Let me tell You, bill Cosby (Bill Cosby): I believe You.
I believe what You said in 2005 testimony under oath — when You acknowledged that women gave methaqualone.
I believe You when you say that You know that the recipes on this tranquilizer You were discharged illegally. (I also believe that the gynecologist who prescribed them to You, knew that You couldn’t be his patient.)
I believe You when You describe Your version of the concept of “consent”, which, as it turns out, has very little to do with the word “Yes”.
“I don’t hear what she said, tell You under oath, describing Your meeting with the plaintiff. — I don’t think she was saying something. So I continue, I enter the realm between permission and refusal. There’s nothing stopping me”.
I believe You when you say You’ve done it so many times — You gave a young, slender women are strong sedatives before raping them.
I believe You when You say that the first time You thought it would be fun to pump up the women drugs and raping them when You were 13 years old. Then You heard about the mythical narcotic substance called “Spanish fly” under the impact of which women start to do things they don’t want to do.
I believe You when You say that a few decades later You still think it’s funny — so funny that You even mentioned it in their show.
© REUTERS, Charles MostollerАктер and comedian bill Cosby during a court case in Pennsylvania
“Come to the party and see there are five bored girls. If I had a full vial of Spanish fly I’d kindled passion in them. Ha ha ha!” — You joked in 1969, Recalling the days of their youth. Then You have many times repeated that joke.
This week the jury failed to decide whether You are guilty on three counts of indecent assault with aggravating circumstances in respect of Constand Andrea (Andrea Constand), which You have already settled a civil dispute in 2006. In the case dealt with the incident at Your house where, according to her, You tricked her to take the pills, plunging it into a semi-conscious state, and raped her. You testified in this case in 2005.
I believe You made the right decision, to resolve the civil dispute with Constand. The stakes were high enough.
A lot of people don’t believe Your words as I believe them. And I want to talk to these people: you don’t need to believe the words Cosby. 35 women told New York magazine that he made with them. They used different wording, but they all painted a very similar picture: strong tranquilizers and a man who prefers not to wait for a confident “Yes.” You don’t need to believe Cosby. You just can not believe these women.
And it’s not just about You, Cosby. In our country began the present epidemic of unbelief men.
Recall, for example, Brock Allen Turner (Brock Allen Turner), the swimmer from Stanford: he was sentenced only to six months in prison after two passers-by caught him in the moment when he brutally raped the girl, who was unconscious.
I believe the words Turner uttered them at the trial: he admitted that he was funny when two passers-by held him, waiting for the arrival of the police. Turner said that he laughed because he thought the situation was “ridiculous”.
Or view on our President. When last year, the network appeared the recording where he jokes about how he treats women, I believed him. Full transcript can be found online, and I will give you just the key part:
“You know, I’m automatically drawn to the girls — I immediately begin to kiss, it’s like a magnet. Immediately to kiss. I did not expect. And when you are the star, they allow it to you. You can do everything,” says Donald trump.
After the appearance of this audio a lot of people were quick to say that trump lied that it was just “men’s chatter”. Even the trump tried to insist on this interpretation — to convince us that he does not need to believe. But I still believe him.
I understand why some people don’t believe that trump was outspoken, given its complicated relationship with the truth. But, fortunately for trump and Cosby — there are plenty of women who will confirm its first version. They argue that he did do it with them. They have already stated this publicly. Now there are people who are willing to confirm its original version.
This trend raises serious concerns. Despite the clear and unambiguous statements and irrefutable evidence, we all too often don’t trust men who claim that raping women is fun, and that they did.
It’s time to start trusting men.
