accountability

Swalwell Pulled Out

All’s well

without Swalwell,

unless

you’re his

family

or a victim.

Because of 

him

your life

is now hell.

Thanks,

Former Representative

Swalwell.

And now

Dems must

face

another

race,

this time

in the great

state-

the richest

state-

of Cali.

The tally

of men

who 

got caught

harming

women-

multiple 

women-

still shocks

and appalls,

as it should.

Who would

do this?

Men of

such 

hubris

and much

power.

I’m glad

he pulled

out 

of the race,

though he

was running

apace,

and could

have become

Newsom’s

successor

for governor.

Before Swalwell

fell,

I didn’t

like him,

though

I agreed

with his

legislative

actions.

His ubiquitous

presence

became

distractions,

and he was

overly

ambitious.

There’s

the story

that 

Dems

destroy

themselves,

but Trump

has destroyed

the US.

The biggest

messes

are MAGA

Congress’s,

as they

refuse

to hold

Trump

accountable.

Trump

and his

party

are responsible,

no doubt,

but still,

I’m glad

that Swalwell

pulled out.

No need 

to throw

the baby

out

with the

bathwater.

Just

let him

go

and show

the world

that

we can

recover

with another

Democrat

in charge.

Cesar Dressing

Many 

a school

and boulevard

is named

for the man

whose

reputation’s

now marred

by the revelations

in the NYT

investigations

into

sexual abuse

by the Latino

and Farm Workers

Union hero,

Cesar Chavez.

Dolores Huerta

the “abuela” 

of the same

movement,

chose silence

about being

raped by him

and his abuse

of girls

and other

women,

for the sake 

of the Farm 

Workers

Union

and Latino

rights.

Now 

at almost

96,

her admission

could help

fix

the trap

of hero

worship.

Leadership

is an ego

trip,

but the script

must be 

flipped

more immediately.

The fear 

and shame 

shouldn’t be

for the victims

of abuse,

but for those

who confuse

title

with entitlement.

Victims

of Chavez

were as young

as 9,

and Ms. Huerta,

whom he twice

raped

at the time,

each time

resulting

in children,

was so 

committed to

her work

with the UFW,

and the rights

of farm workers

and Latinos,

that she chose

silence

for what she

believed

was a greater

good;

but also

for what she

believed

she could

do.

In many ways

our culture

is now more

aware

of the reality

of the pervasiveness

of sexual

abuse.

But many

refuse

to accept

the concept

that women

and children

are actually

not objects.

Even other

humanitarian

projects

carve out

sex

as somehow

irrelevant.

The recent

revelations

show Chavez

was malevolent –

not just

the macho

hero.

And now

bro

culture-

the manosphere-

does appear

to embrace

misogyny.

Accountability

for irresponsibility

much less,

abuse,

finds

an excuse

among

the obtuse

and those

who have

something

to lose.

Of course,

everyone

has something

to lose,

and to choose

to ignore

abuse,

or deviance,

for the convenience

of political

expedience

is itself

an abdication

of responsibility.

Sure,

we give females

our blessing

and yet

insinuate

that dressing

a certain

way

causes

inappropriate

behavior

by invitation.

Only

such a notion

removes

responsibility

for action

and gives

agency

to spaghetti

straps

and mini

skirts.

It hurts

my heart

to learn

this news,

not for Chavez,

but for

Huerta.

She had

to endure

for 

sixty

years

for fears

of “greater”

pain.

But the greater

stain

will be 

on

all of us

who let

injustice

remain.

Formerly Known As Prince

You knew

that Andrew

was in

a Windsor 

knot,

and not 

because

he draws

positive

attention.

But the arrest

of one 

of the 

highest profile

friends

of Epstein

by a mile,

is the one

formerly known

as Prince

Andrew.

Whom did he

talk to?

Or was it

just Epstein?

And what intel

did he tell

if he told

bad old 

Epstein,

and why?

The plot,

not

just sickening,

is now  

ever thickening,

with tales

of international

intrigue.

In a league

of his own,

Epstein brokered

connections

in all directions,

while trafficking

girls

as objects

of sex.

This tale

of abuse

and lies

and powerful

ties,

perhaps of spies,

still denies

most

of the victims’

voices.

The choices

to ignore

his crimes

before

accepting

favors and gifts,

show a classless

class

of grifts

and thrifts

among the wealthiest

and most powerful.

This spectacle

of unacceptable,

is a basket

of deplorable,

that should make

us nauseous

and wince.

Formerly known

as respectable

people,

we presumed

more than 

innocence.

A former prince,

left untitled,

though still

entitled,

must be held

accountable.

Truth to power

can feel

insurmountable

when the most

powerful

get slapped

on the wrist.

A nice twist

to this list

of influencers

influenced

by a confidence

guy

with cultivated

connections,

instead of deflections

and rejections

of what 

was known

to be true,

would be to

witness

the prosecution

of the real

prostitution

at the highest

levels

and see,

not just

transparency,

but actual

accountability.