By Tom Hunter
About 50 Mayor Bob Filner supporters and assorted press gathered at the Community Concourse plaza Thursday afternoon to demand Mayor Filner be given due process in response to charges of sexual misconduct.
Press conference organizer and longtime progressive advocate Enrique Morones opened with a comparison between Mayor Filner’s record on human rights and that of Nelson Mandela. One theme stressed by every speaker was that everyone including Mayor Filner deserves to face his accusers and receive due process.
Frank Lechner spoke on behalf of LGBT activist and columnist Nicole Ramirez, who is currently a patient at the UCSD Medical Center.
“Bob Filner treats immigrants like the human beings they are.” Congressman Bob Filner obtained recognition for the Filipino members of the US Military and especially veterans of WWII.
Kathleen Harmon spoke saying that Bob Filner deserves due process and went to say should he be found guilty, she’d be right back out in solidarity with the women.
Joel Tonwon, activist from the Filipino/American community, condemned sexual harassment of all kinds, but stated that he would suspend judgment until due process was completed.
Olivia Reynolds said she spoke for due process and not about the Mayor’s past. She said due process was critical and that the public should keep a close watch on this process.
Enrique Morones closed out the press conference saying, “Anyone can make accusations, but the accusers should file police reports and stand up in court”
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Thanks for going and covering this, Tom.
There are real concerns by me about Filner’s behavior, but he deserves due process just like anyone else.
An other aspect is how all of this crap (can I say crap on the air?) is playing into the hands of reactionaries in the business and political communities, like big business, Republicans, Teahadists and Tod Gloria.
Yesterday I went to the Neil Good Day Center in downtown and asked if any Homeless wanted to attend the Rally at City Hall asking for Due Process to Mayor Filner.
The Homeless are under the impression that he committed sexual assault and sexual battery on a number of women. Rapist. Abuser of women at work. Abuse of power for sex.
It’s hard to argue against due process.
San Diego Mayor on the ropes over alleged sexual harassment
What is proving to be society’s version of the classic heavyweight fight known as “The Trilla in Manila, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner is on the ropes. Howard Cosell would have called this bout months ago. Is San Diego burning? Before rushing to rake our mayor over the coals concerning his obvious human failings, perhaps we ought to consider our own Human Condition and a depraved culture run amok. This is not to condone verbal harassment and inappropriately touching a woman in the work place but rather to shed light on the import and veracity of any such claims as they are quite often a stretch of interpretation.
A good Catholic friend of mine lamented that Mr. Filner should resign or be recalled immediately. Indeed, the origins of sexual harassment are not meant for convenient prosecution. Make no mistake, I absolutely do not condone sexual harassment but why such exaggeration? I am not an expert on legal matters both civil and criminal and as such believe that the accusers ought to come forward with their own personal version of the purported sexual transgressions. I empathize with those repulsed by the Mayor’s reported behavior but do societal norms need to throw the baby out with the bath water? Like a drunken sailor at Subic Bay, our Mayor for all his faults has permanently scarred the sensibilities of a few beautiful women. How sad and disgusting! Federal Marshalls ought to escort this criminal to Devils Island in French Guyana. I drove a Limo for many years and I saw it all with the greatest light of cultural and personal hypocrisy. Several years ago on these pages, I defended then presidential candidate Herman Cain a Republican against alleged sexual harassment. So, the beat goes on. It was great fun to roll a stretch limo on side a private jet and book reservations at The George V. The Senators, Governors, Fortune 500 elites, lawyers, doctors and philanthropists were like little boys, serial philanderers of the first degree. Certainly not the legendary Don Quixote character of the Spanish novel one would expect.
What exactly is sexual harassment? Why are women the primary accusers? Is it sexist to consider a man seeking help for being sexually harassed as mentally impaired? It is widely known that the greatest loss to a man is that of his mother. How ironic!
Caught in society’s version of the human condition, the travails of our Mayor are not meant for partisan posturing, a sense of glee or personal and political retribution. Speaking directly to the alleged sexual harassment claims, perhaps we ought to ground ourselves as a culture to a few aspects of sexual reality.
Yes Father, I too have sinned. Is there any possibility of a prurient interest? Are we on a slippery societal slope? Pious sheep herded into a bottle? Will the first Father Kolbe, Pope John Paul the Great or Mother Theresa step forward. How is it possible that we are all true gentlemen? What Charles Darwin does not want to know! America 2013… all men over the age of twelve and under ninety-two will be prohibited from visiting local beaches during day light hours, all Strip Clubs in America will be shut down by Government decree, all watering holes are to be closed, especially those near beach cities, Victoria’s Secret is immoral and the so-called “Bedroom Eyes” syndrome expressed by men will be reported to federal and local authorities for prosecution, sexual impulse is bad for humanity and cannot be tolerated, any ad for drugs such as Viagra must cease immediately, ripped men over the age of 50 will not be allowed in health clubs since there exists a direct link between optimal health and high libido, when women dress to impress a man, the man must remain indifferent, there will only be available invitro fertilization, cultural icons such as Marylyn Monroe, Raquel Welsh, Mae West, Hugh Hefner and others promoting human sexuality will no longer be tolerated as to not offend or abuse women, open travel overseas will be restricted to so-called preferred status nations and certainly not to include Germany, France and The Low Countries since these lands promote what our culture views as pornographic, museums and art collectors will be on security watch being that eroticism is subversive to the feminist cause, high school boys will be disciplined to not touch any female classmate especially at drive-in movies, historical references to American diplomat Benjamin Franklin will be omitted since it is widely known that Mr. Franklin had a roving eye while in France , President Jimmy Carter a devout Christian will lose his title as President for confessing in a Playboy article to feeling lust, San Diego, get over it! ………………………………?? Daniel J. Smiechowski is a former member of the San Diego County Democratic Central Committee