Sexual assault is not "womanizing."

[NicoleM]

Please stop using that word. Arnold is not accused of serial adultery. He is accused of touching women in a sexual way without their consent.

These allegations are not new. They have been around for years. There is no credible allegation that these women are being paid to tell their stories, as far as I am aware. Arnold himself has admitted to "behaving badly" on "rowdy movie sets." He has not specifically denied any of these incidents. If he doesn't understand the difference between horseplay and sexual assault, that is a serious issue to me as a woman and if I were a Californian it would be an issue to me as a voter.

When I was thirteen, I was hanging out at the pool one day with some friends. A classmate came up to me and grabbed my breast, out of nowhere. I didn't ask for it, he didn't ask if he could do it. It didn't scar me for life, but it did make me uncomfortable around boys and men for a long time afterwards. Anytime I went to the pool after that, I wore a t-shirt over my swimsuit because I didn't want to appear to be "inviting" any further touching. I didn't report it to the authorities, I didn't tell my parents or his parents. Does that mean it didn't happen?

I'm not trying to start a pity party. I am 100% over this. My point is that it is a lot easier to dismiss this stuff if it has never happened to you. It's not just "slime" or "dirty politics" to some of us.

[barbaraann]

1. Exactly.

And I have never heard of a groper who makes sure that the gropees are of legal age before groping. Some 13 year olds look like mature women.

[soupkitchen]

2. Very good post

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. My neice who underwent brain surgery at 4 months old due

to viral meningitis was in grade school and had a boy reach up her school uniform and put his hand in her underpants. Since she was emotionally underdeveloped secondary to her surgery and anti-seizures meds, she could not tell the teacher out of fear. This behavior kept on until one pf her classmates saw it and told the teacher. The event and accompanying shame caused her to be in therapy for several years.

This is not harmless behavior.

[Sephirstein]

8. Don't you mean bacterial?

As far as I know, very few people who have viral meningitis actually know that they have anything worse than the flu. (I made a big deal about this in a letter to my paper about a local outbreak of bacterial meningitis. Instead of saying "germ" or "microbe", they used virus as a generic term, which in my opinion, can be dangerously bad reporting.)

[realFedUp]

4. ayup

I am always surprised we have to go through
these explanations when this stuff comes up...

[Emboldened Chimp]

5. He does both, actually

He's a groper and an adulter; used to be quite the customer of Heidi Fliess.

But your point is well taken.

[NicoleM]

9. I should have been more clear.

I am aware of rumors about his adultery but not any specific allegations. But I don't care about that. Consenting adults, etc.

[Cha]

6. I don't know who is "dismissing it"....but I'm not....and although,

I know you don't want sympathy..I still am sorry that happened to you! It effects some People more adversely than others..

I hope these women come forward and tell their stories and it Definetly should be an Issue or two!

[NicoleM]

11. see here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=470926

[Cha]

14. Yeah! I see what you mean!

[Gingersnap]

7. thanks for saying this

it is too disturbing when people downgrade Arnold's reprehensible behavior to "womanizing."

I had an awful argument with an Arnold supporter yesterday (note, can a doctor be a Freeper? or are freepers primarily trailer trash?) and saw that disgustingly, thanks to these allegations, he has the sexist pighead vote locked up solid. This guy defended Arnold's behavior with women and said a lot of men "admire him for it." For getting away with it? These sick pigs are using Arnold's record with women to live out their fantasies.

[warrior1]

12. 243.4 PC Sexual Battery (CA)

