Most of George Will’s writing is innocuous enough.
He likes Mitch McConnell. He doesn’t like unions.
He likes to call Colorado Democratic Sen. Mark Udall “Mark Uterus.” He doesn’t like to call anything “the war on women.”
But the Washington Post columnist frequently crosses a line when it comes to rape and sexual assault. He’s been doing so for more than 20 years.
Worse, his sexist, insensitive and dangerously flippant attitudes toward rape run in papers across the country, including the ?Indianapolis Star.
He’s America’s most-read columnist, appearing regularly in 328 papers ?nationwide.
He should be dumped by every one of them.
Before we explain what he’s done and why his views are so detrimental, a word about free speech.
George Will, to our knowledge, has never overtly threatened anyone in his columns. He’s never voiced fighting words or filled a column to the brim with ?profanity.
That means his speech, however objectionable — and boy, is it objectionable — is legally protected. He won’t go to jail for publicly shaming rape victims and trivializing sexual ?harassment.
But the right to say something is different from the right to a paid column in a newspaper. In fact, there is no right to a paid column in a newspaper. The Constitution is defiantly mute on the subject.
Insisting George Will should be dropped from his national platform isn’t attacking his right to free speech.
He would be more than welcome to start his own blog, or maybe even an edgy zine (title suggestions: Will’s Will; George Will Not Be ?Silenced; By George).
We acknowledge that Will can say whatever he wants. We just contest that he gets to do it in actual ?newspapers.
Will’s most recent offense was a June 2014 column in which he insisted colleges and universities have made “victimhood a coveted status that confers privileges.” For some reason, Will is under the impression that women want to be raped so they can get the goodies that come with it.
You know, things like internal injuries, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, post-traumatic stress disorder, invasive medical procedures and an unforgiving legal system that examines your sexual history under a microscope. Those privileges.
The allegation is beyond insulting — it’s dangerous. By ignoring the reality of rape in the lives of women (and men), Will assumes they’re faking it for the ?attention.
He implies that they can’t be raped because they want it.
An average of 60 percent of assaults aren’t reported. Victims don’t need added incentive to hide their ?trauma.
Earlier in his career, Will insisted that Anita Hill’s sexual harassment allegations were simply part of the “victimization sweepstakes” that doles out “many prizes,” such as media attention.
Again, Will seems to think that women can’t truly be harassed because they want the attention.
What he thinks is legitimized by the Washington Post and the Indianapolis Star. What he thinks becomes what some in his (very large) readership think.
What he thinks makes it that much harder for victims to come forward, for women to protect themselves, for women to be safe.
When given the chance to apologize for his dangerous statements, Will refused. He wouldn’t take back a single word.
There are 328 papers across the country that should take it back for him. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch already has.
Drop George Will.
