Senate Candidate Roy Moore accused of molesting 14yo girl

[waltzingmatilda]

Oh, I should clarify, it is the LA times Op/Ed story, not mine.

And yes, I think it does provide much context into a culture borne out of the evangelical faith that I don't understand very well but do know has a very powerful constituency in this country.

Thanks for clarifying rosemadderlake. It is a great piece! I was invited to an evangelical church service by a friend of mine when I was in Jr. High School and I was shocked and a bit afraid when parishioners began getting up from the pews and walking up and down the isles, hands raised, speaking in tongues. It was an eye opening experience for me as the Baptist Church I was raised in never did such things. Anyway, my sweet friend invited me back but I declined. I'm not knocking anyones religion that they were indoctrinated into and have visited many churches of different faiths but that experience was unsettling to me as a 13/14 year old girl.

 

[auburnmomof2]

I am just curious about something that stood out to me about him saying he didn't date them without their mother's permission. Not an exact quote, just trying to get to my point faster lol. Are the women that have accused him from single parent homes where they lived primarily with their mother? I ask this because it stood out to me. Here in Alabama and the south it is respectful to ask a woman's father for permission to marry her. I would think it would be easier for Moore to have charmed a mother into giving him permission to "date" her daughter. It just seems like these type of men prey on girls/women who don't have a male father figure in their home. I could be way off but thought I'd mention my thoughts about it and in no way to I mean to come across as disrespectful to single moms, I am one myself. Just my opinion and random thoughts.
I am voting in Alabama Tue and will not be voting for Moore. I want someone who will represent our state and not just "support Trump's agenda". I am basically fed up with our choices for leaders in this country and feel like our political system needs some major changes

 

[leah]

I am not from the South, though I did live in GA for awhile. I wondered that myself, isn't a father usually asked, instead of a mother, I don't know about dating someone, but with marriage? That really stood out to me, it seemed creepy to me, a way older man asking a mother to date her young teen daughter. I would have freaked out if that happened to me as a mother. But, honestly, IMO, I think Moore is lying about that, to make himself look like a gentleman.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

I am just curious about something that stood out to me about him saying he didn't date them without their mother's permission. Not an exact quote, just trying to get to my point faster lol. Are the women that have accused him from single parent homes where they lived primarily with their mother? I ask this because it stood out to me. Here in Alabama and the south it is respectful to ask a woman's father for permission to marry her. I would think it would be easier for Moore to have charmed a mother into giving him permission to "date" her daughter. It just seems like these type of men prey on girls/women who don't have a male father figure in their home. I could be way off but thought I'd mention my thoughts about it and in no way to I mean to come across as disrespectful to single moms, I am one myself. Just my opinion and random thoughts.
I am voting in Alabama Tue and will not be voting for Moore. I want someone who will represent our state and not just "support Trump's agenda". I am basically fed up with our choices for leaders in this country and feel like our political system needs some major changes

Great points! And thank you for voting your conscience. ❤️

 

[human]

Roy Moore's alleged pursuit of a young girl is the symptom of a larger problem in evangelical circles

We need to talk about the segment of American culture that probably doesn’t think the allegations against Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore are particularly damning, the segment that will blanch at only two accusations in the Washington Post expose: He pursued a 14-year-old-girl without first getting her parents’ permission, and he initiated sexual contact outside of marriage. That segment is evangelicalism. In that world, which Moore travels in and I grew up in, 14-year-old girls courting adult men isn’t uncommon.

I use the phrase “14-year-old girls courting adult men,” rather than “adult men courting 14-year-old girls,” for a reason: Evangelicals routinely frame these relationships in those terms. That’s how I was introduced to these relationships as a home-schooled teenager in the 1990s, and it’s the language that my friends and I would use to discuss girls we knew who were in parent-sanctioned relationships with older men.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-e...moore-evangelical-culture-20171110-story.html


Bbm: I too wonder this. Why? There are perhaps some clues in the mindset of culture? In Moore's interview with Hannity, he spoke of not dating girls without their mother's permission which I found incredibly strange that a 32 year old man would even be doing this in the first place. Is it a permissive aspect in this faith that justifies this behavior? And, is it that this faith justifies Alabama's support for such a political candidate?

