Does modern society have an acceptance complex?

October 22, 10:09 PMDC Government Business ExaminerDonna Quesinberry

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Anita Hill

Since the Anita Hill crisis of 1991 our nation has failed to self-actualize when it comes to the notion of sexual harassment and the workforce. Rather than seize the moment and recognize civil rights violations perpetrated by Clarence Thomas towards Anita Hill - the United States Senate voted 52 to 48 to confirm him as an Associate Justice to the Supreme Court.

Senatorial questions during Associate Justice Thomas's investigation directed towards Ms. Hill were demonstrative of Whistleblower retaliatory thinking regarding Title VII of the Civil Rights Code.

Are you a scorned woman?" asked Senator Howell Heflin. "Do you have a martyr complex? Do you have a militant attitude relative to the area of civil rights?"

Ms. Hill, a graduate of Yale Law School, worked as an assistant to the Supreme Court nominee a decade previous to his appointment to the Supreme Court. She asserted Thomas inappropriately used his position as her superior at both at the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to pressure her for dates. She further alleged that Thomas sexualized their professional encounters with relentless and graphic references to his sexual desires and that he described pornographic films involving bestiality, group sex and rape - then made comments about her body and whether or not her hair or her dress rendered her more or less sexually attractive to him in this or that way.

The Senatorial Committee decidedly turned the other cheek after witnessing more than a significant caseload of fact Ms. Hill presented in testimony. She explained that Mr. Thomas spoke over Hill's repeated protestations to his behaviors and right through meetings whose official agendas were the reports on legal issues that she had prepared for him. Instead of hearing her pleas to discontinue the behavior - he continued the behavior and the Hill-Thomas drama continues to be repeated today.

It appears that while complaints and prosecution have increased - in the highest realms of civic and social responsibility where sexual harassment is brought to light - it often goes overlooked.

Harassment is not just a supervisory male to a female subordinate; however, the classical role of women in the marketplace has undergone a dramatic transition since Anita Hill spoke out. Since her representations to the Senate, as women

• we don't have to deliver or retrieve dry-cleaning for male superiors
• we no longer have to maintain darning supplies and mend suits or replace popped buttons
• we are not called upon to make or service coffee like an in-flight crew
• we don't have to empty ashtrays
• we aren't asked to water the office plants
• we don't have to schedule lunches for dates
• we don't have to lie to wives about there whereabouts of their husbands
• we no longer have to suffer potential slight of hand while working in the office
• we don't have to suffer the insult of men rubbing on us
• we don't have to have sex with supervisors to get ahead as professionals

The aforementioned commentaries and more were part and participle of the working woman's life in 1991. Thankfully, Ms. Hill alleviated  many disservices women and other subordinate personnel had to suffer to remain in the marketplace.

The Business Examiner will be exploring sexual harassment and other code violations in upcoming articles - look for part two of this series on sexual harassment.

A telephone poll conducted by Louis Harris and Associates on 782 workers revealed:

Have you been subject to sexual harassment while on the job?

Sexual Harrassment Lawfirms has a form for you to complete to determine if you are suffering from Title VII violations and require an attorney.

United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Sexual Harassment

The Government Business Examiner welcomes questions, ideas and interviews or event announcements - through the comments section below, or by e-mailing Donna Quesinberry.

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This day in history:

1905 - Karl Jansky, Czech, discoverer (cosmic radio emissions in 1932)