Tag: Lena Dunham

It’s no secret that individuals who identify as liberals tend to put quite a bit of stock in feelings and emotions. A liberal’s stated intentions have a higher value than the consequences of the policies he supports. However, recent revelations surrounding Rolling Stone’s UVA rape story, Lena Dunham’s rape allegations, and the “Hands up, don’t shoot!” protesters indicate that modern liberals have elevated their feelings to a whole new level: “truth” is whatever it is a liberal man or woman is feeling at any specific moment. If it feels true, then it must be true — at least until the shouts of enough people blow the delusional fog of self-righteousness from their eyes and they are forced to acknowledge the lies.

First up we have Rolling Stone’s ‘A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA,’ which turned the lives upside down for an entire campus, a slew of innocent men, and their families. “Rape culture” feels so true that it must be true — so why bother interviewing men accused of gang-rape, right Rolling Stone?

Sabrina Rubin Erdely wrote “Jackie’s” story Nov. 19:

“Shut up,” she heard a man’s voice say as a body barreled into her, tripping her backward and sending them both crashing through a low glass table. There was a heavy person on top of her, spreading open her thighs, and another person kneeling on her hair, hands pinning down her arms, sharp shards digging into her back, and excited male voices rising all around her. When yet another hand clamped over her mouth, Jackie bit it, and the hand became a fist that punched her in the face. The men surrounding her began to laugh. For a hopeful moment Jackie wondered if this wasn’t some collegiate prank. Perhaps at any second someone would flick on the lights and they’d return to the party.

“Grab its motherfucking leg,” she heard a voice say. And that’s when Jackie knew she was going to be raped.

She remembers every moment of the next three hours of agony, during which, she says, seven men took turns raping her, while two more – her date, Drew, and another man – gave instruction and encouragement.

What a horrible experience. Unfortunately, the story is bogus. The reason Rolling Stone didn’t know earlier: feelings.

Rolling Stone’s Will Dana wrote in his “Ooops, did I do that?” apology:

“Because of the sensitive nature of Jackie’s story, we decided to honor her request not to contact the man she claimed orchestrated the attack on her nor any of the men she claimed participated in the attack for fear of retaliation against her.”

As The Washington Post pointed out, there wasn’t even an event at the fraternity on the night “Jackie” told Rolling Stone she was gang-raped. But hey, the “larger truth” of “rape culture” needs to be addressed. What’s the big deal? That, of course, brings us to Lena Dunham.

Ms. Dunham wrote in her memoir, “Not That Kind of Girl,” that she was raped by a college Republican named “Barry” when she attended Oberlin College. Breitbart News actually went to the campus to investigate, and found out that her description of the campus “remains the only detail Breitbart News was able to verify.” When Ms. Dunham’s story started to fall apart, Oberlin’s radio station historian suddenly began to sound like she would fit right in with the editors at Rolling Stone.

Sophie Hess: “People here are less interested in justice for this kind of crime and more interested in helping the victim. I’m not psyched to help you do this.”

John Nolte: “You can look at everything I’ve thus far written about this. We just want to know the truth.”

Sophie Hess: “Asking whether or not a victim is telling the truth is irrelevant,” Ms. Hess proclaimed. “It’s just not important if they are telling the truth. If this person had wanted criminal justice they would have pursued it.”

John Nolte: “I’m not just talking about criminal justice,” I responded. “The details in the book point to a specific individual.”

Sophie Hess: “Who graduated years ago.”

John Nolte: “This man is easily found using Google and says he’s innocent. Right now everyone is looking at him and he’s just twisting out there.”

Sophie Hess: “Our archives are private. We have no obligation to share them with anyone. I don’t want our organization to be a part of this. I’m the general manager and the answer is no.”

Again: the truth is “just not that important” if someone feels like a victim. In Ms. Dunham’s book, she says she took alcohol and drugs on the night she was allegedly raped. What is more likely, given Breitbart’s investigation — that Ms. Dunham was raped, or that she’s found a way to turn a drug-fueled experience she regrets into a public service announcement on “rape culture”?

I may feel really gross and dirty for what I did while high on cocaine with some random guy, but at least now I can turn it into a positive experience while damaging Republicans (score!) and dealing a blow to rape culture.

The same mentality also applies to those who feel like racism can only be defeated with lies.

Consider The Associated Press’ coverage on the “Hands up, don’t shoot!” protests that are based on a lie (debunked by forensic evidence and multiple [black] eye-witnesses):

To some, it doesn’t matter whether Brown’s hands literally were raised, because his death has come to symbolize a much bigger movement.

“He wasn’t shot because of the placement of his hands; he was shot because he was a big, black, scary man,” said James Cox, 28, a food server who protested this week in Oakland, California.

The truth “doesn’t matter” because a lie that can sway public opinion in support of a “bigger movement” is — in the minds of many modern liberals — better than a reality that doesn’t move large masses into action for a progressive cause. Sad.

When an ideology becomes so warped that the lies become the truth, that is how you get a.) men like Jonathan Gruber wielding enormous influence in the nation’s capitol, and b.) elected officials like Nancy Pelosi saying she doesn’t know who he is — despite video evidence to the contrary.

We live in interesting times: the truth seems treasonous, the biggest liars are given the bully pulpit, and hard-working Americans are told to sit silently while they’re blamed for the bad behavior of total strangers.

As I’ve said before: It’s been fun, Western Civilization! It’s a shame it had to end this way, but it was grand while it lasted.