Of course, pursuing teenage girls at high schools or the Mall is not pursuing them in the church which is where this so called behavior is sanctioned. So, the faith part falls apart on this justification as do Moore's denials to the press and nation.

Moore's pro life political stance is deeply rooted in religious faith and so is the current republican base. The same base that believed in forgiveness to justify electing a president. How this will shake out on the national stage if he is elected is not clear, but very complicated. But if Moore wins, he will be facing the women and men in congress far away from the justification of faith.

The brave women who are blowing the lid off of Moore's abuses have provided great insight and hopefully the catalyst for change. Stay strong and hope you know just how many stand with you.

I see this no different than people who pervert the Muslim faith and marry young girls. Girls have to be pure. And of course the whole issues of the superiority of men and the subservience of women.

At least it is being brought out because I know many of us have been sickened by what we see happens to women and girls in other countries.

Now we know the US is not much different.

Eye opener to me.

 

[human]

I am not from the South, though I did live in GA for awhile. I wondered that myself, isn't a father usually asked, instead of a mother, I don't know about dating someone, but with marriage? That really stood out to me, it seemed creepy to me, a way older man asking a mother to date her young teen daughter. I would have freaked out if that happened to me as a mother. But, honestly, IMO, I think Moore is lying about that, to make himself look like a gentleman.

On WS we have seen cases where parents use their children to make *advertiser censored*.

It does not impress me that he asked the mothers. Sick is sick no matter how you spin it.

 

[leah]

On WS we have seen cases where parents use their children to make *advertiser censored*.

It does not impress me that he asked the mothers. Sick is sick no matter how you spin it.

I don't believe one word that comes out of his mouth, and I certainly don't believe he asked mothers for permission.

 

[vlpate]

There are 9 so far in all, ages spanning from child to adult. As of 11/15/17 anyway. Could be more by now, idk.

Nine what? The 6 others are not accusing him of sexual misconduct.

 

[simba16]

Nine what? The 6 others are not accusing him of sexual misconduct.

That would be a total of 9 women who dispute Moore's account because his latest word is that he didn't know any of the women and didn't date underage girls.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

There are more women who are feeling empowered and coming out on FB with their stories or their friend's story about RM. Y'all have to understand Gadsden and Etowah Co., everybody knows everybody, if not personally, but by six degrees of separation at the very least.

 

[Jennifer17]

There are more women who are feeling empowered and coming out on FB with their stories or their friend's story about RM. Y'all have to understand Gadsden and Etowah Co., everybody knows everybody, if not personally, but by six degrees of separation at the very least.

I grew up in a small town and I am older than you, and back in those days, it would not be possible for girls to speak out about a man even like a teacher, with a little bit of power, let alone someone with a lot of power. And like your town, everyone knew who these men were and it was hushed up. If a girl had reported anything like that, she would be blamed for being in the situation, not the grown man.

 

[rosemadderlake]

Wonder if some of the RM stories circulating on FB are more accounts from way back in the day, or some more recent, 20 years ago, or in a professional setting...

--Don't think anything would surprise me.

He obviously knew his power as an ADA, then DA. It's the cruising of HS events & Malls that I keep coming back to. Why? Because back in the day in the 70's, wasn't the drinking age lowered to 18 nationally? I mean, that's where someone might be cruising for women... At least in my state that was true. But maybe it would be too obvious in his position to be seen cruising?

I don't buy his remarks about asking anyone's mom for permission to date a teenager barely the age of consent.

Anyway, just some thoughts.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

Wonder if some of the RM stories circulating on FB are more accounts from way back in the day, or some more recent, 20 years ago, or in a professional setting...

--Don't think anything would surprise me.

