A Devil's Cauldron of Wickedness

As scandal after scandal breaks about powerful men sexually assaulting women--from Donald Trump to Bill Cosby to Harvey Weinstein to Louis C.K. to Roy Moore--along with the spotlight shown by #MeToo on the scope and ubiquity of sexual harassment, I think it's way past time to admit that sex and power is a devil's cauldron of wickedness.

Sex and power is a toxic combination. When the male libido is embedded within a power hierarchy women and children are going to be harassed, assaulted and abused. Male dominated power hierarchies are simply unsafe. I don't think this can be disputed.

Consequently, one of the biggest reasons we should strive to be egalitarian in gender roles is also one of the simplest and most loving: Safety.

If we care about protecting women and children, women must share power with men. Not only will egalitarian power structures reduce the incidence of abuse, harassment, and assault, egalitarian power structures will respond to incidents of abuse, harassment, and assault with greater moral and legal seriousness. Harm is reduced and cover ups harder to accomplish.

Patriarchy--the rule of men--is simply not safe.

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