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Why Our Response to Resurfaced Allegations Needs a Second Look
There’s an example of it posted just about every day:
· Twitter user “chefboyohdear” called out Jimmy Fallon for his use of brownface in a SNL skit.
· Former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren argued that her competitor, Michael Bloomberg, should release women from non-disclosure agreements regarding crude remarks and hostile work environments.
· Oscar producers struggled with how to handle Best Actor winner Gary Oldman, who was accused of domestic violence.
None of these points should be taken lightly. They involve serious allegations of abuse at worst and misjudgment at best, and from the psychological perspective, there is no expiration date on the effect of trauma.
But all of these points are similar in that they involve resurfaced allegations from events years or even decades in the past. And so we have to ask: What about change? What if what happened clearly no longer aligns with what the accused believes and does? Should that influence what accountability means? If so how?
Evidence that a person has left (or is leaving) previous behaviors and ways of thinking behind is, in a very basic sense, a prerequisite for forgiveness. This is one of the reasons why defense attorneys routinely point out the good…
