[CAUTION: This BaBS post discusses sexual assault]
Politicians are not gods. It has to be said so, take it or leave it. Now, I cannot understand for the life of me why these people think they’re untouchable. They’re humans who garner allies when they promise someone else a “pledge”. The political system in Australia sees rape victims as “not being team players”. In the end, any heinous crime is shoved under the rug.
Rape culture is in every industry on Earth. Politics is one where accusations are thrown out because the perpetrators, in many cases, is well-respected. Take the situation with the allegations from Brittany Higgins as a prime example.
Brittany reported her rape to her boss, but little was done. Why? Well, the guy who raped her was close to her boss, who happens to be female. So much for women supporting women.
How could Scott Morrison not know about the allegations? Everything happened under his parliament. Since Brittany’s interview with Lisa Wilkinson on The Project, another three women have come forward with allegations against the same staffer, according to Michael Di Iorio of Pedestrian.
Politicians Shouldn’t Be Protected
As I’ve said before, politicians are not gods and shouldn’t be treated as such. In their eyes, their victim won’t speak out against them.
I believe cancel culture shouldn’t be a thing, but I do think people should be held accountable if there’s enough evidence to support what they’re saying.
Politicians are regular people with huge paychecks. What gives them the right to be treated better than the rest of us?
Scott Morrison Shouldn’t Be Using His Daughters As An Excuse To Suddenly Take Notice Of A Crime
I find it very hard to believe that Scott Morrison didn’t know about the allegations until last week. The woman Brittany was in communication with was from his staff. Also, why is he using his daughters as a way of understanding what this young woman went through? This was a point that was made in an article Belinda Jepsen wrote for Mamamia around the time Ms Higgins’ allegations came to light.
If Morrison didn’t have daughters, would he have spoken out? My guess is he would’ve tried to be sympathetic, but it would’ve fallen flat as it does now.
What’s more, is the Mamamia article says this isn’t the first time Morrison has used the “as a father” card when addressing the public. He pulled the same stunt last year when women at Doha Airport in Qatar were forced to have their genitals examined when a baby was found abandoned.
Furthermore, Brittany is someone’s daughter. Every women who was treated like a piece of shit in Qatar was a daughter, sister, aunt, wife, mother, stepdaughter, friend. Moreover, Empathising with someone doesn’t begin with their relationship to you. It is about being a decent human being.
In conclusion, it’s surprising Morrison’s wife didn’t call him out on it. He can’t keep using his daughters to soften the blow.
