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Bruvyman said:
Do you think that everytime a man acts inappropriately and does something like grabbing a woman's ass that it should be taken to the police and charges laid? I don't, and can't understand why everyone is up in arms that she did not go to the police. She has every right to, but by no means is she obliged to.
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Sarah has every right not to go to the police but what she does not have the right to do is to use social media to try Rob Ford in the court of public opinion. If she is not going to go to the police with these allegations than she should just keep quiet.
 
Peepers said:
Sarah has every right not to go to the police but what she does not have the right to do is to use social media to try Rob Ford in the court of public opinion. If she is not going to go to the police with these allegations than she should just keep quiet.
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Why not? Why does one not have the right to speak of one's sexual assault in public?

What if he'd simply told her that she was incompetent. Would she have no right to discuss that in public?

What if he'd mentioned that he didn't like Brussels sprouts? Would she have no right to mention that in public?
 
CDL.TO said:
Yes, I feel like exaggerating (or, as you say, "extrapolating") people's comments is dramatic and not constructive.

Yes, Hawc could have been more civil in his response. But nfitz brought into question whether or not Hawc supports sexual abuse, and that is far more dramatic and unconstructive.
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So everyone who uses a dramatic writing style (like the extrapolation technique or, say, hyperbole) is a "drama queen"? maybe i miss the meaning/intent of that phrase. Probably an age thing ;)
 
I have to say, I appreciate TOareaFan's deconstruction of my writing style, as it's making me think about it in a way I never have.

I guess I do tend to sometimes take the extreme of a situation to try and establish the boundaries of a problem. It's never crossed my mind that anyone could ever take offence at that, given the abstract and impersonal nature of such a discussion.
 
nfitz said:
Why not? Why does one not have the right to speak of one's sexual assault in public?

What if he'd simply told her that she was incompetent. Would she have no right to discuss that in public?

What if he'd mentioned that he didn't like Brussels sprouts? Would she have no right to mention that in public?
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There is a huge difference between revealing that someone doesn't like Brussels sprouts and accusing a person of the criminal act of sexual assault. If she is going to make such serious allegations that have the potential to destroy Rob Ford she should be prepared to back up her claims by filing police charges. She has not done so.
 
^I am sure there are things that I write that annoy you.....but, as you say, the annoyance is (I presume) in the words/thoughts not in any perceived personal direction.
 
nfitz said:
Why not? Why does one not have the right to speak of one's sexual assault in public?

What if he'd simply told her that she was incompetent. Would she have no right to discuss that in public?

What if he'd mentioned that he didn't like Brussels sprouts? Would she have no right to mention that in public?
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She clearly has the right to ......it is just a tough spot and a very sensitive subject and tarnishes recipient of the comments. If he did do as she said, that is probably the least that he deserves. If he did not and this is somehow a political game/move...he has no way to prove his innocence and he is tarred with the sex offender label inappropriately. Like I said in an earlier post, though, if what she claimed happened actually did happen she may feel this is the only way to get it out in the public as (even by her own description of the events) it is not likely that there would ever be enough "proof" to make a criminal case stick.
 
Peepers said:
There is a huge difference between revealing that someone doesn't like Brussels sprouts and accusing a person of the criminal act of sexual assault.
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That is true. What if the victim had been held in a North Korean concentration camp. There's not really any legal remedy for this, once you've escaped the country. Should one talk about it?

Peepers said:
If she is going to make such serious allegations that have the potential to destroy Rob Ford she should be prepared to back up her claims by filing police charges. She has not done so.
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I don't see that she needs to do this, as long as she is prepared to defend a civil action, if Rob Ford feels that he wants to litigate.

Why would one want to subject oneself to a long and complex legal process that we all know would end in a lack of conviction because it's he said/she said?
 
Peepers said:
An eyewitness has come forward to verify that Rob Ford did not touch Thomson in an inappropriate way

http://www.citynews.ca/2013/03/08/witness-says-mayor-ford-didnt-touch-sarah-thomson-inappropriately/

Also he contradicts Thomson's assertion that Rob Ford claimed his wife was not in Florida. Ford told Thomson that she would have been welcome to join "us" in Florida.
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I hate Ford as much as the next guy ... and even among his supporters (those I know), they all admit he's a complete embarrassment for Toronto, but they find him entertaining (and generally like a more conservative agenda ... and he manages to accomplish this, as the majority of his silly ideas / statements are completely ignored anyway) ... there is some logic there !

Anyway, it wouldn't totally surprise me if Thomson was stretching the truth a little here ... wouldn't put it past her to be honest ....
 
This thread's revived one big classic issue: hardwire it into your brains, folks. *Thomson*. Not *Thompson*.

Though speaking of revived issues: I spoke a few months ago of Rob Ford "looking like death"; that is, like he's ready to be carted out of City Hall in a pine box...

sarah_thomson_and_rob_ford.jpg.size.xxlarge.letterbox.jpg


That might not just be "drunkenness", folks.
 
He looked fine at the airport last week
 
I'm sure I will get labeled as a sexist monster, but I don't care. What Ford did was highly inappropriate, I am not denying that. But is it really worth getting the police and courts involved? It is 2013, are women still such delicate flowers that we have to make a capital case out of an unwanted advance?

From what I gather, and maybe I missed something, he squeezed her ass and made a move on her while drunk. It is not as if he tried to strip her naked and rape her on the spot or anything. Pretty sure most of us have tried to make moves on someone we shouldn't have, or done other stupid shit while enjoying too much to drink. And yes, I am aware they are both married.

That said, I think it is time Ford seriously considered getting some help regarding his alcohol intake, if not quit cold turkey. When your drinking gets you kicked out of sporting events and potentially causes serious harm to your marriage (not to mention other unproven allegations), it is time to stop. But this is not a serious enough offense to get the law involved.
 
Electrify said:
I'm sure I will get labeled as a sexist monster, but I don't care. What Ford did was highly inappropriate, I am not denying that. But is it really worth getting the police and courts involved? It is 2013, are women still such delicate flowers that we have to make a capital case out of an unwanted advance?

From what I gather, and maybe I missed something, he squeezed her ass and made a move on her while drunk. It is not as if he tried to strip her naked and rape her on the spot or anything. Pretty sure most of us have tried to make moves on someone we shouldn't have, or done other stupid shit while enjoying too much to drink. And yes, I am aware they are both married.

That said, I think it is time Ford seriously considered getting some help regarding his alcohol intake, if not quit cold turkey. When your drinking gets you kicked out of sporting events and potentially causes serious harm to your marriage (not to mention other unproven allegations), it is time to stop. But this is not a serious enough offense to get the law involved.
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I don't know if you have been keeping up with all the developments throughout the day on this story but it now appears - without a shadow of doubt - that the allegations by Thomson were a total fabrication and that at no time did Ford touch Thomson in an inappropriate way. In other words it is almost certain that Ford is the victim of an ugly smear campaign. Another thing that should be noted is Ford did not drink alcohol at the event. If anyone was drunk it was Thomson in fact she still sounded inebriated when she was interviewed on NewsTalk 1010 at 6:00 AM in the morning!

Some things to consider is if she was actually grabbed in the ass wouldn't she have had an immediate involuntary reflex reaction? I would probably jump a foot off the floor if this happened to me. Also if this really did happen how could Thomson even be sure that it was Ford's hand unless she has eyes in the back of her head?
 
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