A Short List of Things I've Been Told When I Challenge the Misogyny of Liberal or Left-wing Men

by Mona Shaw

The contrast between the response between Donald Trump's and Bill Clinton's sexual assaults reminded me of this.

It's fun for someone of my politics to take on the likes of Trump.  I get only praise and support for the most part.  This has never been the case when I object to the same behaviors by liberal or progressive men.  In fact, the reactions have been so brutal and painful that I've been cowed into silence more often than I care to admit.

Here's a partial list.

1,  How dare you try to hurt such a good man?

2.  Why should I believe you?

3.  You’re too worked up to be believable.

4.  You’re too calm to be believable.

5.  You’re accusations are too articulate to be believable.

6.  You’re accusations are too clumsy to be believable.

7.  Your story just doesn’t ring true.

8.  No one is perfect.

9.  We don’t know both sides of the story.

10.  Why didn’t you bring this up sooner/later/someplace else?

11.  Why can’t you forgive?

12.  It was a long time ago.

13.  Why can’t you let it go?

14.  Think of the good he’s doing.

15.  Just because he did it doesn’t mean you have to say it.

16.  Just because he’s an asshole doesn’t mean he’s not a good man.

17.  You’re creating divisiveness.

18.  We ALL need to come together now.

19.  If we go after every offensive person, we’ll have no one left.

20.  There are a lot of assholes in the world.  We can’t confront them all.

21.  If you know what’s good for you, you won’t open this can of worms.

22.  He’s mean to men too.

23.  Put on your big girl pants and suck it up.

24.  There are worse things in the world.

25.  You’re throwing away your credibility.

26.  You could be doing so much good instead of obsessing about this.

27.  Worse has been done to me, and I look passed it.

28.  You’re making good people uncomfortable.

29.  You’re making people take sides.

30.  He’s never done that to me.

31.  I’ve never seen him do that.

32.  Think about the greater good.

33.  You’re just bitter.

34.  I’m not getting into a personal matter.

35.  Why can’t you just ignore him?

36.  It isn’t just about you.

37.  Take the high road.

38.  You’re destroying the party, movement, action, etc.

39. You handled this wrong.

40.  You’re hurting the people with him who are there for good reasons.

41.  We’ve all been hurt.

42.  You’re just trying to stir up trouble.

43.  I don't believe for a minute that any man has gotten by with abusing YOU.

44.  You just want attention.

45.  You’re just feeling sorry for yourself.

46.  Why can’t you move on?

47.  You just love creating controversy.

48.  I have my own life.  I can’t get involved.

49.  Do you want some right-wing tea partiers in charge?

50.  You don’t know how to pick your battles.

51.  There are bigger, more important issues than this man’s abuse.

  

52.  Are you going to pay my bills if I tell the truth?

53.  I can’t help you.  I have to get along with these people.

54.  Why can’t you love people regardless of their flaws?

55.  Who do you think you are?