In 2006, a woman named Tarana Burke founded the #MeToo movement to raise awareness and support for a community that doesn’t get a lot of attention: victims of sexual abuse. In 2017, the movement gained traction after allegations arose about movie and business mogul Harvey Weinstein. And just last week, Weinstein was convicted of two of the charges brought against him and is now expected the face anywhere from 5 to 25 years in prison.
While the verdict of Weinstein should be celebrated and hailed as a groundbreaking moment for the movement, it should not serve as the end all be all. America still has a very long way to go in terms of reconciliation and providing help to victims of sexual misconduct, and sentencing is just one facet of the problem.
Several factors allow rape culture to thrive. Often, the victim is blamed for the assault by friends, family or law enforcement, which indirectly excuses the behavior of the assaulter. Or, in the case of Brock Turner, the assaulter is given a slap on the wrist for the crime. Too many times, our justice system has completely failed the victims, which send the wrong message.
The only way to improve is to believe survivors of assault when they speak out about their trauma, and amongst other things, sentence those who are in the wrong.
graphic credit: Mental Health Partners
for more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/24/us/harvey-weinstein-trial-verdict/index.html
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