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demmiblue

(39,657 posts)
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 11:34 AM Yesterday

Today, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta issued the following statement:

I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for.

I have encouraged people to always use their voice. Following the New York Times’ multi-year investigation into sexual misconduct by Cesar Chavez, I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences.

As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate sexual encounters with Cesar. The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.



I have kept this secret long enough. My silence ends here.”

https://medium.com/@dolores_huerta/march-18-2026-e74c20430555
72 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Today, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta issued the following statement: (Original Post) demmiblue Yesterday OP
This makes me sad and angry at the same time. h2ebits Yesterday #1
Nothing to do with Epstein. WhiskeyGrinder Yesterday #2
Thanks for the NY Times article h2ebits Yesterday #5
He died in 1993, so there's no reason to think so EdmondDantes_ Yesterday #3
... littlemissmartypants Yesterday #9
Ty, sexual assault is not " misbehaving " as that poster states questionseverything Yesterday #11
Weird that you've said more about my word choice than the sexual abuse EdmondDantes_ Yesterday #16
Sorry but I think it was an appropriate call-out Nittersing Yesterday #30
THIS!!!!! 2naSalit Yesterday #36
At least one stat is blatantly false from that site: 80 per cent of US women have NOT been raped before reaching 25yo. Celerity 23 hrs ago #40
The writer appears to have attempted to aggregate data from worldwide statistics. littlemissmartypants 23 hrs ago #47
read it from your own link, it talks about the CDC (an American governmental agency) and repeats the false claim Celerity 22 hrs ago #49
I'm sorry, but I don't see anything indicating that the data is exclusive to Americans. littlemissmartypants 22 hrs ago #50
The CDC data is not global data. It is US data. Perhaps the title of the CDC report might will help about that: Celerity 22 hrs ago #53
And demonstrated a penchant for losing the plot. littlemissmartypants 21 hrs ago #59
A low-budget dating app's AI-produced blog is a terrible place to get stats on sexual assault, holy shit. WhiskeyGrinder 22 hrs ago #56
True, Epstein's type of misbehavior PatSeg Yesterday #17
Once I realized how bad so many of my fellow men are EdmondDantes_ Yesterday #20
You certainly aren't alone PatSeg Yesterday #24
Dupe PatSeg Yesterday #25
DURec leftstreet Yesterday #4
No one is a saint, but this is disgusting. Chasstev365 Yesterday #6
Oh wow BlueWaveNeverEnd Yesterday #7
"Both sexual encounters with Cesar led to pregnancies. I chose to keep my pregnancies secret and, after the children wer BlueWaveNeverEnd Yesterday #8
So sad, and on so many levels. TheRickles Yesterday #10
We need to stop obsessing angrychair Yesterday #12
Also, cults of personality hinder a movement as well. Crowman2009 Yesterday #22
Perfectly put. My lesson from Bill-Monica was to put the Dem *AGENDA* above any individual. UTUSN Yesterday #23
I was deeply disappointed in Bill Clinton's behavior with Lewinsky. He was the President and he skirted the truth in his CTyankee Yesterday #38
I see him as in the Power role, but see her stupid youth as also responsible. UTUSN 23 hrs ago #39
Carter didn't, Biden didn't. They held the same office and yet didn't abuse their power. CTyankee 23 hrs ago #41
My tactic is to judge ours in my own mind and only among trusted other Dems, not to Wingnuts except UTUSN 23 hrs ago #42
Yes, that is a very good tactic, given our choices here. CTyankee 23 hrs ago #43
I have no desire to diminish what happened what happened infullview Yesterday #13
That's because it's doing what it is designed to be MuchBetterThanThis Yesterday #19
Telling the truth is not a distraction. WhiskeyGrinder Yesterday #31
Bull! NoRethugFriends Yesterday #34
I'm sorry, but raping 12 and 13 year olds whathehell 23 hrs ago #45
Horseshit pinkstarburst 22 hrs ago #58
Completely agtee ALBliberal Yesterday #27
That's because people aren't afraid pinkstarburst 22 hrs ago #57
I'm sorry for Dolores Huerta and the other nameless, powerless victims of sexual assault FakeNoose Yesterday #14
Two child victims of 12 and 13 years of age whathehell 23 hrs ago #48
Stand up for women. Every chance you get and in any possible way. Even small things. twodogsbarking Yesterday #15
Jeezus, so many pervs using power to rape and molest. Joinfortmill Yesterday #18
+1 leftstreet Yesterday #21
Wow. I believe her. yardwork Yesterday #26
MEN!! I'm starting to think they're lust for power is just plain lust Walleye Yesterday #28
A lot of street names are going to be changed. Sneederbunk Yesterday #29
Probably to be renamed after white guys... regnaD kciN Yesterday #35
I wish they would do their best pinkstarburst 23 hrs ago #46
How about a woman, a Latina like Ms. Huerta? whathehell 22 hrs ago #55
Austin is simply going back to "First Street" LeftInTX 3 hrs ago #72
They should pinkstarburst 23 hrs ago #44
As a man, I have to ask WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH SOME OF THESE MEN???!!!! nt Exp Yesterday #32
Dolores Huerta is at the absolute top of my Pinnacle of Respect. I admire her for speaking out. NBachers Yesterday #33
"Privilege" is the curse of mankind. usonian Yesterday #37
Male privilege is the most universal whathehell 22 hrs ago #51
Personkind? Womankind? Oh, the hu... usonian 13 hrs ago #65
Awww.. whathehell 13 hrs ago #66
I was only referring to a branch of Buddhism that is egalitarian. usonian 12 hrs ago #67
No one here is trashing the belief whathehell 3 hrs ago #70
Delores is a brave woman ♀️ MustLoveBeagles 22 hrs ago #52
For those of us with this experience and possibly PTSD usedtobedemgurl 22 hrs ago #54
. MorbidButterflyTat 15 hrs ago #63
Too bad he died before he could face justice for these crimes, Mysterian 21 hrs ago #60
We have to face the fact that many men Tree Lady 21 hrs ago #61
Delores Huerta has been one of my heroes for decades. summer_in_TX 17 hrs ago #62
I do feel that since his death, Cesar Chavez has played a larger role than when he was alive. LeftInTX 3 hrs ago #71
A helpful source for anyone who needs it: MorbidButterflyTat 15 hrs ago #64
I used to have a cutout photo of Cesar Chavez with Dorothy Day, the Catholic activist Beringia 5 hrs ago #68
It is terribly disappointing to find out that a man I viewed as heroic defender of the rights of immigrant Martin68 4 hrs ago #69

