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Editorial

Unjustifiable Attacks Against Joe Biden

When Joe Biden and I chance to meet – it is a rare but welcome occurrence – he always thanks me for the long-standing support he has received from our community.

Four years ago, around the time of our celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Ethnikos Kirikas, my family and I were being photographed with President Barack Obama at the White House when he passed by that room. When he saw us, Vise President Biden ran to greet us and be photographed with us and the President.

He also sent a warm message to us for the 100th anniversary.

Why am I writing about these things?

Firstly, for reasons of complete transparency.

And, secondly, I am using them as an example of his warm relationship with our Community. He is among those politicians, like Senator Bob Menendez, whom we call real and proven Philhellenes.

Independent of what I just said, I believe that the recent attacks on his character and the uninterrupted media coverage of allegations of sexual harassment is unjustified.

I count myself among those who believe that the issue of sexual harassment and abuse, under any circumstances, is a very serious crime. I also consider heroes those women who find the courage to speak out about the harassment they experienced.

I am deeply saddened by the fact that 1/3 of Greek women are victims of some form of conjugal violence, as I have recently learned. And I also regret that most of them cannot, for economic and other reasons, condemn their abusers.

However, I have to sound the alarm, care must be taken so that #MeToo movement is not made to look ridiculous and loose its effectiveness due to cases of false or unjust accusations.

And the case of the four women who are attacking Biden falls, apparently, into this category.

First, no woman claims that Biden harassed her in some hidden space, in an empty room, etc.

Secondly, they all say he harassed them publicly, while they were on an election campaign, in front of crowds.

Thirdly, anyone who sees a video of Biden on the campaign trail sees him continually embracing women and men – it’s his style, he wants to make people feel they are close to him.

Obviously closer to him than the current political and social climate allows, but that’s the way it was.

On Wednesday, Biden made a video in which he asserted that he had gotten the message, that he would be more cautious and now has a better appreciation for people’s personal space.

That is what was needed to calm people down.

Unless the motives are political, and aimed at weakening the #MeToo movement.

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