Comments in a prior diary got my steam going since too many of the posters tried to excuse the former president’s groping of a female actress, Ms. Heather Lind. They claimed he had dementia (or might have dementia), which was somehow an excuse if he grabbed someone’s ass twice.
Well, as is often the case, another woman, Ms. Jordana Grolnick , has stepped forward and told her story. He groped her, too, and told her a dirty joke about his favorite magician being “David Cop a Feel,” recognizing that he was, indeed, doing something improper.
In the apology, he admits to patting some women’s asses. The apology does not state he has dementia, but because he is in a wheelchair, his hands fall near people’s waists. Yet, instead of keeping his hands in his lap (or strapping them in his lap if that is not possible), he takes a chance to pat a stranger’s ass if it is too close to him and tell a “David Cop a Feel” joke while copping a feel.
His spokesman stated as follows:
At age 93, President Bush has been confined to a wheelchair for roughly five years, so his arm falls on the lower waist of people with whom he takes pictures. To try to put people at ease, the president routinely tells the same joke — and on occasion, he has patted women’s rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner. Some have seen it as innocent; others clearly view it as inappropriate. To anyone he has offended, President Bush apologizes most sincerely.
Perhaps he can put people at ease by keeping his hands to himself . . . like in his lap . . . and not telling a joke about copping a feel while he is grabbing a stranger’s ass, whose only issue was daring to stand next to him.
There is no patting women’s asses in “good-nature” unless they are also in on the joke and consent. These two women, and likely more, were not and did not.
While too many posters in the prior diary argued dementia as an excuse, without facts, please note that the former President (or his spokesman) does not say he has or had dementia. He blames placement of being in a wheelchair, but recognizes that HE took action to grab an ass in “good nature.” He actually reached over and patted someone’s ass, assuming they would consent because he claimed to be telling a joke and acting in good nature.
How many women were too shocked to move away? Why didn’t his staff tell these women that the former President like to tell this same “David Cop A Feel” joke and also cop a feel? Why didn’t they make sure his arm was in his lap? Why did he reach out and pat someone’s ass without first asking if it was okay? In my view, he told the dirty joke and grabbed someone’s ass BECAUSE he could!
No excuses to touch a woman without her consent. Not being in a wheelchair. No faux dementia. Not telling a joke. Not being old. Not being born at a certain time period. No excuses. PERIOD.