Rape allegations mount against Bill Cosby #2

[Donjeta]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2RP769rAkU&x-yt-ts=1422411861&x-yt-cl=84924572

 

[BeginnersLuck]

I have had several women share their stories with me on how they were raped many years ago and they never told anyone else.

Some choose not to discuss it openly and some find that by speaking about it, it has helped them to heal.

Many men and women that were raped years ago that did try and confide in someone, were faced with responses of disbelief or quietly hushed as not to bring "embarrassment" to the family, friend of family or figure of authority in a community. They felt like or were told that they wouldn't be believed in many cases and chances are back then they wouldn't have.

Talking about rape is something that has just begun in recent years. Many are coming forward and speaking out. There is more support today that didn't exist not that long ago. Women and men are speaking out to support and encourage other victims of rape and let them know that they do not have to suffer in silence.

I see no other reason for these women to come forward and speak out, other than wanting their voices to be heard for many reasons, some of which I mentioned above.

It's time for the silence to end from this epidemic that has been ongoing for centuries.

Rape has to be discussed and that involves exposing it, defining it and educating society about it.

These women have my full support.

 

[nrdsb4]

All good Questions but again. questions.
I don't know if any of this is true. I just can not believe that he did this to dozens of women and it was never known before now. Sometimes people remember wrong or according to their conscience. Since there is no proof of contact or witness, until there is proof of evidence beyond an accounting from decades ago, I just can't believe it.

BBM

You keep repeating this as if you say it enough times, that will make it true. However, you cannot be ignorant of the fact that this statement is patently false. This information did NOT just become known now. It only became WIDELY publicized now. But you already knew that, right?

 

[wendiesan]

But it was known before now. It became a matter of public record when the first woman filed the lawsuit against him in Philadelphia. The one that had 13 other women lined up to testify. But the press gave the whole story a pass at the time. (Probably found it hard to believe that the warm and fuzzy Dr. Huxtable was actually a monster underneath his warm and fuzzy sweater.) Miss Scarlett, you are certainly entitled to both your opinions and your hinky meter. I don't think there is a desire here to see you belittled. It looks to me like more of a desire to educate you. Forgive me, but you do seem to be a bit naïve. Not that I think most of us here would have thought "Oh, yeah. That Bill Cosby, he fits the picture of a serial rapist." Speaking of hinky meters, as I wrote early on, my own was going off years ago. I was never a fan of Cosby, and there was just something I never liked about him. Couldn't put my finger on it, but it was there. I think I watched that TV show once. Didn't like it. Never watched it again. I just watched a clip of Phyllicia Rashad on some show defending him. Poor woman.

One last thing, I am now wondering if Cosby didn't in fact have some sort of a reputation "behind the scenes". The reason I think this is that those TV networks and universities WERE extremely fast in dropping him. I mean like, bingo, goodbye. Despite all his donations. I think somebody knew something.

Just jumping off a bit from your last statement. The entertainment business (and it can be a profitable business) is often synonymous with the line "what have you done for me lately". BC had to keep those donations rolling in to keep up his image--you can't just "do good" you must be "seen to be doing good". BC carefully kept up appearances as a philanthropist. It seems clear that he had a terrible reason to keep that facade front and centre in the public's mind as well as the minds of the beneficiaries of his largesse. However, it didn't take long before people who had been involved became aware of the allegations and some influential people and organizations cut their ties with him (Queen Latifah on Oct. 30, Letterman on Nov. 14, Netflix on Nov.18, NBC on Nov. 19, TVLand on Nov. 20). On Dec. 1, the day BC resigned from the Temple U Board, Yale students petitioned the university to rescind its honorary degree to BC. The U.S. Navy revoked his honorary title on December 4.

While some people may have known about earlier allegations, and a few might be aware of his womanizing reputation, I think the pattern was more a reverse bandwagon effect, when one influential organization (like the Latifah's production company or Letterman's Worldwide Pants Production Co.) withdrew its support, others quickly followed. JMO, but I don't think all the organizations so much knew of BC's shady reputation as they understood public perception. I think many of them simply took themselves out of any controversy as heinous as the allegations against BC. Especially when he made no move to deny the accusations. After all, if what "you've done for me lately" is to link my organization with a rape case, you're gone.

