Charlie Judice

Editor, Red House Branch Swamp Life

October 17, 2018

Just My Opinion

#MeToo Run Amuck

Plato argued for the political and sexual equality of women more than 2000 years ago. So one might argue that he was the first true feminist. During the Age of Enlightenment there were many male and female philosophers that defended the rights of women including the right to vote and participate in government. In the nineteenth century the Victorian image of women prevailed. Men were to occupy the public sphere (the space of wage labor and politics) and women the private sphere (the space of home and children). Queen Victoria herself disparaged the concept of feminism which she described as the "mad, wicked folly of Woman's Rights". Florence Nightingale was the exception. She believed women had all the potential of men but none of the opportunities.

Here are some of my recent posting on Facebook:

Oct 17, 2018: There's an interesting quote in this WSJ article: “You (father to son) can explain that just because a girl is acting seductive or dressed a certain way does not mean she wants to have sex with you.” Well what does it mean? Perhaps it means she wants to have sex with someone else. Perhaps her parents got used to letting her wear whatever she wants. Perhaps the HS dress code is not really enforced or there is none. Perhaps she's practicing her part in a school play. So what is a boy to do? Take cold showers (alone). Brother Timothy, at my Catholic HS had a simple answer: keep it in your knickers.

Oct 14, 2018: #MeToo is expanding its scope to include sexual misconduct from the past. My question is how would a man define sexual misconduct 30 years ago versus today. I once attended a “woman’s awareness workshop” while working at Verizon in the 90s. I raised the question that as long as we were discussing sexual morality why not include rampant, consensual fornication. The women at the workshop angrily shouted me down claiming "that is not a subject we care about". What I learned in Catholic HS is that fornication is sexual misconduct whether it is consensual or not. So is fornication still considered sexual misconduct by anyone?

Sept 23, 2018: I agree completely with this opinion piece in the WSJ. Do we really want a system of justice where the accused is assumed guilty unless proven innocent. If that's what #MeToo means then my gender better realize they are under attack and start thinking with the organ on their shoulder.