Once Again, the ADN Comments Board is Really Making Me See the Light on Sexual Assault

When I saw today's headline in the Alaska Dispatch News, "Alaska lawyer says Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas groped her in 1999," I knew I didn't actually need to read the article about how Moira Smith, now 41, just came forward to report being groped at age 23 by a notorious sexual harasser, because the comments would do all the work for me and make me see the light that Smith is clearly lying. 

In yet another case of he said/she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said, I'm going to follow the comments' lead and just go ahead and believe the "he" in the equation.

Makes sense, dontcha think?

Per the ADN comments, Ms. Smith's account is "ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER BUNCHA LIES," (Caps in original) and it's "[a]mazing that after all these years, the trauma & outrage from such a horrible thing just now materializes??? Hmmmm Right before the election. Let's keep beating the evil-groping man drum for Hillary." 

Also, Smith's account is indicative of a "[t]ypical authoritarian 'liberal' mentality. Guilty until proven innocent. Unless it's a leftist politician, then it's innocent even when clearly guilty." 

And don't forget "I bet she's a liberal liar," "pull up your big girl panties and move on from whatever real or imagined incidents are in your past," "if she were so offended by it, why did she let him do it again and again and wait 25 years to complain about it?," and "always comes out at election time, lol."

For as we all know, rapists and sexual assailants always check the political party affiliation of their victims before grabbing their private parts, knowing that they will most likely get away with it regardless.

In a state with one of the highest rates of sexual assault and domestic violence in the country, it's heartwarming to see many readers of its largest newspaper coming out in force to troll one of their own.

It's incredible how the readership of the ADN stands ready to discredit the person who has nothing to gain and everything to lose by bravely coming forward with her story, and would rather believe the person with everything to gain by lying and everything to lose by revelations of his conduct.

Reactions like this also really promote the public interest by emboldening victims to come forward, rather than doing what 97% of victims of rape and sexual assault usually do, i.e., take their stories to their graves, precisely because of reactions like this.

Way to go, Alaska!

The ADN should ask itself what the purpose of the comments feature is. It rarely promotes any real dialogue about anything. Maybe it drives web traffic, but it's a platform for abuse. Full stop.

Earth to ADN: time to Delete Your Comments Board.