The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

A Little Due Process For Roy Moore

Posted on | November 11, 2017 | Comments Off on A Little Due Process For Roy Moore

by Smitty

The allegations of impropriety alleged in the WaPo against Roy Moore are a big deal. We can rehearse the power arrangements, the difficulties that victims face in pursuing justice against people in positions of power. But let’s throw in a word for due process.

Twice in my life I’ve had allegations levelled at me. Once, on active duty, I returned to a training installation where I’d previously had a girlfriend. Some months after I had departed on orders, I got a “Dear Smitty” letter. I’d left an item with her as an “do wait for me” token, and did retrieve it, along with a “Leave me alone” note. I also got a warning call from the police, informing me of her allegation that I was “stalking” her. I doubt that any reasonable observer of either gender (or any of the more recent ones) would in any way fault the substance of any of my conduct any toward her at any time. More likely, I would have drawn laughter. I also got to explain the entire embarrassing situation to my training command. It was somewhere between embarrassing and humiliating. Hopefully, her life has gone well in the decades since.

The other time, fresh off of active duty, a pregnant minority female on an IT project alleged in an email to HR that she had gone into labor and delivered her baby prematurely due to stress brought on by the harassment she received from me (the assistant project manager). Again, I don’t think that any reasonable jury would have found the slightest substantial (or even stylistic) quibble with our interaction. Nevertheless, our legal system is not about justice. I immediately sought a professional transition. Subsequently, I guess she did take the company to court. I’m not sure of the final details, but the company is pretty much a memory now. Hopefully her life is a good one and her family is healthy.

The point of those tales is that allegations are stressful, even when groundless. If there was a crime in Roy Moore’s past, it should be brought to light, and let the voters of Alabama judge whether this Judge merits a Senate seat. On the other hand, there is a non-zero possibility that, even though Roy Moore went to West Point and not UVA, the WaPo story is sheer hogwash of Rolling Stone proportions.

Were it true that the WaPo allegations against Roy Moore were unfounded, the unfounded allegations would be about as despicable as the crime Moore is alleged to have committed. I do hope Roy pursues legal relief from the WaPo if he is innocent.

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