If you’re over 30, chances are the name Monica Lewinsky brings on a flood memories about presidential scandals, inappropriate behavior and specific items of clothing. You may think you know all you need to know about that.
I challenge you to rethink those events with your 2019 brain in gear.
The president of the United States, arguably the most powerful human on the face of the Earth, asked a 22-year-old girl, who was his intern, for sex. I hope by now we all understand that she could not have given consent, that the president’s position of power was so absolute that consent was impossible.
When the story broke, Monica Lewinsky, not the president, became the focus of scrutiny, the butt of every late-night TV joke. The fact that this became known forever more as the “Monica Lewinsky Scandal” rather than the “Clinton sex scandal” speaks volumes to how it was handled.
Fast forward 24 years and Monica Lewinsky has emerged as a leading voice in the fight against cyber-bullying, calling herself “Patient Zero of internet shaming.”
On April 23 at Fort Lewis College, in Durango, Monica will join a panel of local experts and community stakeholders for a forum on cyber-bullying.
The ease and prevalence of teens and adults alike being attacked online is at an all-time high. Be part of the solution. Join us to educate yourself and add your voice to the discussion.
Rowan Blaisdell
Durango