h2ebits

(998 posts)
1. This makes me sad and angry at the same time.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 11:46 AM
Yesterday

A brave woman who is finally speaking up for herself.

I haven't seen the articles about Caesar Chavez so I need to ask if he is another man linked in with Epstein?

h2ebits

(998 posts)
5. Thanks for the NY Times article
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 11:59 AM
Yesterday

I don't even know what to say. . . . .

There are so many of us that this has happened to.

EdmondDantes_

(1,725 posts)
3. He died in 1993, so there's no reason to think so
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 11:48 AM
Yesterday

Lots of men misbehaved before Epstein.

littlemissmartypants

(33,072 posts)
9. ...
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:21 PM
Yesterday
https://rainn.org/facts-statistics-the-scope-of-the-problem/statistics-victims-of-sexual-violence/

Nearly every minute,
someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. Every nine minutes, that someone is a child.

10 Key Sexual Assault Statistics for 2026

50% of females experience sexual violence, including physical contact, during their lifetimes.

80% of females have been raped before reaching the age of 25.

19% is the lifetime prevalence estimation of non-partner sexual violence in Australia and New Zealand.

96% of individuals who sexually abuse children are male.

$22,500 is the cost of lost productivity at work of one individual because of sexual harassment in the workplace.

About 75% of the victims among adolescents of sexual assault involved someone known to them only.

6% of the women are survivors of non-partner sexual violence.

Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted.

$122,461 is the lifetime cost of rape per victim.

11% of sexual assault offenses involve an armed offender.

https://www.doulike.com/blog/statistics/sexual-assault-statistics/

EdmondDantes_

(1,725 posts)
16. Weird that you've said more about my word choice than the sexual abuse
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:58 PM
Yesterday

Sexual abuse is bad and has no place in the world. Plain enough for you? What a strange complaint.

Nittersing

(8,347 posts)
30. Sorry but I think it was an appropriate call-out
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 01:52 PM
Yesterday

Reporting on assaults on women/kids get distorted/fudged/diminished so people aren't uncomfortable. A baby being raped is called a child being assaulted so you don't feel so bad. And you might not picture an actual baby being raped.

