Sexual Assault is different from just "Locker Room Talk"

Pardon the Interruption.

Like I've mentioned in a previous entry, this is an art blog and not a political one; however, I feel this election is too important to just ignore.

"Is Is." I was a senior in college when President Bill Clinton appeared before the American public and said, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss [Monica] Lewinsky." He then admitted, seven months later, "I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinsky," but was short of admitting any sexual relations--Monica Lewinsky would later testify that she and the President were involved in oral sex and other sexual acts, but not vaginal intercourse.

To conservatives, the President's honesty was in question--not so much the President's infidelity, since many high ranking Republican leaders shared similar infidelity secrets.

Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr had been appointed to investigate the suicide death of deputy White House counsel Vince Foster and the Clinton's Whitewater real estate investment, but he was unable to find any wrongdoing. What stuck, however, was perjury--Clinton lying under oath--and obstruction of justice, and the Republican Congress moved to impeach the President on December 19, 1998.

Fast-forward 18 years. After a video emerged showing Donald Trump making obscene and lewd comments, the presidential candidate decided to hold an event, prior to the second Presidential Debate, with four of the Clintons' accusers--Paula Jones, Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey and Kathy Shelton.

Jones, Broaddrick and Willey all accuse Bill Clinton of sexual assault. Kathy Shelton is a sexual assault survivor who's assailant was defended by court-appointed criminal defense lawyer Hillary Clinton. "Court-appointed," means the attorney appointed by the court must represent the defendant to the best they can without prejudice.

The four women were invited to sit in the "town hall" debate to remind the American public of Bill Clinton's infidelity and in hopes to throw Hillary Clinton off balance. After the debate, Trump further threatened to attack Bill Clinton's marital transgressions if more tapes are released, "If they want to release more tapes saying inappropriate things, we'll continue to talk about Bill and Hillary Clinton doing inappropriate things."

But again, the issue 18 years ago was not so much the infidelity, but Bill Clinton's perjury. If we, however, are to talk about sexual assault, then wouldn't Trump's recorded comment carry more weight, since many of the accusations made against Bill Clinton are allegations and hearsay?

Trump: "I moved on her actually... I failed. I'll admit it. I did try and fuck her, she was married... No, no, Nancy [O'Dell]... In fact, I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture. I said I'll show you where they have some nice furniture. I moved on her like a bitch. I couldn't get there and she was married..."

Bragging about his fame and wealth, he continued, "...And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything... Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."

Republican media pundits called the exchange between the presidential candidate and Billy Bush as "locker-room talk." Trump capitalized on that term during the debate as an excuse; however those who do know about "locker-room talk," came out condemning Trump's act as mere submission of sexual assault.

Trevor Noah probably explains this best, "...two things about that 'locker-room' excuse. First, they're conflating sex talk with and sexual assault talk...Trying to make Trump's comments sound normal is not something they are achieving, cause--I'm sorry--that is not normal. There is a big difference between saying dirty words and glorifying non-consensual contact..."

Sources:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/clinton081898.htm
http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37595321
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/10/10/trumps-debate-plan-to-seat-bill-clintons-accusers-in-family-box-was-thwarted/
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-10-10/trump-threatens-to-push-intensely-personal-clinton-attacks-if-more-tapes-emerge
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/11/sports/what-exactly-is-locker-room-talk-let-an-expert-explain.html?_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/12/business/media/billy-bush-to-make-abrupt-exit-from-nbc-after-lewd-tape.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37617061
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Jones
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juanita_Broaddrick
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Willey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Shelton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Lewinsky