This Should Go Without Saying

[icecreamempress]

A young woman received an inappropriate and unwanted sexual image from a Congressional Representative with whom she was communicating via a social media account he used to converse with constituents and others about issues of public interest, while she was communicating with him in his role as a Representative in Congress.Anyone who doesn't get why

Comments

[nihilistic_kid]

Absolutely.

Though if it's solicited, it's cool, right? Because I have letters to write!

[icecreamempress]

I am refreshing my inbox right now, if you know what I mean.

Seriously, this whole shmegegge is chapping my ass right now. I feel for this woman, given the number of times even a cranky bitch like me has experienced some man decoding my "Professor/Doctor/Colonel/Senator/Representative/Father So-and-So, I admire your work and think that {issue} is important" as "HEY CUTIE SEX ME NOW WINK WINK."

(Not kidding about the "Father" here, either.)

[icecreamempress]

I Have Seen the argument that "This wouldn't be a big deal in France, because they are more sophisticated there."

This is the little-known use of the word "sophisticated" to mean "sexually harassing" (from the Old Kentish "so fysst Kate," presumably).

[browngirl]

France, whence comes Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who apparently has allegedly had a hobby of assaulting maids and only got in trouble for it because made the 'mistake' of indulging in his hobby in the US? Uh... I think I'll pick those parochial US values of finally starting to think badly of sexual misconduct, at least this time.

[bemused_leftist]

From a quick read of the article, it looks like the other women had begun the flirting, or at least had returned the remarks, leading up to the dodgy pictures. Apparently from stories elsewhere, the picture to Cordova was unintentional, hitting a wrong key. If he'd made a habit of replying with dirty pictures to serious constituents, he'd have got in trouble long ago.

[icecreamempress]

Let it go. He sent a sexual picture to a serious constituent. Who happened to be an attractive young woman

[icecreamempress]

The thing is that he sent a dong picture to a serious constituent. From his constituent account. It doesn't matter if it only happened once. The fact that it happened even once shows that he has terrible judgment.

If you want to send dong pictures, you make a dong picture account and continue the consensual flirting over there. You don't take the risk of responding to "Can you give me more information about HR 1576" with "HERE'S MAH DONG!" unless you're a heedless asshole.

[bemused_leftist]

That's a reasonable distinction. He doesn't seem very tech-savvy.

[sugar_for_sugar]

Yeah GEEZ.

Even if I am blatantly flirting with a man online, even if it's to the point where we are exchanging overtly sexual banter, he'd better be giving me some warning, or much better still ask if I'd like to see that shiz before sending along a risque image of himself, wang or no wang!

Some guy just thought I should pant for his peen without checking in to see if we're on the same sultry page first had better believe I'm not going to be happy about a breach of conduct like that.

...also, I'm going to throw up if this is a person who has ever voiced an objection to "zomg those teen slutwhores 'sexting' photos of their oh-so-tantalizing barely developed chests to their boyfriends, I mean at that point they're just asking for teh whole school to bully them AMIRITE."

[marlowe1]

Actually by this exchange it seems like not only did she receive advance warning for the dong picture but she was also quite impressed with the dong picture and kept on flirting with him in approval of the dong picture.

In this context, the whole incident is a case of everyone not really being able to mind their business.