I was violently raped when I was 23. (I'm 71 now) My clothes were cut off my body, my dog was thrown off the roof... That wasn't misbehaving.

Celerity

(54,292 posts)
40. At least one stat is blatantly false from that site: 80 per cent of US women have NOT been raped before reaching 25yo.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 03:37 PM
23 hrs ago

The actual stat is that of the ones who were raped over 4 in 5 had it happen before they turned 25.

18.3 per cent of US women have been raped at some point in their lives.



littlemissmartypants

(33,072 posts)
47. The writer appears to have attempted to aggregate data from worldwide statistics.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 04:22 PM
23 hrs ago

The statement doesn't specifically say American women. The exact wording is:

"80% of females"

And it doesn't designate an exact location.

But I understand how easy it is to misread, have presuppositions, and generalize information across assumptions, especially when the subject is the emotionally charged subject discussed here.

Thanks for sharing the additional information.

❤️

Celerity

(54,292 posts)
49. read it from your own link, it talks about the CDC (an American governmental agency) and repeats the false claim
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 04:37 PM
22 hrs ago


That claim is false.

DoULike is a dating app, and obviously is not a reliable source.

Here is the actual CDC data with links:



More than 80% of female rape victims in the U.S. report their first rape occurred before age 25, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC (.gov). Data indicates nearly half (49%) of these victims were under 18 at the time of their first assault. This statistic refers to the age of onset among victims, rather than 4 in 5 of all females in the general population.

littlemissmartypants

(33,072 posts)
50. I'm sorry, but I don't see anything indicating that the data is exclusive to Americans.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 04:42 PM
22 hrs ago

The CDC does research on issues related to health and wellness worldwide.

The information you shared still fails to support your assertion. But thanks for sharing it, nevertheless.

❤️

Celerity

(54,292 posts)
53. The CDC data is not global data. It is US data. Perhaps the title of the CDC report might will help about that:
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 04:54 PM
22 hrs ago
https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/documentation/nisvsReportonSexualViolence.pdf



also, read the methodology section:

Methods

The National Intimate Partner and Sexual
Violence Survey (NISVS) is an ongoing, nationally
representative random-digit-dial (RDD) telephone
survey of adults in the United States
using a dualframe
approach that includes both landline and
cell phones. Noninstitutionalized, English- and/or
Spanish-speaking adult women and men (18 years
and older) are surveyed. For this study, the survey
was administered twice between September 2016
and May 2017 (i.e., the 2016/2017 period). A total of
15,152 women and 12,419 men completed the survey.
The response rate was 7.6% (American Association
for Public Opinion Research [AAPOR] Response
Rate 4) and the cooperation rate was 58.6% (AAPOR
Cooperation Rate 4).15 More details about the survey
instrument and the methods used to collect the
2016/2017 NISVS data can be found in Kresnow et al.16
Survey sections were reorganized and several survey
questions were revised for the 2016/2017 NISVS
administration as detailed in Kresnow et al.16 Specific
to the sexual violence content of the survey, made
to penetrate items for female participants were
removed due to very low prevalence in previous
survey administrations. In addition, more specific
data were captured about the impact of sexual
violence: respondents were asked about the impacts
of sexual coercion (pregnancy [females only] and
sexually transmitted infections), and of rape and
made to penetrate combined (fear, concern for
safety, pregnancy [females only], sexually transmitted
infections, and physical injury). The perpetrator
category of “brief encounter” (which includes
someone met at a party, on a blind date, or online,
someone known by sight, a taxi driver, or a service
provider) is now presented as a specific perpetrator
category in the data tables; this perpetrator type
was previously subsumed under the “acquaintance”
category. Victims may have had multiple perpetrators;
therefore, the perpetrator categories within the tables
and figures do not sum to 100%. Finally, age at first
victimization findings are presented for additional
subtypes of sexual violence beyond rape and made to
penetrate, including sexual coercion and unwanted
sexual contact. Additional details about revisions to
the 2016/2017 NISVS instrument are described in
Kresnow et al.16 Comparisons to previous data years
are not recommended given the changes made in
the 2016/2017 administration compared to previous
NISVS data years.
Analyses were conducted using SAS (version 9.4)
and SAS-callable SUDAAN (version 11.1). Weighted
prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals
were produced separately for females and males,
along with total number of victims. Chi-square
tests were conducted to ascertain the association
between health conditions of interest and sexual
violence victimization with a p-value of 0.05 set as
the threshold for establishing statistical significance.
Estimates with relative standard errors > 30% or
a numerator sample count < 20 were considered
statistically unstable and not reported.