 

[Slebby]

But it was known before now. It became a matter of public record when the first woman filed the lawsuit against him in Philadelphia. The one that had 13 other women lined up to testify. But the press gave the whole story a pass at the time.
<Snipped>
.

Lachelle Covington went to the police in 2000, 3 days after her experience with BC.

http://nypost.com/2000/03/02/actress-bombshell-cos-rubbed-me-the-wrong-way/

And yes, the press really didn't pick up on it much then either.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[IzzyBlanche]

Very interesting. I have the sound muted on my computer due to annoying pop-up ads so I watched this muted. Interesting body language on both their parts, IMO, without knowing what either was saying.

I'll watch it again with the sound on to see if my impressions change.

 

[margarita25]

(I'm not sure if I posted this or not yet, but it continues to come up in so many threads, more and more members admitting to have been roofied...and that's only the ones brave enough to share...)

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2RP769rAkU&x-yt-ts=1422411861&x-yt-cl=84924572

All I can say is "yuck!"

 

[wendiesan]

Has anyone looked into which universities or schools from which BC received honorary degrees or gave speeches and seen if there was a pattern of young women coming forward with complaints about his behaviour towards them?
I just read an article by a woman who said he had made advances towards her, which she had evaded, after speaking at her high school.
I'll see if I can find it again, and post it later.

 

[Tulessa]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2RP769rAkU&x-yt-ts=1422411861&x-yt-cl=84924572

Honestly, I tried! I just couldn't watch........

 

[wendiesan]

So far I haven't found anything to suggest any of the universities had rescinded the honours given BC.

First Draft of Post Secondary Institutions that have granted BC an honorary degree.

University of Pennsylvania: Honorary LL.D. (1990)
Swarthmore College: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (1995)
University of Connecticut: Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts (1996)
University of Southern California: Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts (1998)
Amherst College: Doctor of Humane Letters (1999)
Colgate University: Honorary Doctorate (1999)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Honorary Degrees (2001)
University of Cincinnati: Honorary Degree (2001)
Haverford College: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (2002)
Baylor University: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (2003)
Sisseton Wahpeton College: Honorary Degree (2003)
West Chester University of Pennsylvania: Honorary Doctorate (2003)
Yale University: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (2003)
Berklee College of Music: Honorary Doctor of Music degree (2004)
Carnegie Mellon University: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (2007)
Virginia Commonwealth University: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (2008)
Marquette University: Honorary Doctor of Letters degree (2013)
Boston University: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (2014)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby

If anyone thinks something else should be added, please let me know.
Thanks.

 

[Nova]

Do colleges ever rescind honorary degrees? I can't recall hearing of a case.

Frankly, doing so would not only bring more bad publicity to the institution but cast doubt on its other honorees. I can easily see the trustees deciding to stay silent on the whole subject (particularly since explaining the rescission would almost certainly require slanderous statements that would open the U. to a law suit). IIRC, Temple has dropped its fundraising connection to Cosby, which surely cost the university a lot of coin.

 

[Tulessa]

Do colleges ever rescind honorary degrees? I can't recall hearing of a case.

Frankly, doing so would not only bring more bad publicity to the institution but cast doubt on its other honorees. I can easily see the trustees deciding to stay silent on the whole subject (particularly since explaining the rescission would almost certainly require slanderous statements that would open the U. to a law suit). IIRC, Temple has dropped its fundraising connection to Cosby, which surely cost the university a lot of coin.

Colleges Can Rescind Degrees!
Think graduating means you have the degree forever? Think again. Colleges can, and do, rescind a degree if there is ANY misrepresentation on the application. They can, at any time AFTER graduation demand information for an investigation, not providing information means rescinding the degree. Get a letter from a college you graduated from 20 years ago? Ignore it and you lose your degree.

http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-d...sions/35148-colleges-can-rescind-degrees.html

 

[IzzyBlanche]

I think Nova was referring to honorary degrees.

 

[wendiesan]

Thanks Tulessa.

Some universities have structures for dealing with problems down the road from holders of its degrees, including "honorary degrees".
For example, U. Regina lists its protocol for nominating, assessing, conferring, and revoking honorary degrees.

