Everyday Erinyes #98

Experts in autocracies have pointed out that it is, unfortunately, easy to slip into normalizing the tyrant, hence it is important to hang on to outrage.  These incidents which seem to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them will, I hope, help with that.  Even though there are many more which I can’t include.  As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as “unceasing,” “grudging,” and “vengeful destruction.”

Well.  I promised to keep everyone posted as the Sherin Mathews case developed, and it has.  Yes, her body was found.  Yes, it was confirmed to be hers through dental records.  Yes, her father changed his story.  He now says she choked on the milk he was giving her, and that she died, or he thought she died.  He has been formally chsrged with “injury to a child.”

The Indian people and the Indian government is very interested in this case, but they are less interested in the death than in the adoption process, which makes sense.  The orphanage from which she was adopted is no longer functioning, but the former owner says “The child had no problem when she was here, neither in drinking milk nor in eating.”  Also, “We loved her laughter.  She was a smart child.”  The adoption was handled through an agency, Holt International, under the supervision of the government’s Central Adoption Resource Authority, which says that due procedures were followed, including background checks.  India’s External Affairs minister has formally requested the Women and Child Development Minister to investigate the adoption.

And, already, people with similar names are being harassed on social media.  Sigh.  Well, Tisiphone, it’s still yours.

In a week in which we are still discussing Harvey Weinstein, in a week in which bill O’Reilly has again raised his ugly head (the upper one), this time to complain to God, and of course Donald Trump’s proclivities are being discussed, this story is still going to cause facepalms.

In Chicago, at a massage parlor called Therapy for Everybody, the operations director and lead therapist, Anthony Winters, raped a client.  The client reacted in shock, which caused the therapist to nopologize.  Why did he do it?

“because he thought she was physically attractive.”

You can fill in the acronyms.  Go ahead.  As many as you like.

Well, he is being charged with criminal sexual assault, but is apparently not locked up, because the prosecution has asked the judge to ban him from working as a masseur while awaiting trial.  This will probably be another one to follow up.  Let’s see – Alecto, since rape culture appears to be unceasing, how about you look into it more deeply.

And then, there’s this.

Montanans are debating the motives of two candidates allegedly running for the United States Senate seat currently held by Democrat Jon Tester.

“James Dean” says he is running for the Republican nomination.

“Sarah Dean” says she is running for the Democratic Party nomination.

I am not making this up.

William James Dean, who currently refers to himself as James Dean, “filed to run for president in California under a different name, Daniel Lane Dean, the name that appeared on his Air Force Academy diploma, and his Hawaiian state bar exam, and a divorce record that shows him being served dissolution papers while working for the Judge Advocate General Corps at Guantanamo Bay.”

And not only that, but

“Sarah Dean has used no fewer than four names, each affiliated with an online business, or a Christian ministry, a collection of children’s books, or a crowd-funded charity.”  ….  “Several of the answers offered by the Deans are like coins in the deep end of a swimming pool, vaguely recognizable but not reachable,” [Billings Gazette reporter Tom] Lutey explained of the encounter.

They also would not confirm that they were married.  Questioned, they were apparently unable to provide a wedding date or location.  But they have filed the forms to run, and they are not backing down.  Both are still running.

Megaera, I don’t see a grudge here (yet), though I do see an awful lot of grift.  Maybe you can clarify this – story (for want of a better word.  Oh, myth you say?)

The Furies and I will be back.

Cross posted to Care2 HERE.