Column: The bravery of Jennifer Siebel Newsom facing Harvey Weinstein — and facing us all
The Democratic women taking on Harvey Weinstein are all women in one way or another. Some are survivors of his sexual crimes; others stand with his victims. Some have been brave enough to stand up to him; others have fought for him. They range in age from 26 to 80.
Of course, there is the fact that they’re all women, which makes the stakes higher for them. But the thing is the women have been courageous. They’re making history by taking on the head of the biggest company in the world, and the most powerful man working in Hollywood. But the fact that they are taking on the most powerful man in America should not be taken for granted. There should be no doubt now about how powerful we truly are.
And I agree with those who say we need to support Weinstein because he is a monster. What he did to others should not be excused or justified. But there is more to it. And his victims deserve the full amount of justice they deserve.
The women must stand up. They must go before the Senate Judiciary Committee and be questioned by senators with whom they worked for years. They must be heard. They must give a coherent account of how Weinstein has ruined their lives and damaged them as women. They will be subject to what is called a “guilty until proven innocent” hearing, in which they will have to show proof of wrongdoing by him and prove his innocence before their names can be cleared. And they must be called to testify.
This is a time when we have to show courage. We must stand up to the people we believe are responsible for the destruction of our lives—even if they are powerful men. They will do what they have always done throughout American history—they will intimidate and smear and discredit to get their way.
If they succeed, women like Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a freshman House Democrat, will be vindicated. She will prove Weinstein, the “most powerful man in America,” is a “sexual predator,” an “unindicted co-conspirator,” and even
