Me Too

metoo #

Everybody knows that they guilty
Everybody knows that they’ve lied
Everybody knows that they guilty
Resting on their conscience eating their inside
It’s freedom, said it’s freedom time now.
– Lauryn Hill

In high school, working as a cook, I pinched the ass of a waitress while we were flirting. I felt an intense shame at doing something so stereotypically wrong. I still feel a degree of that shame when I share that story with my sons.

As I man in my 20’s I witnessed my boss verbally sexually harass a female colleague and did not report it until my colleague left the organization. I was more concerned for my position in the company than protecting my friend. Her sister won’t speak to me to this day. I am sure I’ve said things similar, if not so direct, in my evolution.

The common denominator in these stories we read is that these abusers had people around that directly or indirectly contributed to their crimes. They saw it and did nothing to stop it, and this is how evil flourishes in the world.

Women are strong. They can and will take care of themselves. But they shouldn’t have to. We need to stand up and say something immediately. In hindsight, this is common sense but in the moment it is difficult. We should not fear the difficult, the unsure, for the sake of our skins, our own egos, or positions. Only in this way can we move beyond the weakness of sexual harassment towards a greater equality that empowers us all.