Friday, May 15, 2009

Yes Means Yes

On any given night in the clubs and pubs around Australia, in bedrooms, motel rooms, backs of cars and the like, acts like those portrayed in the Matthew Johns, Rugby League, story occur. That's what happens. That's what sexually active people do in this age. Dare I say this age, because I don't think it is necessarily a new thing. People experiment.

Why is it that a person who has celebrity status is viewed any differently to other men, and women, who are involved in activities of this kind?

From all accounts the woman gave consent. There has been no evidence to the contrary, otherwise criminal charges would definitely have been laid. And whether Pru Goward or Maxine McKew, or whoever – or whichever politician wanting to make political millage out of the incident seven years later – like, or don’t like, what happened on that night, it still doesn't make it wrong.

Consent is consent. It is as simple as that. Nothing illegal happened and we must be careful not to make personal moral judgements pseudo-law. Sexual assault isn't a matter of a third person’s personal taste, it is governed by law and no charges have been laid, or will be laid.

The girl in question now says she feels distressed and that the decision she made on that night turned out to be a bad decision for her, but it was her decision. We learn from our bad decisions, that’s how we grow. I know it’s now an old fashioned notion, but people must take personal responsibility for their own actions.

I might just add, how curious it is that the only person the female can now remember is that of a person with a high public profile and, presumably, a good income.

What now becomes of Matthew Johns, now that he has been tried by media? It is typical of current affairs programs to report news based on morals rather than law, in a self-serving, sensationalist way. Seven years later, to boot. Why not in 2002? Perhaps, Four Corners was having a slow news week.


2023 - Oh... what the hell do I know.


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