The Senate, acting on the recommendation of Council or on its own initiative but after report by the Council, may revoke that Degree or Degrees, including Honorary Degrees, Diplomas, Certificates or Distinctions of the University and all privileges connected therewith of any holder of the same who shall have been convicted of any criminal offence which shall be held (by the Council) to be of an immoral, or scandalous or disgraceful nature, or whose name shall have been removed for misconduct by a properly constituted legal authority from any official register of members of the profession to which he/she belongs or whose conduct, in the opinion of Senate, shall constitute a breach of any agreement made with the University as a condition of the conferment of such degree or degrees, diplomas, certificates or distinctions.

The Senate may restore, on cause being shown, and after report by the Council, any person so deprived, to the degree, distinction or privileges previously enjoyed by him/her without further examination.

http://www.uregina.ca/president/exe...univ-secretary/honorary-degrees/protocol.html

Some universities do not bestow honorary awards: MIT, Cornell, Stanford, Rice, and U.Virginia.

Other institutes have a different take. Although, for instance, Yale has the power to rescind a degree, it usually refuses to do so even in the face of, what seems to me, to be incontrovertible evidence that the recipient has done something immoral, illegal, and despicable. In 1996, Yale awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters to Stephan Schmidheiny (sometimes called "the Bill Gates of Switzerland") for his work in promoting a healthy and safe environment.

An Italian criminal court convicted Schmidheiny for his gross negligence, citing an environmental disaster in Italy. Two of his company&#8217;s plants in Italy killed thousands of workers and residents due to prolonged asbestos exposure. Originally sentenced to 16 years, the Appeals Court upheld the original verdict and prolonged his sentence to 18 years. The Court explained that Schmidheiny was well aware of the risks of asbestos exposure. He participated in misinformation campaigns intended to deceive workers about the dangers, claiming safety if handled properly.

http://www.mesotheliomacenter.org/m...ho-caused-an-asbestos-environmental-disaster/

Mayors of 35 Italian towns with up to 3,000 residents who died from asbestos-related mesothelioma have written to Yale President Peter Salovey, asking that the Swiss billionaire they hold responsible for the fatalities be stripped of his honorary degree. The letter follows a petition by more than 50 Yale graduates, including leaders in asbestos research, demanding that Yale revoke Stephan Schmidheiny&#8217;s award.

http://www.nhregister.com/health/20...o-revoke-honorary-degree-over-asbestos-deaths

Although, the Yale Alumni were joined by the The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization when they petitioned Yale to have the criminal stripped of his degree, the University claims it has never rescinded an honorary degree before, and won't do so now. If a few thousand deaths and criminal prosecution won't get any action from Yale, chances are very likely that the university will just send an official form letter to every student and graduate who asked that BC be stripped of his degree, and tell them that it just isn't possible. The US Navy, however, didn't have that problem.
http://yaledailynews.com/crosscampus/2014/11/25/petition-calls-for-yale-to-rescind-cosby-degree/
http://www.stripes.com/news/navy/navy-revokes-honorary-title-given-to-bill-cosby-1.317373

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I just had an interesting discussion with my mother...

shared with her that my DH is involved in on the internet...

great... She answered in two ways...

soo..Do you think your husband does anything right?!?

Soo... Have you thought about going to therapy with him?

Uhhhh.... I am not the seeker... :doh:

Thanks mom... :no:

 

[wendiesan]

I just had an interesting discussion with my mother...shared with her that my DH is involved in on the internet... great... She answered in two ways...soo..Do you think your husband does anything right?!?Soo... Have you thought about going to therapy with him...Uhhhh.... I am not the seeker... :doh:Thanks mom... :no:

Not getting support from the people you are hoping will be there for you is really disheartening, no getting away from it.
Just a thought, FWIW. A library offers a quiet place, often with individual carrells at which you can sit, make notes, open a book and just be so that you can take stock of the world and not have to deal with distractions for part of your day. It may make it a little easier to assess what your needs, goals, and hopes are, and what the next steps are that you want to take. At various points of upheaval in my life, I've found an oasis in public libraries, university reading rooms and halls, convent libraries, and the reading room at the local YWCA.
Please remember that there are discussion threads (IIRC) which may be helpful to which other WS members may direct you.
I believe that you'll discover strengths within yourself that you may not yet know you possess, IHNC.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

I just had an interesting discussion with my mother...

shared with her that my DH is involved in on the internet...

great... She answered in two ways...

soo..Do you think your husband does anything right?!?

