In recent years, we have lost a lot of beloved famous people. Not to death, but to their pasts. Take Bill Cosby, Kevin Spacey and several other famous celebrities.
If these celebrities committed any of these acts, then they deserve every second in prison, every dollar taken and every lawsuit thrown at them. The fact that this has caused victims of sexual assault to feel more comfortable coming out to the general public is a great thing, it really is. However, the movement combined with social media has caused a serious problem in the United States.
Mob mentality is getting in the way of the process of American justice, specifically the idea of innocence until proven guilty. The problem with the movement’s social media backing is that it is ruining these people’s career, but we don’t wait to see what a judge has decided. Once one person takes to social media and puts allegations of sexual misconduct out there, everyone who sees that will not question a thing about the allegation itself; the public just immediately accepts it as fact.
I do not mean to discredit those who are truly finding the courage to speak about sexual harassment or assault, but I would encourage going to law enforcement rather than posting it publicly on the internet. To anyone that sees these posts accusing famous people of these crimes, I would encourage you to follow that story through another outlet, specifically a trusted news source and see if that person is actually convicted of anything before you make any drastic decisions about them.
I sincerely hope that every person who types #MeToo onto their social media is truly a victim looking for help rather than someone looking for fame. Social media, for better or worse, is taken more seriously by the world everyday, but that does not necessarily mean it is a reliable source or that anyone on there is always telling the truth. Stay wary of what you see online, and stay informed of the real facts.
