I'm not saying blame the victim; I'm saying protect the innocent. On both sides.

(TL;DR at the bottom)

Being a victim of rape, I am often expected to automatically side with the accuser. That is not how I roll. I know most - if not all - women have been consistently harassed and/or assaulted within all areas of life. However, I also know there are men in prison for assaults they did not commit. Every few years or so, one is vindicated and released.

The massive surge of accusations within Hollywood right now is feeding into this "point the finger" mentality, where once a man is accused, they are automatically guilty. This. Is. Dangerous.

I will admit that there is a bit of sensitivity on my part, because even though I am a victim of rape, I am also a man. Still, I strongly believe in the sole judicial concept of protecting the innocent. Contrary to what many today believe, just because someone is accused of sexual harassment or assault, doesn't mean they did it. YES, that does mean it is possible an accuser isn't telling the truth. NO, that does not mean we deny the words of an accuser. It means we INVESTIGATE.

In some cases, an accuser may have thought the culprit was one person, when it was really another. In other cases, the accuser genuinely took what occurred as harassment, but a lack of communication led to the accused being unaware. Yes, this shit is complex, but no matter the case, we must make sure no innocent person gets hurt. No victim should go without justice, and no one should be condemned for a crime they did not commit. But it doesn't stop there:

1. If you have been accused of sexual harassment, and you know you are innocent, work to clear your name without defaming the accuser, for you may not know what they are going through internally. You may have done something wrong without knowing, and though that is not inherently your fault, it is your job to fix it.
2. If you have been accused of sexual assault, and you know you are innocent, do your hardest to prove your innocence, but do not forsake the emotional credibility of the accuser unless you can truly prove their claim is 100% falsified, mind and body.3. If you have been accused of sexual harassment or assault, and you know you are guilty, FUCKING confess. Do not make it harder on the victim than it already is.
4. If you are a victim of sexual harassment or assault, seek justice, but make sure you are going about it the right way. Getting the wrong person only creates another victim, and many of the wrongly accused never get the opportunity to vindicate themselves once condemned. Their lives are changed forever.
5. If you are not victim of sexual harassment or assault, DO NOT SAY YOU ARE. All that does it insult every real victim that exists, and makes it harder for them to be believed and get the justice they deserve.

Remember, this is not about blaming or not trusting the victim, but protecting the innocent, no matter who the innocent may be. If you read all of this, you're a fuckin' trooper! :)

TL;DR: Accusation does not equal conviction. Let's help the victims, but let's also protect the innocent from being wrongly accused and condemned. Catch the right guy.

I currently don't have a cat, so I can't pay my taxes. Please don't kick me out. :(