And we as the general public, and the victims, with the estimated number growing by the day, must wait how much longer?
It is obvious that the only reason for stalling the release of the sex-tinged Epstein Files by the GOP is political, partisan and privileged, even if only done partially. If there is a fear for the privacy of the victims of the late, rich pedophile, given as the only real reason for dragging their feet, take this into account: Since most if not all victims of sex crimes WANT their stories to be told, wouldn’t showing what is in court documents be the first step? (I do get that such victims will want to tell their delicate story in their own words, that courtroom questioning can be brutal, and even that the court can get things wrong.) But I ran this past a friend who had been abused, and she concurred, that what is paramount is not privacy but fighting back against privilege if that is what’s standing in the way of full public disclosure and education.
And this thought on “grooming” for such acts, which I think is not something that happens with one mere touch on the shoulder, or as the friend said, a day of flattery and faux friendship. The point is that this makes the actions even more heinous, since this is not a one-second blurt of a bad word or an uncalled for shove, but a consistent and thought-out and systematic plan — that could be aborted at any time. If you keep doing the grooming, it’s the presence of evil in you.
These thoughts have resonated with others with whom I have talked, and include the idea that at some base level of physical stimulation, such contact feels “good.” This was said by an incest victim with whom I’ve been acquainted, and that fact was maybe the biggest one she grappled with. So I can see how someone could be a victim of grooming.
That said, the following paragraphs unveil many more questions.
The news showed women as they left the congressional hearing, and does this not reveal their identities? A senator said that at issue is the release of court-owned videos. Can’t he drop at least one couched example of a “frailty,” which he said was a type of thing holding him back from releasing the files?
Protecting the president? Mike Johnson, speaker of the house, said that was “obvious” nonsense. I’d say it’s anything but nonsense as the president appears to be “stonewalling,” to quote another GOP congressman who has said that primarily of GOP senators. And Johnson’s straight-faced reaction belied being actually stunned by the testimony.
And to the idea that the files have mostly been released already, at a 97 percent clip? What about the other three percent? Must be pretty damning.
Investigate more? We’ve had years of it already. And gathered 34,000 pages of documents. Now maybe up to 40K. How long to just to black out the names of victims — which probably are not listed anyway.
These are not always bi-partisan issues. Maybe the National Guard should be put to better use to round up these ICE-ish-catching offenders? And seriously, do the guard members really need the cool sunglasses? Some news images show guard members in what appears to be not plainclothesmen but full riot gear. Do we really need that for community policing?
ICE has now been said to be showing its presence in Chicago. Hell, it’s even on record as being further north here, this time in plainclothes, in little ol’ Hudson.
One would think we were a hotbed of crypto-currency, as the Trump family always defends its interests — and they just enjoyed a 5 billion stock windfall from such business that was just as tainted, because of Daddy’s conveniently laid policies, as his red carpet was for Putin.
Well, OK. The rich always get richer. But some Republicans have the gall to make the comparison to what was made — now full circle after repayment and amounting to zero — by Hunter Biden in tax misdoings. He was found guilty of claiming $1.4 million in admittedly questionable business deductions. Hey, the M word is a whole lot different than the B word, even though — to this point — the Trump family has not been hauled in, at least on this matter, by a bailiff. Dad’s legal status is far more tenuous. That don’t keep the boys from making a buck or two.