Movie Response to North Country
Here is information about the case and movie I'm talking about:
http://www.sexualharassmentsupport.org/JensonVsEvelethMines.html
The movie North Country resonated within me. The plot was a composite of many characters involved in the landmark case titled Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, but seems to focus more so on the story of Lois Jenson, the plaintiff in the case. This story of the United State’s first sexual harassment class action lawsuit informed and astounded me. I consistently had to remind myself that the harassment began in the late 1980’s, less than twenty years ago. We claim to be an advanced nation, one based on equal rights for all. The “pursuit of happiness” was described as a basic liberty in our Declaration of Independence. The average United States citizen assumes that all Americans are exempt from torture. Yet, according to the majority of statistics, to this day, two-thirds of women have experienced sexual assault in their lifetimes in the United States. We should be past this. We should all be standing up like Josie Aimes (real name Lois Jenson) did.
It was hard to watch many parts of the movie because I know that Josie’s case is one of millions. Even in her trial, Josie had to face badgering and inquiries into her sexual history, accusations of sexual misconduct with no proof, slander in the courtroom, heresy, whatever you want to call it. Regardless of the name applied to these attacks, her prosecution attempted to obstruct justice in the fullest sense. They attempted to belittle Josie’s testimony based on the assumptions that women “ask for” the abuse they must endure on a daily basis in the workforce and elsewhere. Josie’s co-workers, her prosecution, and many individuals of the general public assume that even if women do not seek out sexual relationships that it is not a man’s fault for ‘misunderstanding’ based on a woman’s ‘previous record’ of sexuality or perceived promiscuity. It is sickening to view the blatant disregard for basic human rights of women solely because of biological sex.
Women’s rights should be equal to that of men’s and it is imperative that women such as those in the film take risks to pave the way for justice for women of the future. In no way is it justifiable that women should be banned from jobs because the occupation is a “man’s work,” nor is it acceptable for women to be punished for choosing to defy those societal norms. It is the job of activists, social workers, lawyers, and citizens in general to take a stand against violence that is felt by nearly half of our nation’s overall population. This issue is pervasive. It has rotted our proclaimed ideals of integrity and has demonstrated the sexist interpretation of the statement that “all men are created equal.” Indeed, as it looks from the film and from current statistics, it seems that maybe our nation still believes that it is exclusively men that are created equal. But I don’t believe that can be true.
I believe in my core that there are many still out there that are like the owners of the mine, shameless misogynists. However, there is also a great deal of people who are like the other women at the mines, who are like Josie’s father, who are like Bobby. There are people like them that are just waiting for something to force them to stand up, to protest, to fight. Maybe it will take power in numbers-- someone else to stand up first; maybe it will take abuse happening to someone they love; maybe it will take someone forcing them to recall a sense of morality. It may be that as a nation, as activists and social workers, we need to figure out what it will take to encourage people that now is the time to say NO MORE. It may be that we need to educate our citizens reagrding the extent of sexual abuse and violence against women. It may be that we need to be the first ones to stand up and defend those who are victims, whether those victims be ourselves, our mothers, our friend, our co-workers, or the women whom are our clients.
It is time. No human being should be expected or required to endure hate messages on the walls of their workplace, unfounded insults strewn at them in public, physical and sexual force used against them by co-workers and particularly those in authority over them, or any other form of intimidation, force, or discrimination. We are all entitled to a safe, equitable, and financially rewarding job. We should all be justified and supported in seeking redress when those needs are not met. We should all applaud the brave individuals like Josie who have taken a stand when no one else was ready or willing to take the risk or to be the first. Now, it is our turn to keep fighting. The job is far from done.
http://www.sexualharassmentsupport.org/JensonVsEvelethMines.html
The movie North Country resonated within me. The plot was a composite of many characters involved in the landmark case titled Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, but seems to focus more so on the story of Lois Jenson, the plaintiff in the case. This story of the United State’s first sexual harassment class action lawsuit informed and astounded me. I consistently had to remind myself that the harassment began in the late 1980’s, less than twenty years ago. We claim to be an advanced nation, one based on equal rights for all. The “pursuit of happiness” was described as a basic liberty in our Declaration of Independence. The average United States citizen assumes that all Americans are exempt from torture. Yet, according to the majority of statistics, to this day, two-thirds of women have experienced sexual assault in their lifetimes in the United States. We should be past this. We should all be standing up like Josie Aimes (real name Lois Jenson) did.
It was hard to watch many parts of the movie because I know that Josie’s case is one of millions. Even in her trial, Josie had to face badgering and inquiries into her sexual history, accusations of sexual misconduct with no proof, slander in the courtroom, heresy, whatever you want to call it. Regardless of the name applied to these attacks, her prosecution attempted to obstruct justice in the fullest sense. They attempted to belittle Josie’s testimony based on the assumptions that women “ask for” the abuse they must endure on a daily basis in the workforce and elsewhere. Josie’s co-workers, her prosecution, and many individuals of the general public assume that even if women do not seek out sexual relationships that it is not a man’s fault for ‘misunderstanding’ based on a woman’s ‘previous record’ of sexuality or perceived promiscuity. It is sickening to view the blatant disregard for basic human rights of women solely because of biological sex.
Women’s rights should be equal to that of men’s and it is imperative that women such as those in the film take risks to pave the way for justice for women of the future. In no way is it justifiable that women should be banned from jobs because the occupation is a “man’s work,” nor is it acceptable for women to be punished for choosing to defy those societal norms. It is the job of activists, social workers, lawyers, and citizens in general to take a stand against violence that is felt by nearly half of our nation’s overall population. This issue is pervasive. It has rotted our proclaimed ideals of integrity and has demonstrated the sexist interpretation of the statement that “all men are created equal.” Indeed, as it looks from the film and from current statistics, it seems that maybe our nation still believes that it is exclusively men that are created equal. But I don’t believe that can be true.
I believe in my core that there are many still out there that are like the owners of the mine, shameless misogynists. However, there is also a great deal of people who are like the other women at the mines, who are like Josie’s father, who are like Bobby. There are people like them that are just waiting for something to force them to stand up, to protest, to fight. Maybe it will take power in numbers-- someone else to stand up first; maybe it will take abuse happening to someone they love; maybe it will take someone forcing them to recall a sense of morality. It may be that as a nation, as activists and social workers, we need to figure out what it will take to encourage people that now is the time to say NO MORE. It may be that we need to educate our citizens reagrding the extent of sexual abuse and violence against women. It may be that we need to be the first ones to stand up and defend those who are victims, whether those victims be ourselves, our mothers, our friend, our co-workers, or the women whom are our clients.
It is time. No human being should be expected or required to endure hate messages on the walls of their workplace, unfounded insults strewn at them in public, physical and sexual force used against them by co-workers and particularly those in authority over them, or any other form of intimidation, force, or discrimination. We are all entitled to a safe, equitable, and financially rewarding job. We should all be justified and supported in seeking redress when those needs are not met. We should all applaud the brave individuals like Josie who have taken a stand when no one else was ready or willing to take the risk or to be the first. Now, it is our turn to keep fighting. The job is far from done.