Confusion

ritaanz

There have been several posts recently about sexual harassment. What constitutes sexual harassment?

I have never been sexually harassed, but it is not because I haven't had the experience with the behavior now called by that name.

In the course of my life, I've been hugged and kissed, heard cautious innuendo and bold propositions. I have seen everything from amorous notes to bouquets of flowers delivered to the office. It did not bother me then and still doesn't. Sometimes I was indifferent, other times I was amused.

This is not to say there aren't some real clods out there. But....when we say we need the help of government to protect us from offense, we say we are unable to handle the situation ourselves.

If we can't handle such matters as idiots and fools, how can we say that we can handle academic, business and governmental duties that routinely involve complex or brillant or dangerous men?

LivindonSouth

With the breadth and depth of government expanding five fold during the mid 60s, 70s and 80s, my dear, Americans were taught that the government is here to protect us. We learned that we need the protection of the government as much as we are dependent on the government teat that nurtures and provides for our daily needs. The government, particularly (and here it comes) congressional Democrats whose main mantra is 'Grow Government', insisted that certain groups could not protect themselves against menacing behaviors and therefore needed the policing and punishment provided by certain regulations. The government realizes that not all (in fact very few) women are able to leap tall buildings like you are Rita.

And it ain't over yet. Certain groups are already pushing for the rights of animals and even plants. Before you die, you will see regulations phohibiting you from the insensitive act of washing mud off your sidewalk onto the chirping green leaves of grass in your yard. You will be required to bag that mud and dispose of it in a more caring fashion.




Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

Gillian3

You are absolutely correct. One can look at the size of government now and see that it has grown smaller by leaps and bounds, especially under the current administration. Smaller and more efficient government is right here among us and we didn't even notice. Everything is smaller, fewer employees, lower budget and all. I didn't think that it could be done. I should have known, though, because if one does a study of the size of government since the 1970's there is a direct correlation between size and party in power, just like Don sez.

LivindonSouth

As usual, you are hallucinating. This time you are falsely assuming that the party of the encumbent president equates to 'party in power' which it by no means does. Your assignment is to go back and run the numbers and see which party had majorities in the house and senate at times when government grew the most, fastest, with seemingly uncontrolled abandon. I won't be surprised at the outcome of your research, but then, neither will you be.




Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

HRLASS

First of all, you are fortunate that you are as secure as you appear and evidently haven't had to deal with the more extreme behaviors that fall under sexual harassment.

Ever hear of the casting couch? Actresses (or actors) have sex with producers, directors, etc in order to get and/or keep a job. Now they can audition with their talent. Same holds in all other kinds of employment. I'm glad to say we haven't had any extreme problems here, but I have read of employment situations where the boss required various kinds of sexual "favors" for himself/herself in order for the employee to keep their job, to be promoted, get raises, or from being made to clean tiolets or equivalent in order to remain employed. What is much more frequent is groping and various behaviors that violate physical space. This is not an acceptable condition of employment. You may consider yourself strong enough to thwart anything, but not everyone is. When I previously worked in advertising, there was one business where the manager always demanded that the female salespeople make photocopies of their naked breasts on his office copier in order to get his business. It amazed me that some actually did. This is why we have sexual harassment laws. Working and associating with male leaders in academic, business or government who are complex or brilliant are part of the bonus of rising to those levels; the dangerous ones should be removed as they jeopardize all those who can be influenced or effected by them. If your post was really serious, you are very fortunate.

LisaMN2

Hadn't you heard Ritaanz? It's actually an equal opportunity initiative so we can all claim we are victims of something.....

deniseE

as with anything, this was intended to protect people from losing jobs because they wouldn't give in to sexual favors and the like..but it's been abused...and that's just reality.

Personally, I've handled the situations just as you have...but I imagine the law has been a comfort to many who would have been afraid to speak up.

Anything can be abused...and it's frustrating to see people use this law to hurt innocent individuals.

System

We're assuming here that sexual harassment happens only to women.