I am done here and have shown conclusively that I was correct in my original reply.

littlemissmartypants

(33,072 posts)
59. And demonstrated a penchant for losing the plot.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 05:33 PM
21 hrs ago

Sometimes, the power in doing a good thing precludes the need to be better than the others, trying to make a general point in a discussion. Also, helpfulness is rarely found in an expression of impatient dismissivness.

The same is true of verbose assertions of intellectual superiority in what is supposed to be a discussion and not a contest.

Anonymity is never an invitation for rudeness.

Good luck with your future attempts at persuasive communication.

WhiskeyGrinder

(26,888 posts)
56. A low-budget dating app's AI-produced blog is a terrible place to get stats on sexual assault, holy shit.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 05:09 PM
22 hrs ago

PatSeg

(53,201 posts)
17. True, Epstein's type of misbehavior
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 01:07 PM
Yesterday

has been with us for as long as there have been men.

EdmondDantes_

(1,725 posts)
20. Once I realized how bad so many of my fellow men are
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 01:18 PM
Yesterday

It took me a lot of work to get past the feeling of collective guilt and understanding that I have that capacity in me (for whatever reason drives so many of us to commit violence sexual or otherwise) to be comfortable in my own skin about being an ally to victims. Didn't help that my biological dad is an abuser (in multiple ways although to me it was only emotional) and feeling like I had direct crappy genetic tendencies.

PatSeg

(53,201 posts)
24. You certainly aren't alone
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 01:35 PM
Yesterday

There are so many truly decent men out there who are appalled by the behavior of the entitled brutes. As a woman, I've done my part. I raised a good, respectful man who in turn is raising two incredible boys. As a society, we need to raise our boys better.

As for abusive parents, there are some children who grow up and repeat the behavior and others who go in the opposite direction. We can't always be sure which direction things will go. Fortunately for you, you took your own path.

"Edmond Dantes"? Have you seen the new Count of Monte Cristo miniseries on PBS?

Chasstev365

(7,672 posts)
6. No one is a saint, but this is disgusting.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:07 PM
Yesterday

There is no way this is acceptable behavior for any man during any era of history. I am way beyond disappointed.

BlueWaveNeverEnd

(14,054 posts)
8. "Both sexual encounters with Cesar led to pregnancies. I chose to keep my pregnancies secret and, after the children wer
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:13 PM
Yesterday

Both sexual encounters with Cesar led to pregnancies. I chose to keep my pregnancies secret and, after the children were born, I arranged for them to be raised by other families that could give them stable lives

angrychair

(12,219 posts)
12. We need to stop obsessing
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:35 PM
Yesterday

Over these cult of personalities. We have lost the ability to think and act in our own, collective, best interests.

Leaders are fine. Organizers are fine. Organizations are fine.

But leaders do not deserve unqualified loyalty. Or blind obedience.
They deserve to be questioned. Their answers challenged. Their conclusions examined.

We need to demand more and question everything.

Crowman2009

(3,506 posts)
22. Also, cults of personality hinder a movement as well.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 01:21 PM
Yesterday

Last edited Wed Mar 18, 2026, 02:07 PM - Edit history (1)

It's probably why UFW were less effective in the 70's and afterward due to Ceasar making it all about him. Just as a lot of labor unions lost their effectiveness after the red scare, to which the leadership were replaced with personalities who were chummy with the government or even political parties who were hostile to organized labor.

UTUSN

(77,633 posts)
23. Perfectly put. My lesson from Bill-Monica was to put the Dem *AGENDA* above any individual.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 01:22 PM
Yesterday

Back then I defended Bill tooth and nail on partisan grounds at the raging brawls in Happy Hours. Privately, I blamed both of them for selfishness, irresponsibility, and risk to the country. Privately (for myself only) I was devastatedly crushed in Bill (last line of Primary Colors, "We saved you/again, don't break our hearts/again" - paraphrase) most of all for, as difficult as it is to attain the power to make a positive difference, he risked it all for crap. It took me a few years to shake off the focusing on individuals as heroes and personal cult leaders. Over the past couple of decades, the MAGAts go-to is to accuse us of worshipping Hillary or OBAMA. My answer is ready and without denigrating whoever our leaders are, that we aren't cult worshippers, we support the Democratic agenda above all and value our leaders by how effective they are in implementing it.

