HARRISON – Donald Trump shines spotlight on issues faced by women
WOMEN should be thanking Donald Trump!
Not for the things he’s reported to have said about or purportedly done to women in the past, but for shining a much needed spotlight on some of the challenges women in the western world face each and every day.
There are people who believe the allegations that several women have made, suggesting it’s certainly in character for Trump. Others are suspect about the charges which come in some cases 30 years after the fact and only weeks before the presidential election.
There is no evidence, of course, to corroborate what many of these women are accusing Trump of doing, and that is precisely why in so many cases women are reluctant to come forward.
In the absence of witnesses, or other material evidence it becomes a he said, she said scenario, in which it is difficult, if not impossible to get at the real story. And even if a sexual assault case does reach a courtroom, it’s often the victim who goes on trial, who must bear the burden of proof, and whose character and past history comes into play.
In the court of public opinion, the victims are often not believed.
Hence the hashtag on twitter last week, #nextfaketrumpvictim. It’s as if the people are convinced these women invited the unwanted advances, and it’s this long prevailing sentiment that goes right into Trump’s wheelhouse, and which have fuelled his aggressive comeback, calling these women, “horrible liars.”
Maybe they are. Or as Michelle Obama put it…. it took a lot of women to come forward before anyone believed Bill Cosby was a sexual predator, and it took an untold number of victims before people understood what the Catholic church was guilty of.
Trump’s behaviour won’t end the sexism women face every day, but it has more people starting to talk about it, and to pay attention to it…. and that’s a start.
Listen to Jim Harrison’s editorials weekdays on Radio NL, and to the Jim Harrison Show at 9:08 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at jharrison@radionl.com.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
So, by Jim’s logic, we should commend Hitler for raising the awareness of Judaism?
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So Trump is now the saviour of women because he violated so many of them and now by bring these matters out in the open he should receive credit. Never in my considerable years have I ever witnessed such twisted thinking, you take the cake Mr Harrison.
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The statistic is that 1 in 3 girls has had a sexual approach, mainly prior to turning 16. Most of these approaches come from an Uncle, a family friend, a neighbour and sometimes horrifically from a brother or a father. Both my sister and I separately were touched by an Uncle and neither of us spoke of it aloud until we were over 70 years old. I applaud your support and the light that you shine on this difficult situation, this is something that should be spoken about openly and frequently and this will go far towards females breaking the silence
Speaking openly about it will also prepare the victims and ensure that they know it is NOT their fault and that the solution is to tell a trusted person.
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That is one interesting op-piece.
Regardless of the vulgarity, crassness, arrogance and even outright & outrageous stupidity he can do no wrong in your view…because regardless of how wrong he is, he is doing it to make us aware. Too funny!
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