Does Mr. Biden pat people on the shoulder, grab a hug, clasp hands firmly? Yes. If these are instances of sexual harassment, then I’m guilty as a professor. The best professors, coaches, and politicians are those with whom we have had caring contact. Learning, success, and pats on the back are often intertwined.
The lesson for women is that that we should not demand automatic trust for every situation that has been described as sexual harassment. Despite living in the MeToo moment, records, witnesses and motives should matter in every case.
We must be aware -whenever women raise spurious and historical complaints without evidence, cite reports that cannot be found or that do not jibe, or charge harassment without exact locations or dates. We must be aware that weak harassment complaints could taint legal and public responses for all women. Make no mistake. Women have not totally lost their long-held skepticism when it comes to dealing with “social” responses from men. The rules are very clear. Professors do not put the arm on students of the opposite sex, nor do coaches, film directors, big shots, wealthy predators, or politicians. We know when it is sexual and when it isn’t.
In the current situation, we are supposed to automatically believe that Joe Biden acted inappropriately back then, despite the fact that he passed a thorough investigation by the Obama campaign, TWICE, without a hint of impropriety. In addition, opposition research by the REPUBLICANS in 2008, research which is deliberately designed to put a candidate in trouble, once again turned up nothing against him. Joe Biden has gone through decades of public service at the highest and most sensitive levels without a single accusation of reported sexual misconduct in his background.
According to extensive research by the New York Times and the Washington Post and others, Ms. Reade did not keep a copy of her "complaint ". No earlier formal complaints have ever been found. When interviewed she does not “remember" the date it happened or the exact location. The police did find a record of her having filed an abuse complaint against her ex-husband.
The NYTimes and the Washington Post and others interviewed dozens of other federal employees from that period and could not find any corroboration. Several have come forward now, but with inconsistencies as to event, time, and place.
Finally, the timing of the complaint should raise serious issues for anyone concerned. Why now? Ms. Reade is a life-long Democrat who supported the campaigns of Williamson, Warren and Sanders. She voted for Sanders in the California primary.If, indeed, this is an orchestrated political distraction, the only action we should take now is to stand around Joe Biden and recognize out front that we are not fooled or distracted. Any of us.
Democracy under law is a non-partisan issue.It is time for all of us to have considered the non-evidence, all the clean vetting investigations, Mr. Biden's statement that it never happened, Mr. Biden's long record of service without other sexual harassment complaints, and move on. We have a job to do in November, Democrats and Republicans.The Democrats have an honest, caring, experienced candidate for President. We can count on Joe Biden to do the job.
Ann Melby Shenkle, Doylestown, PA