May 12, 2020 | revcom.us
The points that are made in the article by Sunsara Taylor on Tara
Reade’s accusation against Joe Biden* are important, but one other point
should be made, especially as this article speaks (as it should) to the fact
that an accusation that is made long after the alleged incident results in a
situation where any process seeking to determine the truth of the accusation is
tainted and vitiated by the passage of so much time. This needs to be
accompanied by a statement that it is entirely possible both to
recognize that (as is spoken to in this article) women who are actually
subjected to sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape often do not come
forward at the time, because of intimidation, a (false, socially-imposed) sense
of shame, and other reasons, and at the same time to recognize
that, when (for whatever reasons) a long time has passed before the accusation
is made, the basis for determining the truth of the accusation has been
vitiated. And it needs to be emphasized: The answer to this is to
focus on creating the conditions in society where women feel encouraged and
supported in coming forward at the time and, while not automatically
“believed,” are taken seriously, and a serious, evidence-based scientific
investigation and process is conducted with regard to their accusation.
* In Light of Tara Reade’s Accusation Against Joe Biden,
Points of Basic Principle. This article is available at
revcom.us. [back]
