Denial is not absolution.
Donald Trump has done something no president has done before. He has exposed the hypocrisy of the evangelical right, and the GOP.
“Roy Moore denies it. That’s all I can say. He denies it. And by the way, he totally denies it.” ~ Donald Trump, sexual predator
There has been an undercurrent building, fueled by indignation at our society’s inclination to look the other way, make excuses for predators, and blame victims- while it protects those men who commit unspeakable crimes.
Trump’s endorsement of this man, whose predatory behavior was so blatant he was banned for life from a shopping mall and the YMCA, can only feed the backlash against abuse and empower more victims to come forward naming their attackers.
Trump isn’t the only politician to dismiss Moore’s crimes. Alabama Governor Kay Ivy has stated she believes the accusers, who say Senate hopeful Roy Moore sexually harassed and assaulted them when they were teens, but she is going to vote for him regardless.
The election of Donald Trump despite accusations against him by 24 women, one as young as 13, of sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to rape, in addition to the audiotape capturing Trump graphically bragging about what he believes is an entitlement to assault women, enraged victims of abuse to such an extent that it brought an estimated 5 million women together participating in 673 marches worldwide. Outing assailants has become the next step.
Long buried memories of sexual harassment, assault, rape, told by of victims after years of suppression, as well as accounts on how those misogynistic experiences shaped the lives of victims, demonstrate clearly these experiences don’t make people stronger, they wear them down. That is what they’re meant to do. Sexual assault is an abuse of power with lifelong implications for the victims.
This problem is not limited to Hollywood or Washington, it’s a worldwide problem without socioeconomic boundaries.
50% of women recently polled said they have experienced some form of sexual harassment or worse, and women are not the only victims.
The only way to change society’s negligence with regards to this issue is to stand together and fight it as a group. There is strength in numbers and unfortunately victims do outnumber the assailants and naysayers.
The fact that pedophile Roy Moore, and other predators like Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein, refuse to admit their behavior regardless of the number of their accusers does not lessen their crimes. Denial is not absolution.
Rapists almost never spend a single night in jail, although their victims live with the memories for the rest of their lives. Laws made by men favor the abusers. The only retribution we have right now is to expose abusers to their employers, their families, and the press. We are left no choice but to assert our own consequences, because without repercussions rampant sexual misconduct will continue. 
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<a href=”https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/mercy/”>Mercy</a>
A lot from Lydia 
YES! When I read the title of your post I thought I had to read it despite the fact that I try to minimize my exposure to “Trump” news. I think the door has been opened now for women to come forward and I, for one, want to see it stay open. Wide open. So I’m here applauding your post. We must not let the outrage simmer down to a mere burble. Onwards!
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😊
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Phew. A powerful essay, Lydia. Another one to reblog.
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Oops.. posted before I finished. I don’t see a place to reblog on this so will not until I hear from you that it is okay.
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Hi Judy, thank you! You are always welcome to repost. 😉 I don’t like this most recent update I’m not sure if it’s my phone or WordPress, but I had just figured it out and now I’m confused again.
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I write on a computer and it is Marilyn’s thought that the problems with the updates is that they’re made with phones in mind rather than computers. I know what you mean about the confusion. I am tired of having to look for where to “save.” The other day it changed three times as I was writing my blog. Eventually it went back to the original. Not to mention trying to post at a later date. That has changed a number of times as well. Wish they could leave it as it is, work on a different version and give you a choice instead of fiddling around with a program you are in the middle of using. Perhaps this is impossible. I’m not schooled in programming.
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Sheesh. Now I see the reblog button. I think I’m developing arbitrary vision.
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Reblogged this on lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown and commented:
Some shocking statements here, unfortunately quotes from our POTUS, but something everyone should see. Another good one from Lydia.
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Pinned to my “UN-thinkable-today” Board. I’d love to see a scan of Kay Ivy’s brain — is ANYTHING connected up there?
xx,
mgh
(Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
ADD/EFD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
“It takes a village to transform a world!
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Time for the old boys club to leave Dodge. Time for women to stop tolerating the nonsense. Keep the dialogue going people!
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I am amazed he has all this time to tweet about Roy Moore given that it must be interrupting his golfing schedule;
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/22/donald-trump-golf-mar-a-lago-thanksgiving-meetings?CMP=share_btn_link
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Yes, yes, and yes. I find some solace in 21st century public shaming of such wretched individuals, but it’s never enough though. We need justice to happen.
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