You can both take any tone you want. This is no different than any difference of opinion discussion.
drawing your own conclusions based on the commentary and the facts as presented so far is absolutely normal. It’s also not exactly cut and dried from a male or female perspective. Historically, the odds are generally in favour of the man (especially when powerful). Occasionally a powerful woman will do the same. But far less in the percentages.
Obv as being a man, I don’t have the females perspective. I will say I have been involved with women that were victims of sexual assault, and it changed them forever. Never in a better way. Mistrust and pain generally lay there forever, even decades later.
so I could never judge a woman (or a man) that wants to look at a situation like this and doubt the accused. I’ve never been sexually assaulted and I already doubt the accused. I try to be fair, but this isn’t a simple “he said, she said”. It’s dozens of women. That’s not what we’d call a “small sample size”.
anyway, he’s due his due process from a criminal and civil perspective. No one says otherwise. But to assume people won’t determine their own mindset towards the story —all because “well, nothing has been PROVEN yet” — is not being at all realistic and looks to be a tad “high horse- ing” the issue. From where I sit.
I don’t know that he sexually assaulted anyone. However it’s clear he was sexually involved, and that many felt intimidated by the experience. Definitely sexual harassment.
In My Opinion, the NFL needs to come down hard on him, well before the courts make any determination. From their perspective, he has at best put them in a very negative light....and at worst is a serial predator. He should be suspended now. And then the length of the suspension (or termination) should be based on whatever truths come out.
maybe that’s harsh, but no more harsh than what at least 1 of these 22 women are feeling. Arguably all of them.
edit — he also broke the law. Paying for sexual encounters is against the law in 98% of our country. I’m not stating my feelings about the law, and candidly I personally don’t believe in the law. People “sell their wares” in so many different ways, I personally believe it’s prudish (and more about religious beliefs than anything) to prevent selling sexual encounters for money.
But it’s against the law so DW has already admitted for this they his attorney. He’s guilty of it. So the NFL can easily suspend him for it right now. And they should — not because of that crime per say — but because of the overall sorry here and the chances it will get far worse for them (the NFL) when more truths come out.
PS - to my edit. It mentioned the edit comments after
@Calicaps liked my post. So if my personal commentary on the law offended, please remove the like, as this part of my post wasn’t part of what you read initially. Total transparency on this topic. As it’s warranted