CNN reporting 5th accuser comes forward against Al Franken

[Ms. Toad]

22. Thank you for offering an explanation other than equating the fact

that this woman is smiling, and rolly eyes to dismiss her claim.

I believe the women, largely because my own experience with that kind of contact is eerily simliar. All of the explanations for why it can't possibly be true - based on whether the woman showed visible shock or pulled away (i didn't), whether she complainied immediately (I told my spouse within days, but no one else for 18 months), that no man would ever do this in full view of the public (there were at least 100 people present in my case - and could have been closer to 1000, given that it occurred in a dining room through which all of the 1000 + people at the gathering were passing through), and even that he didn't understand it was not welcome (the person who fondled my butt truly didn't realize it was offensive).

The latter makes Franken's apology also ring true for me. The person who fondled me sent me an email to ask why I was avoiding him and explained that he must have done something wrong because my relationship with him changed, but that he didn't know what it was. That is very similar to the acknowledgement by Franken that he crossed the line for some women, and that he was reflecting on his behavior to understand how that might have happened (paraphrasing here).

I'm not calling for his head on a platter - I think his respose so far is appropriate. Having had this conversation with the friend who crossed the line with me, I can imagine how he might have believed that level of physical affection was welcome. That doesn't make it appropriate (unless the other person involved also considers butt grabbing appropriate in a casual relationship) - but it is on an entirely different level than exposing yourself, coercing sex, rape, being sexually involved with minors.

My problem is with people who are not following Franken's lead - and who are actively trying to disprove the allegations by engaging in the kind of character assassination against the accusers that was standard in the 60s and 70s.

(I have a little harder time accepting breast grabbing in the same overly friendly embrace category - but aside from responding to posts like yours that dismiss it outright based on a photograph of her smiling, I'm waiting to see on this last complaint.)