Of late, I find myself pondering how Harvey Weinstein’s existence, his circumstances, came to be. The truth is, he didn’t act alone. He was enabled—permitted and allowed—to do what he did. And it seems to me that everyone who had knowledge is as culpable as he is.
I know, that seems a little “out of left field” for my newsletter, but it’s actually relevant no matter where you go.
You see, in the whole of human endeavor, there are layabouts, doers, thinkers, planners, and the odd abuser thrown in, apparently, to keep things interesting for the species. I don’t know how else to explain it in the cosmic omega of existence. Anyway, these terms—these roles of human society—are eternal and can be found in just about any odd assortment of humans you manage to bring together for common purpose.
Now, add in the age-old notion of creatives full of hopes and dreams, throw in a dash of all-too-common poor business sense, add just a dash of insecurity and naiveté, and you get what I call the Weinstein Factor.
As it turns out, people with hopes of fortune and glory will all-too-easily turn a blind eye when the guy (or gal) one lane over gets taken advantage of by the gate-keepers, purse-holders, and fame-makers. And that goes for any industry, not just the creative ones.
It seems our species is genetically inclined to ignore abuse, even when it’s before our eyes, but especially if it’s learned of second or third hand. “Oh,” people say, “that guy just can’t be capable of that. I’ve worked with him plenty of times and he never took advantage of me…”
Sound familiar?
Weinstein made a career of feeding on innocent, young hopefuls for decades, and the people around him either knew or ignored what their own eyes and ears were telling them.
Far, far too many people are willing to disregard the testimony of two or three or four or more people… mostly because they have skin in a game that isn’t theirs but which they believe is a path to their hopes and dreams. So they buy the excuses, swallow them hole, and keep their own hope alive… damn their fellow man or woman.
I am not one of those people.
To be perfectly honest, I wish I could convince an entire industry that it is better to turn your back on the abuser than to get in bed with him or her. And keep in mind, abuse comes in many forms.
In my opinion, it is as Imam Ali wrote centuries ago… “Tell me who you go with, and I’ll tell you who you are.”
So, for the record, for anyone and everyone who sees or hears of abuse of any kind: Once is worth questioning. Twice is worth investigating. Thrice is a nail in a coffin. Look. Listen. Believe your senses. And for god’s sake, never turn a blind eye. Watering your own hopes and dreams with the blood of the innocent bears only poison roses.
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If that’s the case, I’d like to ask that you go back and review on Amazon whatever it was you read. For authors, reviews are gold… not like gold stars you get in kindergarten, but the gold that a person builds empires on.
The more reviews my fans write, the more fans I’ll get. It’s just that simple. Below is a link to my author page on Amazon. Just about everything I’ve ever written is listed there. And whether you click it or not, thanks for keeping up with everything going on in this crazy business of mine. I really do appreciate it.
Help Us Get the Word Out about Eldros Legacy…
You can learn more about Eldros Legacy at www.EldrosLegacy.com. And don’t forget that Rhenn the Traveler was just released. It’s the ninth book from Eldros and the third in Todd Fahnestock’s legacy of Shadows.
Also, don’t forget to follow me on my website and check out the growing list of free short stories I have on BookFunnel and StoryOrigin. I’m attacking 2023 with a vengeance!
