Dee Thomas

Anne Thompson

Kelly Venardos

Kristen Welker

Carolyn Wheatley

Mary Wolf

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rachel-maddow-andrea-mitchell-voice-support-tom-brokaw-letter...

[chrystaltree]

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@Snoopp wrote:

These occurrences seem so prevalent in the tv and entertainment industry.  

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        No, they just get the media attention because they access that the average woman does not have and can't get.  I didn't see the Brokaw accuser but I absolutely KNOW that she's blonde, attractive, thin and articulate and at the time, had a professional level job.  The media and the #Me Too movement only cares about women like that.  They have no interest in real women who struggle with this. Real women, in real jobs have to negotiate their way through their HR system to report harrassment or abuse.    

[ritasNo1Fan]

Innocent until proven guilty.  NOT guilty until proven innocent.

[SydneyH]

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@ritasNo1Fan wrote:

Innocent until proven guilty.  NOT guilty until proven innocent.

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Those are legal terms, the court of public opinion carries a lot of weight and unfortunately for Mr. Brokaw......it's not looking too good imo.

[ritasNo1Fan]

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@Sylanne wrote:

I take w/a grain of salt accusing people of something that happened many, many years ago.

AND so do I!

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[Snoopp]

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@chrystaltree wrote:

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@Snoopp wrote:

These occurrences seem so prevalent in the tv and entertainment industry.  

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        No, they just get the media attention because they access that the average woman does not have and can't get.  I didn't see the Brokaw accuser but I absolutely KNOW that she's blonde, attractive, thin and articulate and at the time, had a professional level job.  The media and the #Me Too movement only cares about women like that.  They have no interest in real women who struggle with this. Real women, in real jobs have to negotiate their way through their HR system to report harrassment or abuse.    

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  Not to say it has never taken place elsewhere but it seems endemic to the entertainment industry.  And I don't think it's just the media reporting...this behavior seems to be almost commonplace in that industry.  

[winamac1]

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

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@winamac1 wrote:

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@AuntG wrote:

Speak up when it happens. To join the bandwagon twenty years later doesn't seem all that courageous to me. Be a hero and protect others from the damage right away.

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@AuntG

ITA

These women should have spoken out when it occurred.  It's not that authentic when they speak out 20 years later.  

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@winamac1

You are using a 2018 lens to look at how things were in the 70s, 80s, and 1990s.  MUCH different back then.   Sometimes women did speak up .... and were blamed for what happened ... and fired.   That's why so many just kept their mouth shut and suffered in silence,  often blaming themselves.

You can't compare how we all think today with attitudes of a different era.

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Exactly--if this happened today, women WOULD AND DO feel comfortable speaking out about this type of egregious behaivor.  Things ARE different today.  But, as I said earlier,  I find it odd that all of this is being brought up 20 years later.  Too little too late.  If they didn't say anything then and 20 years has passed, maybe they shouldn't jump on a bandwagon as it's popular to speak out now.    I'm not condoning the behavior.  I don't like the lack of authenticity.

[PinkSunset]

the thing that upsets me about coming forward decades later is this. Women in the workplace, all workplaces, were subjected to lots of unfairness, pay equality, intimindation, yes, even harassment but for many we (I) needed a job to raise kids. We had to put up with a lot of what would enver occur today.

HR was of no help in the early days because as someone else said, (I worked in a hospital) doctors were reported on mnay occasions and they never, ever lost their jobs. The women had to transfer, take a sum of money to "shut up" left their jobs. All unfair, but reality AT THE TIME. How about all the women back in those days who were powerful (think Working Girl) and did outrageous things to their assistants who had to shut up and do their jobs if they wanted to keep them.

Now, in this century, we've moved forward, HR does take things seriously and every workplace has a statement about "no retaliation" if someone comes forward to report a wrongdoing. So it gets better as times go on.

But the thing is, the past was what it was and why does anyone now think they are heroes or are doing women a favor by reporting something that may or may not be true and cannot be proven? Women today don't need that help anymore. And going after high profile media types seems just like an axe to grind or some kind of personal retaliation. It does not strengthen any modern day woman's right to report any kind of wrongdoing. HR is her champion now.

And yes, I do know from experience that women's careers suffered in many ways from rebuking someone's advances but this latest story grinds my gears. When she said something like "I felt isolated and humiliated". Isolated from whom? Didn't she go on to have a very good career all these years? I'm sick of this whole movement trying to go back in history to ruin someone;s life.