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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 2017)
Page 12 December 20, 2017 New Prices Effective April 1, 2017 O PINION Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $50.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $50.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool) : $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $109 - $139 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $49.00 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 Advancing the Conversation on Sexual Assault Let’s agree on how to punish it J ill r iChardson Our national de- bate about sexual ha- rassment and assault seems to be missing a bit of nuance. As a woman who’s been sexually harassed and assaulted many times, here’s how I see it. Sexual predators aren’t the same as pigs. Roy Moore is a predator. His systematic, frequent pursuing of teenage girls at a shopping mall when he was in his 30s shows a pattern of intention- al behavior. He was after children too young to consent to sex. Film producer Harvey Wein- stein, who systematically en- trapped women trying to make it in the film industry, is a predator. A monstrous one. Al Franken sounds like a pig. A pig is the man who stares at your chest instead of your face when talking to you. A pig might try to touch you under the pretense of being friendly, or joking, or “acci- dentally” brushing up on you. The pig might think he’s being hilarious or just having good fun. He may even think he’s flattering you. You should feel grateful he by chose you as a woman worthy of his sexual attention. The last pig I encountered smacked my behind. Twice. The first time it happened, I didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t OK, but what do you say? As a woman I’m socialized to always remain polite. Since I couldn’t think of an ap- “And?” he said. He held up one finger, as if he were making a list and I’d just given him one item — but there had to be more. What? No. “I didn’t give you permission” is the only reason I need. But I added, “And were aren’t dating.” He nodded, accepting my reasons. I was enraged. “Don’t touch my butt” shouldn’t require explana- tion or justification. Donald Trump bragged about assaulting women, and many women have come forward to allege he’s assaulted them, yet he’s in the White House. propriate, non-confrontational po- lite response, I said nothing. The second time, I was ready. This wasn’t OK, and I was willing to risk an unpleasant confronta- tion. “Don’t do that,” I said. “Why not?” the man asked. “Because I didn’t give you per- mission,” I snapped back. There seems to be a spectrum, from the small-time pig to the most heinous sexual predator. And different punishments fit different crimes. It also matters if the perpe- trator apologizes, and if he stops the problematic behavior. Yet the way we’re haphazardly applying consequences doesn’t re- flect the severity of the crime, the trustworthiness of the evidence, or the sincerity of the apology. Donald Trump bragged about assaulting women, and many women have come forward to al- lege he’s assaulted them, yet he’s in the White House. Roy Moore pursued teenage girls when he was an adult, yet he still retained the support of most Republicans. Sen. Al Franken, a mere pig by comparison, resigned his seat after realizing he was wrong for grop- ing and kissing women without their consent. Actor Kevin Spacey, who played the president on the TV show House of Cards, lost his job after a wave of assault allegations surfaced against him. But while Spacey can’t play a president on TV anymore, a man who openly bragged about committing assault still sits in the real Oval Office. And Clarence Thomas, a man once accused of serial sexual ha- rassment, is still on the Supreme Court. Our conversation must advance from simply agreeing to take sex- ual harassment and assault seri- ously to agreeing upon a fair and consistent way to punish it. OtherWords columnist Jill Richardson is the author of Recipe for America: Why Our Food Sys- tem Is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It.