Cornell, Not Really

I haven't talked a lot about the Cornell situation for a couple of reasons.  Mainly because I think that we'll never really know the Truth about what happened, and secondarily because I think that no one involved comes out looking particularly good.  Trying to apportion relative bad behavior on a pie chart, after multiple versions of the events in question seems to be a hopeless quest.   Rape is bad, yet false rape accusations are also bad.  There will probably be a civil trial and the woman will probably win because the burden of proof is lower.  There will probably not be a criminal trial because once Hochul and James get past the midterms, they'll realize that a trial is a no win politically for them.  Given the Clancy case, it seems likely that a hung jury is a real possibility, which is a political loss for Hochul and James.  It's enough for them to talk tough before the elections and then come up with an excuse for failing to go to trial after.  

But that's just politics.  

This Substack makes a couple of really good points, that go way beyond this specific case.   

 

https://substack.com/home/post/p-218941963

 

" Said James the day before her appointment, “My heart goes out to the victim. The survivor. And I stand with her and all individuals who unfortunately have been the victims of sexual assault.” In designating Ms. Doe as “victim” and “survivor” James sat her ample ass on the scales of justice and did so brazenly."

The literal purpose of a trial is to determine if there is a "victim" and whether or not a crime has occurred.  If it's enough for a prosecutor to simply announce that a victim exists absent a trial, why bother with a trial at all?   

 

 “Seven men have drugged and gang raped a 20-year-old woman,” said the always impulsive Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. “The culture of rape, sexual assault, and pedophilia is protected in elite institutions across the United States and including Cornell University in this instance. It has got to stop.”

 

What "elite institutions" is AOC referring to?   Are their any "institutions" more "elite" than the Ivy League schools in the US?   Are they not the epitome of "elite institutions" in the US?  Do not the ASPL worship the politicians who graduate from these "elite institutions"?  

But even more than that, what ideological worldview controls the vast majority of higher education?   

" At Cornell, for instance, 96 percent of political donations went to Democrats. (A statistic which holds across virtually all colleges and universities across the country) AOC also ignores the fact that these campuses owe their “culture” to the sexual revolution the Left has proudly nurtured these last 60 years. 

Further, what is the "culture" of these "elite institutions"?

" Cornell, for example, offers a course in “Sexual Desire,” another in “Decadence.” For years, Yale University famously sponsored an event called “Sex Week” that showcased “titillating displays, ‘adult’ film stars, and corporate sponsors of such material.” (Not that there was anything wrong with that!) In 2006, sponsors distributed 25,000 copies of Sex Week at Yale: The Magazine to all the Ivy League campuses, Cornell included."

 

I have no problem with adjudicating the events in question, I have no problem with the accuser being harshly punished if it's found that she has made false accusations or lied about the events, just as I obviously have no problem with men who rape being held accountable for their actions.  

 My problem is with a political philosophy that can simultaneously ignore over 250,000 rapes in the UK, virtually every woman on "refugee" boats being raped on the voyage, those who rape/kidnap children getting light sentences, and claiming that some degree of rape is necessary to eradicate racism (https://afru.com/price-worth-paying-to-end-racism/), while making this case such a big deal.