Mary Katharine Ham opened up at The Federalist today, sharing her personal experiences as a victim of sexual harassment in the hopes that other victims will feel empowered to speak out and triumph over their victimizers.
Thinking back on experiences w friends this wk made me feel protective & proud of so many & mad there are so many. https://t.co/Le0AOw2Ytn
— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) October 19, 2017
She writes:
I’m now raising two daughters. Is “as the mother of daughters” something I’m allowed to say? It makes a difference to me. I want to teach them to throw a flag on powerful men when they’re in the wrong, but I don’t want to teach them that all powerful men are out to do them wrong. I want them to trust their guts and live boldly, but also have a realistic idea of dangers they will face. I don’t want them to assume the cards are stacked against them, but I want them to know they will face injustice sometimes. I want them to understand deeply the goodness of good men and use that knowledge to guide their choices when they encounter ones who aren’t. I want them prepared, not jaded.
I want them to know they can speak up and still rise in their careers. That’s certainly not a given. Some would say it was a luxury that it went that way for me, though it didn’t feel like a luxury at the time. But part of making it more acceptable is showing that I did it.Maybe, if and when my daughters have to speak up, those in the wrong will pay the price and make the adjustments, not them.
Ham’s message is a powerful one. And it apparently went completely over this guy’s head:
Crazy that a very tepid (it's the Federalist, after all) statement that harassment is real & painful gets pushback in the comments section.
— Robert Working (@WorkingRob) October 19, 2017
No, Robert. Crazy is thinking you could take a swipe at Mary Katharine Ham and get away with it:
Crazy a man who no doubt prides himself on being pro-women thinks a woman standing up for herself, telling her story is “very tepid.”
— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) October 19, 2017
I’m so sorry my tearing my boss a new asshole at the risk of being fired was too tepid for you. I’m sorry my friend was stalked too tepidly.
— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) October 19, 2017
Do explain to us how we could be more pleasing to you, sir, in our reactions to our own harassment.
— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) October 19, 2017
While we’re at it, maybe you have advice on how I can less “tepidly” raise my daughters alone to withstand both mansplaining & harassment.
— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) October 19, 2017
If that’s not the mother of all mic drops, it comes pretty darn close.
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) October 19, 2017
Her daughters are lucky to have a mom like her.
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