Soo... Have you thought about going to therapy with him?

Uhhhh.... I am not the seeker... :doh:

Thanks mom... :no:

Oh my, just change the topics a little and this resembles many, many conversations I have had with my mom in which I bring up an issue I'm concerned about or hurt over and she manages to somehow recast the situation into a different light in which I am the one at fault.

Empathetic hugs to you. We're off the thread topic here but PM capability exists for a reason.

 

[Donjeta]

Some Hollywoodsy types are saying it is not in fact true that no one knew anything before now: there were plenty of rumors about Cosby's inclinations in the circles over the years.

Groundbreaking comedian Roseanne Barr says Hollywood women knew about allegations that the "great comic" Bill Cosby sexually assaulted multiple women over the years, but no one said anything.
...
"We all heard it for a long time, and it surprises nobody," she said flatly, during an interview on the set Wednesday of Cristela where she was guest-starring.

"We all know women who know somebody, if they didn't go through it themselves with Bill Cosby," she said. "There are hardly any women &#8212; hairdressers, waitresses, working women &#8212; who don't know somebody (affected by the allegations)."

...
Barr is not alone. Comedian Patton Oswalt also says the Cosby allegations were well known among comics.

"It was a very badly kept secret in the comedian world, and a lot of us would talk about it. (Comedian/documentarian) Bobcat Goldthwait would mention it all the time," he said on the You Make It Weird podcast with Pete Holmes in December.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/...r-on-bill-cosby-no-one-is-surprised/22558917/

"Maybe it's not the end of it. ... I have hopes for this great comic. I do. I have hopes that he would just make it clean, and make it, you know, make it right, and I do think he could do that," she said.


Asked how he could make it right, Barr said, "There's so many ways. He's got a billion bucks."

Well I don't know if you can rape a lot of women and ever make it right but he could try I guess. But it would involve admitting he did it and his lawyers and wife ain't gonna like it.
http://www.accesshollywood.com/roseanne-barr-hopes-bill-cosby-will-make-it-right_article_103483

Read more at http://www.accesshollywood.com/rose...e-it-right_article_103483#YyHE4SrCrGDyqUkF.99

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/larry-wilmore-reveals-roots-bill-767446
Larry Wilmore:

Night two, you go after Cosby. A lot of black comics have not wanted to attack a guy who opened so many doors &#8230;

Unfortunately, some of those doors were to hotel rooms. (Laughs.)

Did you have any hesitation?

He was never a hero of mine. I liked Cosby, but I have a different relationship with him than a lot of people because I didn't grow up on The Cosby Show. I grew up on I Spy and Chet Kincaid. I remember in the late '70s, early '80s, my mom met Bill Cosby down in San Diego at this tennis tournament. She came back and said, "We asked him for his autograph, and he was so mean, so nasty. He said, 'I don't do that.' " I was like, "Man, what an *******." My opinion of Cosby at that point was like, "What a jerk." I never even watched The Cosby Show. I always thought, "That's great that that show is on," but about him I was like, "Whatever, Cosby." Richard Pryor was my hero. Richard Pryor was keeping it 100 [percent real].

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/larry-wilmore-unleashes-bill-cosby-765594

Wilmore went on to ask why people seemed to dismiss the many accusations against the comedian.

"Is it just because they're women? Because I would say enough have come forward. The current tally stands at 35 women. How many more do we need?" Wilmore asked. "That's like if Bill Cosby drug and raped every U.S. President from George Washington to John. F Kennedy."

Wilmore got serious for a moment (but just a moment).

"Let's consider for a second that Cosby didn't do it &#8230; OK, we're done!"

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Not getting support from the people you are hoping will be there for you is really disheartening, no getting away from it.
Just a thought, FWIW. A library offers a quiet place, often with individual carrells at which you can sit, make notes, open a book and just be so that you can take stock of the world and not have to deal with distractions for part of your day. It may make it a little easier to assess what your needs, goals, and hopes are, and what the next steps are that you want to take. At various points of upheaval in my life, I've found an oasis in public libraries, university reading rooms and halls, convent libraries, and the reading room at the local YWCA.
Please remember that there are discussion threads (IIRC) which may be helpful to which other WS members may direct you.
I believe that you'll discover strengths within yourself that you may not yet know you possess, IHNC.

:hug: