The Patriot Post® · Exposing the Danger of #MeToo

The #MeToo movement, complete with the hashtag for social media, started out as an awareness campaign that aimed to give a voice to those who had been sexually abused, assaulted, or raped by men in positions of power. Essentially, it came into existence following the revelations of years of abuse perpetrated by Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. Soon other men in positions of power in both the media and government were exposed for having committed various acts of sexual misconduct, with many of those men finding themselves quickly ejected from their positions. However, in most cases these disgraced men have not faced legal prosecution. Why? In some instances the statute of limitations for bringing criminal charges had passed, while in other cases the activities in question did not rise to the level of criminality.

But the bigger question is one of a concern over justice. Does #MeToo actually promote true justice? Unfortunately, it appears to have been fallen into orbit around the “social justice” cause of radical feminism. The mantra often parroted by many on the Left regarding #MeToo is one of “always believe the women.” This bold assertion is then justified by another equally dubious assertion that insists America’s history is one of patriarchal misogyny where women have suffered oppression under a culture that has steadfastly refused to listen to them and provide them justice, specifically when it comes to the issue of sexual abuse.

This communicates the idea that unquestioningly believing a self-identified victim’s account of experiencing sexual abuse is the only appropriate reaction. Furthermore, to question the veracity of an allegation is akin to furthering the abuse or perpetuating the crime. The big problem is that this does not — nor will it ever — lead to greater justice. This kind of thinking actually works to undermine justice. There’s a reason why Lady Justice is blindfolded.

The #MeToo movement has been co-opted into promoting tribalism rather than true justice. It justifies emotional outrage based upon identity rather than sober-mindedness based upon fact. And like other social justice causes, it conflates fairness with equity. Equity is a means of measurement not a standard for determining justice.

In the American system of jursiprudence, the accused is innocent until proven guilty, not because the accused is always innocent but because it is the only standard that protects the rights and freedoms of the individual against mob rule and witch hunting.

(Edited.)