Letter to The Editor / ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

Roger C. Kostmayer

A strong cultural tide is changing how Americans view sexual assaults and sexual harassment, and how those who are accused of committing these offenses should be judged and punished in the court of public opinion.

The higher standards of behavior, openness and support for victims is long overdue, and the abuse of power by sexual predators throughout our society should no longer be tolerated. Increasingly, those accused are being held accountable. But as important and beneficial as this evolution is, “zero tolerance” is a blunt instrument with echos of witch hunts. What is required is thoughtful solutions consistent with a safe society.

Both double parking and vehicular homicide are illegal and unethical, but the appropriate due process and punishment for each offense is and should be quite different. The standards to which all of us should be held, and punishment for a range of sexual offenses, should be clear and fair to both accusers and accused. Failure to do so creates situations we’ve seen in the past where deadly punishment comes from mobs shouting “off with their heads” (or, today, “zero tolerance”); or a Senator Joe McCarthy’s accusations destroy the lives of thousands of innocent people suspected of being politically incorrect.

As America goes through this important transition (and addresses offenses that range from rape and child molestation to rude and unwanted obnoxious behavior), we need to insure that the victims are heard and treated fairly, the accused have due process, and the punishment fits the crime.

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