The internet (Al GORE's "information superhighway" ), beyond all the utilitarian uses, has opened our perspectives of knowledge to incredible extents, here in the complete exposure of our common humanity as opposed to the stale hero and villain judgments of the past - presidents with worse behaviors than Bill's, world historical figures who were genocidal maniacs, saints who weren't. Also, that fairly saintly behavior doesn't equate with effectiveness or achievement.

So, yes, *AGENDA* over individuals - not "Royals" born to deserve anything and not delinquents retaining the party label. If a "Dem" is caught with cash in the freezer or any other malfeasances, buh-bye.




CTyankee

(68,122 posts)
38. I was deeply disappointed in Bill Clinton's behavior with Lewinsky. He was the President and he skirted the truth in his
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 03:22 PM
Yesterday

fudging his relationship with "that woman" by saying he never had "sexual relations" with her ( well, yes, technically it wasn't "sexual intercourse, only sex "play&quot . And the repukes knew exactly how to play this.

UTUSN

(77,633 posts)
39. I see him as in the Power role, but see her stupid youth as also responsible.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 03:29 PM
23 hrs ago

That said, other presidents have been even more flagrant than him, not mitigating for him by any means.









CTyankee

(68,122 posts)
41. Carter didn't, Biden didn't. They held the same office and yet didn't abuse their power.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 03:40 PM
23 hrs ago

We have to consider what this does to the movement for social justice that we are part of. Of course, we Dems supported Clinton, who carried our banner as Democrats. It looks hypocritical for us to condemn the bad behavior of Republicans while "overlooking" our own leaders' behavior.

UTUSN

(77,633 posts)
42. My tactic is to judge ours in my own mind and only among trusted other Dems, not to Wingnuts except
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 03:44 PM
23 hrs ago

in broadly general, generic, unnamed terms. But I *name* the wingnuts.




infullview

(1,127 posts)
13. I have no desire to diminish what happened what happened
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:38 PM
Yesterday

But it galls me to no end that this gets more coverage than our current pedophile rapist in chief in MM. Chavez did some good things along with the bad; can’t say the same for asshole Trump.

pinkstarburst

(2,014 posts)
58. Horseshit
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 05:20 PM
22 hrs ago

That man raped children. That is not "a distraction." He should have his disgusting name stripped from every road, every building, every monument. We do not put up monuments to memorialize pedophiles who rape children.

ALBliberal

(3,319 posts)
27. Completely agtee
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 01:41 PM
Yesterday

He was not an international sex trafficker . As bad as he was.
Complete distraction since Hillary and Bill owned them in their depos.

Looks like we will have to rename a boulevard in Albuquerque.

pinkstarburst

(2,014 posts)
57. That's because people aren't afraid
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 05:18 PM
22 hrs ago

to stand up to a dead man.

People are very afraid to stand up to Trump, starting with Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries.

They are both disgusting rapist pedophiles.

Chaves should have his name stripped from every street, every building, every monument. He may have done good things, but we don't honor pedophile rapists.

FakeNoose

(41,379 posts)
14. I'm sorry for Dolores Huerta and the other nameless, powerless victims of sexual assault
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:44 PM
Yesterday

Most of them are women, many were underage, and all of them were powerless to stop what was done to them. Our society must do better. We need to protect the innocent victims from ruthless, aggressive men.

Lock them up!

twodogsbarking

(18,582 posts)
15. Stand up for women. Every chance you get and in any possible way. Even small things.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 12:50 PM
Yesterday

Call other guys out when they are out of line. Don't be silent.

regnaD kciN

(27,620 posts)
35. Probably to be renamed after white guys...
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 02:44 PM
Yesterday

Charlie Kirk Avenue, anyone?

Don’t get me wrong, Chávez deserves all the opprobrium he gets. And he should be erased. But it’s unfortunate that this erasure of one of the few Latino political icons is taking place at a time when there’s a concerted effort to erase Latinos as a whole from the U.S. (And I see no attempts to re-purpose, say, the Jefferson Memorial, despite it honoring someone who raped enslaved women.

pinkstarburst

(2,014 posts)
46. I wish they would do their best
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 04:16 PM
23 hrs ago

to rename where they could, especially with more recent things. Some things that were named hundreds of years ago, I think it makes it tough. Do we rename the state of Washington and Washington DC because George Washington owned slaves? I hate anytime I hear someone even dare to suggest that Jefferson and Hennings might have had a consensual "romance." When one person owns another, it is rape. Stephen F Austin and Sam Houston owned slaves and I don't think we should rename the cities of Austin or Houston.