Government is supposed to be the 'guardian of efficiency.' That is to protect those who can't protect themselves. Sort of like regulating the number of Rockfish or blue crabs you can pull out of the Chesapeake Bay. Licensure. That's a big one. Driving, fishing, plumbing, building, you name it. Anyway . . . . .

the establishment of the DOL, Wage & Hour, Title VII and all of it's amendments. It's there to protect us. And from whom? It's like Pogo said: "I have met the enemy, and he is us."

LivindonSouth

Government is 'the guardian of efficiency'? The most inept and inneficient body of collective souls on the planet is the guardian of it. I never know when you're serious.




Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

System

Yes, I was serious as a heart attack. Your statement parallels the quote from Pogo.

ray a

The county I work in is 99% Republican and the model of efficiency. Go ahead Don, refute that.

LivindonSouth

As painful as it is for me to admit, and for you to accept Raymond, Democrats have no toe-hold on ineptness and inefficiency. Government itself, by definition, rises eventually to a level of incompetence and inefficiency. Even a Republican one. They just have less facial hair and body piercing.




Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

HRLASS

Actually, when I referred to both sexes as harassers, that's what I was referring to. I know one guy who was hired and discovered when he started work that all his co-workers were young, male, anglo and blonde - manager's "preference" - and he tried them out one by one. Happens to gays and lesbians.

Also, ever see the film with Demi Moore and Michael Douglas - either "Disclosure" or "Full Disclosure", (something like that). It happens.

LivindonSouth

"I know one guy who was hired and discovered when he started work that all his co-workers were young, male, anglo and blonde - manager's "preference" - and he tried them out one by one. Happens to gays and lesbians."

I may be the only one out here who has no idea what you are talking about.




Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

ritaanz

Now there are two of us.

System

Young blonde-haired males? Are the blue-eyed and 6' tall and German?

safety

and he tried them out one by one. Happens to gays and lesbians.

I think this statement from the post gives clarity to the confusion, at least it did for me.

HRLASS

Manager was male and gay. He was hoping he had hired a stable of young men that met his preference for type and then through the work relationship (and after work) felt them out about having relationships with him. Not everyone met the final qualification (willing to have sex with him), but enough did that he was satisfied and just "enjoyed the view" of the rest. I was trying to refrain from a more graphic explanation. Any more questions? (I found out years later he was murdered. Connected?)

safety

When I was 17 I worked for a local pizza agency and was the victim of sexual harassment. There was a female co-worker whom I did not care for but apparently she had a crush on me. She just happened to be very well endowed or heavy in the chest so to speak and never missed an opportunity to contact my body with them. At one point I was taking an order over the phone and had my right arm on the counter, pen in hand making an order list when lo and behold she appeared and laid her bazoongas on my arm. I was taken aback and quickly moved my arm away and she could see my displeasure. Well, after repeatedly telling her to leave me alone I finally found a way to make her stop. After the flesh on the arm trick I began making the pizza that was just ordered and one of the toppings was anchovy. I opened a fresh can of anchovies and instead of the usual pour the excess juice down the sink I found her soft drink cup and filled her straw with the juice. After her spitting bout she realized it was me who pulled the stunt and she never bothered me again with her sexual conduct. We in fact became friends after this but never did she exhibit her sexual behavior to me again.

Rita, I must say that while my method was unconventional I didn’t need the government to get her to stop putting her bazoongas all over me without my consent.

LivindonSouth

"quickly moved my arm away and she could see my displeasure"

She must have been one helluva ugly woman for a 17 year old red-blooded boy to react that way. Most of us would have given up food for that opportunity! If she had laid them on me and I turned toward her, it wouldn't have been my displeasure she would have seen. It would have been my anchovie.




Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

safety

"She must have been one helluva ugly woman for a 17 year old red-blooded boy to react that way"

Don can you imagine bow wow or wuf wuf? Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and I had no desire to be holdin that creature!

ritaanz

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 07-27-05 AT 03:25PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Safety, That's the point!