With the expansion of the public eye due to the rise of smartphones, social media, and the internet, the good, the bad, and the appalling acts of any celebrity or person in power are now easily made into public knowledge– and sadly for abusers, this includes sexual assault.

From Hollywood, men such as Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Woody Allen have all been accused of sexual assault or abuse. In the music industry, XXXTentacion, Kodak Black, and Dr. Luke of Sony Music all have recently faced allegations of sexual abuse or assault in court. Former Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, and even our president, Donald Trump, have both faced quite a number of allegations. Men in power taking advantage of younger, more vulnerable people is not a new issue; the difference is that now, with the help of the media and possibly a less victim-blaming public opinion, men and women who have been harmed by sexual misconduct may be more empowered to come forward with their stories.

But what happens when it is made known that everyone’s favorite actor, musician, producer, or influencer might very well be a rapist? The Miter Staff believes that the most important step is for these people to be held accountable for their actions is to face just consequences in the eyes of the law. If we lived in a perfect world, this would be enough– but it’s not. According to RAINN, The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, only 6 out of 1,000 rapists end up facing actual jail time. One might even think this number could be lower when it comes to celebrities, since they can afford highly paid and skilled lawyers.

The Miter Staff would like to encourage all of our readers to mindful of the people whom they support. Whether it be shown in our listening history, the box office, or on our ballots from the latest election, our daily choices illustrate who and what we believe in, or disprove of. Any toleration of rape and abuse should not continue in our society, and changes toward this begins with us.