He obviously knew his power as an ADA, then DA. It's the cruising of HS events & Malls that I keep coming back to. Why? Because back in the day in the 70's, wasn't the drinking age lowered to 18 nationally? I mean, that's where someone might be cruising for women... At least in my state that was true. But maybe it would be too obvious in his position to be seen cruising?

I don't buy his remarks about asking anyone's mom for permission to date a teenager barely the age of consent.

Anyway, just some thoughts.

The accounts I have been reading about his bad behaviour are from back in the day. The drinking age in the city of Gadsden was 19 at the time he dated Gloria Thacker Deason when she was 18. The city of Gadsden became wet in 1972 if my memory is correct. He claimed the county was dry and he couldn't buy alcohol. But either way, the county and city are two separate entities.

To this day, Gadsden is wet and now Etowah county is wet but the nearby town of Rainbow City only allows BYOB to restaurants.

 

[rosemadderlake]

Ok, I forget, it was so long ago! NJ & NY lowered to 18 in '73. (party central!) But states were varied. And then it went up to 21 nationally in the 80's.

I grew up in a college town and back then bars/pubs, dance clubs, were very much social hang outs full of young people, both town and college. And, well it was the 70's... And, for sure, not every city was like NYC either...

Sounds much smaller town feel in AL, back then - the less than six degrees of separation factor. Makes me wonder, did RM have other reasons for stalking outside of his religious circles? And, (so far) it was this period in the years before he got married that he inappropriately sexually assaulted and harassed exceptionally young women. And, when someone has a reputation like that does it just go away one day? I have doubts about that. (Imo)

 

[leah]

I don't know where on Facebook to look at what accusers of Moore are saying. When Moore said he saw his future wife at a dance recital when she was 15, was he with anyone, did he have a friend or relative that was dancing? I can see going to the Mall alone, and eating alone, obviously not looking for teens, but going to a dance recital, alone? It is things like that, that creep me out, and some of the things he has said over the years, I just sit here, shaking my head in disbelief. There will definitely be dueling robocalls in Alabama today, please, go out and vote, if you haven't already, it doesn't take that much to do that.

 

[auburnmomof2]

The one question I've had since this story broke is why did the women wait until now to go public. I am in no way trying to come across rude by asking this. He has been a public figure for years here in Alabama so I am just curious why now. I understand why they didn't come forward years ago because our society wasn't inclined to believe things like this happen. Is it because of the recent publicity about similar type stories? I have no doubt women feel more empowered to expose situations like this and I am thankful for that. I absolutely believe he had inappropriate interactions with women/girls and this has changed my view about him and pushed me to go vote tomorrow. I would not have voted for him because I am fed up with the campaign ads that only talk about "supporting Trump's agenda". So I wouldn't be voting tomorrow but I want to voice my opinion that these types of men should not be leaders in our country so I will be at the polls tomorrow. These are just my opinions and thoughts

 

[human]

I think mainly it has been the idea that these things happen. It is part of life.

I know in the past child sex abuse, domestic violence, and rape were all considered far differently than they are today.

For instance, domestic violence was a part of family life and no one’s business.

Now that the truth of the reality of these things has been revealed, women who have been sexually harrassed have realized the shame they feel is not their shame to bear.

Hopefully, the rabbit dogs will continue to be identified.

 

[leah]

The accusations against him are bad enough, but some of the statements he has made during the years are very disturbing. Hopefully people come out to vote.

 

[Jax49]

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/...n-spokesman-swearing-on-bible-tapper-lead.cnn

"CNN's Jake Tapper fact checks Roy Moore campaign spokesman Ted Crockett, who inaccurately claimed that a Christian Bible must, by law, be used when being sworn into office."

TC's open mouth response is very enlightening. He really thought you had to swear on a Christian bible. moo

 

[Hoosgirl]

Really powerful article:

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/i-broke-my-silence-roy-moore-now-i-m-saying-ncna828791

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