I personally think we need to move away from naming things after people so much. We seem to often find out after the fact that we didn't do our homework as well as we should have.

whathehell

(30,455 posts)
55. How about a woman, a Latina like Ms. Huerta?
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 05:05 PM
22 hrs ago

She was a major player in that struggle...Take down his statue and put up one of her..Sounds like Justice, poetic and otherwise, to me.

pinkstarburst

(2,014 posts)
44. They should
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 04:08 PM
23 hrs ago

And we should probably do some thinking about naming things after people as often as we do as it seems we often find out unsavory things about some of them.

NBachers

(19,412 posts)
33. Dolores Huerta is at the absolute top of my Pinnacle of Respect. I admire her for speaking out.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 02:34 PM
Yesterday

usonian

(24,980 posts)
37. "Privilege" is the curse of mankind.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 03:19 PM
Yesterday

"Privilege" asserts that one is entitled to abuse others based on some, or skin color, or religion, or title or standing, even when that is earned. It is never acceptable to treat another as unequal, less a dignified human, nor unfairly ... my three guiding principles of just behavior ... equality, dignity of all beings and fairness.

And while it is always just to hold people accountable for their mistreatment of others, the coincidence of this with the unfolding Epstein story seems a bit more than "coincidence". It is always wrong to mistreat others, but "a crime only when caught", in street parlance.

There's an interesting "two sides" to this. Much as the magats are into "whatabout"... making one outlying example seem like it applies to all their targets, if they seize upon this as the abuse "only by libs" then they can't continue to deny the abuses of 'The Epstein Class"

Most societies, west and east, have a hierarchy, and mostly a very formal one, that makes it too tempting to cross the line into the land of "I'm smarter, better, more charismatic, closer to God and so on .. "

What's lacking most in this world is humility.

In a world of arrogance, where it's actually wired into the system, as we compete for jobs and position, arrogance is seen as a virtue, when it's exactly the opposite.

Paraphrasing Daisaku Ikeda, a Buddhist leader whose followers have no priests, no temples, a kind of Blue Jean Buddhism, (1)

“Top leaders should think of themselves as the servants of the people they lead. The higher your leadership position, the more critical this is.


Matter of fact, a leader must self-examine to avoid straying from the role as servant/mentor to others and one's self.(2)

It's only by means of critique that we can ensure that the means to the development of the individual remains a means and doesn't harden into an end in itself.


(1) https://daisakuikedalegacy.org/wordpress/quotes-top-leaders-are-servants/

(2) https://www.freebuddhistaudio.com/texts/read?num=146&p=1

whathehell

(30,455 posts)
51. Male privilege is the most universal
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 04:43 PM
22 hrs ago

of those privileges, so what you speak of might more accurately be viewed as the 'curse of Womankind'.

usonian

(24,980 posts)
65. Personkind? Womankind? Oh, the hu...
Thu Mar 19, 2026, 01:29 AM
13 hrs ago

Can't win.

Tagalog has no gender.

Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines, is a genderless language — there’s no concept of female or male. For example, the english pronouns: she, he, her, and him, translate to one word in Tagalog, siya.

But, getting outside the misogynistic western system of thought, the Buddha, in the Lotus Sutra, indicates that on the spiritual plane, there is no distinction between men and women, and for an entire chapter, a young girl achieves buddhahood, indicating in this highly metaphoric work, the potential in everyone to attain the highest life condition. In this and a companion sutra, the wise Shariputra has his gender flipped and flipped back to drive the point.

Buddhism of the Lotus Sutra states that all are equally human, but different. Western thought is built on inequality, using diffrences as fighting points, and blaming others to the point of marking or stamping others, rather than rejoicing in diversity, as the universe of which we are part does in spectacular ways, and denying that they have the ability to change their ways.

whathehell

(30,455 posts)
66. Awww..
Thu Mar 19, 2026, 02:05 AM
13 hrs ago

Don't be a quitter!