243.4. (a) Any person who touches an intimate part of another
person while that person is unlawfully restrained by the accused or
an accomplice, and if the touching is against the will of the person
touched and is for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual
gratification, or sexual abuse, is guilty of sexual battery. A
violation of this subdivision is punishable by imprisonment in a
county jail for not more than one year, and by a fine not exceeding
two thousand dollars ($2,000); or by imprisonment in the state prison
for two, three, or four years, and by a fine not exceeding ten
thousand dollars ($10,000).
(b) Any person who touches an intimate part of another person who
is institutionalized for medical treatment and who is seriously
disabled or medically incapacitated, if the touching is against the
will of the person touched, and if the touching is for the purpose of
sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse, is guilty of
sexual battery. A violation of this subdivision is punishable by
imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, and by a
fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000); or by imprisonment
in the state prison for two, three, or four years, and by a fine not
exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
(c) Any person who touches an intimate part of another person for
the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse,
and the victim is at the time unconscious of the nature of the act
because the perpetrator fraudulently represented that the touching
served a professional purpose, is guilty of sexual battery. A
violation of this subdivision is punishable by imprisonment in a
county jail for not more than one year, and by a fine not exceeding
two thousand dollars ($2,000); or by imprisonment in the state prison
for two, three, or four years, and by a fine not exceeding ten
thousand dollars ($10,000).
(d) Any person who, for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual
gratification, or sexual abuse, causes another, against that person's
will while that person is unlawfully restrained either by the
accused or an accomplice, or is institutionalized for medical
treatment and is seriously disabled or medically incapacitated, to
masturbate or touch an intimate part of either of those persons or a
third person, is guilty of sexual battery. A violation of this
subdivision is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not
more than one year, and by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars
($2,000); or by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or
four years, and by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars
($10,000).
(e) (1) Any person who touches an intimate part of another person,
if the touching is against the will of the person touched, and is
for the specific purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or
sexual abuse, is guilty of misdemeanor sexual battery, punishable by
a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000), or by
imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by both
that fine and imprisonment. However, if the defendant was an
employer and the victim was an employee of the defendant, the
misdemeanor sexual battery shall be punishable by a fine not
exceeding three thousand dollars ($3,000), by imprisonment in a
county jail not exceeding six months, or by both that fine and
imprisonment. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any amount
of a fine above two thousand dollars ($2,000) which is collected
from a defendant for a violation of this subdivision shall be
transmitted to the State Treasury and, upon appropriation by the
Legislature, distributed to the Department of Fair Employment and
Housing for the purpose of enforcement of the California Fair
Employment and Housing Act (Part 2.8 (commencing with Section 12900)
of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), including, but not
limited to, laws that proscribe sexual harassment in places of
employment. However, in no event shall an amount over two thousand
dollars ($2,000) be transmitted to the State Treasury until all
fines, including any restitution fines that may have been imposed
upon the defendant, have been paid in full.
(2) As used in this subdivision, "touches" means physical contact
with another person, whether accomplished directly, through the
clothing of the person committing the offense, or through the
clothing of the victim.
(f) As used in subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d), "touches"
means physical contact with the skin of another person whether
accomplished directly or through the clothing of the person
committing the offense.
(g) As used in this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:
(1) "Intimate part" means the sexual organ, anus, groin, or
buttocks of any person, and the breast of a female.
(2) "Sexual battery" does not include the crimes defined in
Section 261 or 289.
(3) "Seriously disabled" means a person with severe physical or
sensory disabilities.
(4) "Medically incapacitated" means a person who is incapacitated
as a result of prescribed sedatives, anesthesia, or other medication.

[Benhurst]

17. As a man, I consider Schwarzenegger's behavior disgusting.

We are not talking about womanizing, which may be immature; but at least is based on mutual (if often uninformed) consent. Arnold's behavior is nothing less than sexual assault. Schwarzenegger is a sexual predator. How any man who has a wife, partner, sister, mother or friends of the opposite sex can condone such behavior is beyond my understanding, and I would consider such a man beneath contempt -- as is "The Arnold". He deserves The Big House, not the State House.

Edited for the usual typing errors :spank:

[twilight]

10. Right on!!!

Being victimized in any way, be it sexual or otherwise is NOT appropriate. I am sick and tired of the stooges out there (and exactly how many of these are men?) defending this sexual abuse towards God only knows how many women!

Find another arena Schwartzenazi! Maybe its too late for porn films, I dunno but I am sure you do!!! You have not one single ounce of sympathy from me groper gangbang! I hope you drop dead and rot and hell for you deserve it!

:kick:

[soupkitchen]

16. Hey I love your avatar

Mr. Armstrong is my main man.

[Astarho]

13. Speaking as a guy

If I walked up and pinched a girl's ass, I would probably be slapped, but if I groped her breast even after she tells me to stop and leave I would probably be arrested or sued (since I don't have Arnold's money to cover things like this up). Arnold is doing more of the second, and throw in the vulgar comments, and the general stupidity of groping a woman on the air (Denise Van Outen) what do you have? A stupid mysognist with a lack of impulse control.

People who try to dismiss this as horseplay are missing the point. This says something about Arnold: that he thinks he is entitled to this and because he is bigger and stronger then most of the women he has encountered, he thinks he can take it. Someone who thinks they deserve something and is willing to take it is not someone you want in political office (look at Bush).

[sandnsea]

15. Yes

It disgusts me that no one in the media is actually saying this. Look what they did to Winona Ryder over shoplifting. Do you think she could run for governor with hearing we can't elect a criminal everyday. And yet Arnold is shown to have nearly a 30 year history of assaults against women, and it's labeled as 'fun'. Then there's the ones who say the behavior isn't acceptable 'today' or 'in these times'. Well I was a teen-ager in the 70's and it wasn't acceptable then either. Ladies, I guess we have a much further way to go than I thought we did. *sigh*

[KG]

18. geez, i couldn't believe the repooks were gonna run this guy

his reputation for groping and adultery was no secret.

arnolds actions weren't womanizing. they were the actions of an pompous chauvanistic ego-maniac that thought the rules didn't apply to him.

in other words, your typical repook bastard.

[Stargleamer]

19. Ah, the euphemisms....

Thanks for sharing your experience. If people could realize and respond to how common this is, how screwed up guys can become...

I also wish that people would see that "being offended" -- Arnold apologizes to "those he offended"-- is another euphemism, for the hurt he caused.