As for the Phillipine language and the Eastern religions espousing equality, they represent lovely ideals, but they do not, as in much of Western culture, materialize much in Real Life.
The fact is, Eastern cultures are no less male privileged than Western ones and some would claim they are more so.

usonian

(24,980 posts)
67. I was only referring to a branch of Buddhism that is egalitarian.
Thu Mar 19, 2026, 02:58 AM
12 hrs ago

Many others are not. And, of course, perfection is elusive, but better to believe in equality and strive for it than to trash it.

usedtobedemgurl

(2,022 posts)
54. For those of us with this experience and possibly PTSD
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 04:55 PM
22 hrs ago

Could I please ask for a trigger warning. Reading that really put me in a bad place.

Mysterian

(6,412 posts)
60. Too bad he died before he could face justice for these crimes,
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 05:35 PM
21 hrs ago

assuming the allegations are true.

Tree Lady

(13,252 posts)
61. We have to face the fact that many men
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 05:46 PM
21 hrs ago

Use their wealth and power to get women either by the women agreeing to it like JFK, like Clinton, or by force like with Trump who also had women agree because of fame, power and money.

It's a huge problem for both sides but the difference seems to be that we hold our side more accountable now. Didn't use to be so, everyone knew JFK had affairs. In fact a lot of the presidents have.

Makes me think of Martin Luther King had affairs, many leaders have.

But rape is different and it's hard to think of good someone does then find out the evil they did.

Thinking of forefathers sleeping with slaves, I am sure those young women were not doing so for fun.

summer_in_TX

(4,155 posts)
62. Delores Huerta has been one of my heroes for decades.
Wed Mar 18, 2026, 10:23 PM
17 hrs ago

I understand her silence all those years. And I admire her courage to speak of such painful things now. We have many men who accomplished good, even great things, in our history who also have a dark and sometimes even cruel streak. It's true of women too sometimes. How to make sense of it, to not throw out the good only because of the bad, but not to cover up or ignore the bad, the pain and trauma is a difficult question. I think of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, others.

Some want to tear down all traces of them. All the monuments, statues, honoring in history books, street names and building documents, speeches, torn down, forgotten.
But their role in the founding of our country or in the United Farmworkers movement isn't erased by the other things they did. I want to remember the good things, the noble ideals, the creativity, the good they did, while facing the awful parts too.

Some people and groups were more sinned against than I was though, had to deal with more pain and trauma, so I think that hard conversations and arguments will be needed to come to some kind of mutual reckoning and decision. Not sure what, but seems to me the whole story needs to be brought into the light. Too much was hidden and buried too long.

LeftInTX

(34,201 posts)
71. I do feel that since his death, Cesar Chavez has played a larger role than when he was alive.
Thu Mar 19, 2026, 11:58 AM
3 hrs ago

He did alot of good with the United Farm Workers and we still don't play living wages to agriculture workers. However, I feel his actual scope was more limited than what his image has become.

Yes, I hope we don't erase and knee jerk everything....

However, naming major streets in major cities after him, like Austin's First Street has elevated him into more than what he was.

I know his foundation has done alot of good. However, I think they can rename his foundation to reflect the work that they do.

Beringia

(5,497 posts)
68. I used to have a cutout photo of Cesar Chavez with Dorothy Day, the Catholic activist
Thu Mar 19, 2026, 09:54 AM
5 hrs ago



Dorothy Day is my godmother. She knew my parents when they lived on a Missouri farm in the 60s.

I found this excerpt written by Dorothy mentioning Dolores Huerta

Some of the group from the Catholic Worker Farm at Tivoli had driven down in two cars with fifty loaves of homemade bread, and St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality on First Street baked three ten-pound boneless hams. All the guests had brought food of various kinds. No need to worry about having too much left over because the Farm Workers now have an old brownstone house on West 84th Street to put up those who come to picket, to help in the campaign to boycott the A&P and other stores where iceberg lettuce is being sold. Dolores Huerta, one of the vice presidents of the Union, spoke first. (1) She is the mother of eight children who sits with the agribusinessmen, the growers, in conference over contracts for better wages, decent living conditions, all the most elemental needs of man.

https://www.satyagrahafoundation.org/cesar-chavez-farmworkers-step-up-boycott/

Martin68

(27,614 posts)
69. It is terribly disappointing to find out that a man I viewed as heroic defender of the rights of immigrant
Thu Mar 19, 2026, 10:26 AM
4 hrs ago

workers turns out to have been a rapist. I applaud Ms. Huerta for her courage in bringing this to light.

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