What do you think? Do you think Bill is out there raping women or is it a media scam?

There are too many women claiming harm to be a hoax.  Guys that commit sex crimes feel a compulsion to behave the way they do.  The really odd thing in Mr. Cosby's case is that he could have no doubt seduced many of the women he is accused of raping.  It demonstrates that rape is less about sex and more about control.

Compare this to the claims that Justice Clarence Thomas committed sexual harassment.  No other women have come forward other that Anita Hill.

Once is happenstance. twice coincidence, three times is beyond any doubt

At the end of the day, too many women have come forward for this to be an hoax butt that's my opinion...And if he actually did it, he has no pay as this is disgusting. If he did not do it, then he has to fight back. His silence now is only hurting him.

The whole situation is horrible.   Mr. Cosby cannot prove he did not do what these women are accusing him of doing as it is impossible to prove a negative.  This is why our system requires proof of guilt 'beyond a reasonable doubt.'   As none of these women made a police report of the alleged incidents at the time, there was no forensic investigation for DNA  to positively associate Mr. Cosby to the woman.  Given the time lapse and lack of any physical evidence, it is unlikely that any prosecutor would bring charges on a 'she said, he said.'   The damage is done though and Mr. Cosby's reputation and image are destroyed forever.    
I know nothing of any of the women who are making their claims, for all I know they are sincere.  But I do know that piling on another charge is a good way to get your name in ink and get you onto talk shows which makes me skeptical as well.   Also for all I know Mr. Cosby has demons that only come out in private with women.  
Unfortunately, the truth is unknowable.
M

So I am sorry but for over thirty years all of these woman were raped and kept quiet?

This guy cannot have that much power and some of these ladies past are shady themselves.

I don't believe all of them are lying but why no charges in the past?

Also I do believe he fucked some of them too!

The time thing is what I have a problem with and him not being charged of any crimes.

If this guy is such a scumbag where are the charges or convictions over thirty years?

So if he did some of those things he should have been charged!

We have the media charging him and the courts not charging him?

I don't get it on all fronts!

-- Modified on 11/22/2014 9:32:10 AM

I think Bill Cosby was obviously promiscuous throughout his career, which in itself flies in the face of the image we all had of him and the image he projected for all these years. But as far as all the allegations go, his silence leads me to believe that some of the claims have merit. And there are simply too many of them to dismiss them all. I have a couple of issues with the situation, first off, not one of these new accusers (not counting Bowman, who came out years ago) ever came forward until now. I know that 10 years ago one of them had lined these women up to testify against him in her civil lawsuit but it got settled, yet none of them came out then. Why did so many of them stay quiet then when they were all apparently willing to testify against him, yet when the case didn't make it to court they disappeared for another ten years? The other issue I have is his silence. If I were on the up-and-up and some comedian got up on stage and accused me of being a rapist, I would have filed a libel suit against him within hours and vehemently defended myself in the public eye instead of having my lawyers issue non-denial denials. His silence definitely leads me to believe that there is merit to at least some of the accusations.  

All in all, I think the whole situation can only be described as a tragedy.

I am getting tired of his employers making up extra-judicial punishment of him based solely on the accusations.  If he can sell tickets to a show, he should be able to put on a show versus all the cancelations he is now enduring.

Even if everyone of the women now accusing him is telling the truth, it is difficult to see what they GAIN by making the accusation.

The court system has said the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson and walk the streets and have unsupervised contact with the people they are accused of abusing, but the NFL won't allow them to play?  We have a legal system for a reason.

Just a few thoughts on why these ladies never came forward in the past.  
1. They were all aspiring actresses. Cosby was a powerful man who could have a hand in the ruin or progression of their career.  
2. They thought they were alone. "why me?" Did I do something to provoke this?
3. They did not have the strength or support to go through a trial.
4. They did not want their personal life dragged out in the public and themselves be the ones on trial.  
5. He was the most well loved father figure in the country. She knew she would be looked at as the slut who was trying to ______ fill in the blank.

You guys may not know this but many of the women in your lives have been raped or at least sexully assulted. Call your sister tonight and ask her. Most of them will tell you it is so. It is pretty hard to make it through college without some frat boy forcing himself on you.  As young women we know it is wrong but we hide our shame. We have already been assaulted by one guy we don't want to subject ourselves to being assaulted by the media his lawyer, etc. Imagine if the man who rapes you is a public figure. You have just suffered through the worst night of your life and all you want to do is wash it away and forget it. You don't want to spend the next few years reliving it, proving it, defending yourself. And end up with what? Justice? Never going to happen. Loss of friends, career, social status, normal life. That is the reward you get for not keeping your mouth shut.  

You all know women in your personal civie life who have been raped. You just don't know it because for personal reasons they decided the price of coming forward was too great. It is an ugly truth but is the truth.  

Ladies please "like" this post if you know this to be true either in your personal life or the life of someone you are close to.

That's just it. He can't sell tickets. At certain venues people are asking for refunds and protesting his appearances.  

If he could sell out a venue, there would be no cancellations. A business's ability to make money usually trumps its moral code.

If that was one of my family members we would have been in a lawyer office and cop station getting the asshole.

I can understand a person may need some time but up to five, ten or thirty years?

They should want justice and no one has the right to take advantage of anybody!

So like I said before no one should have that much power over any other human being!

I feel he was living a double life from what he showed on TV.

Just the fact that no charges happen makes me wonder about this whole thing.

Also the ladies family should have been fighting with them too!
 

I lost interest. This whole thing has jumped the shark. And no, none of my wife, daughters or sisters have been raped. Sorry to disagree with your media fed hysteria.

Just knowing that your family would "make a big deal" out of it might make you not tell them. When you are 17 years old or whatever young age these girls were you don't tell your parents everything and certainly nothing to upset them. You don't want to draw any attention to yourself. Especially negative attention.  

A couple of years ago my daughter's best friend rushed over to our house crying. She went over to a friends house, he locked her in and raped her. I think surely in 2010 by now there should be justice for a 17 year old raped by an 18 year old. So even though she said not to call the cops because she was scared of what her parents would do, I did anyway. The police came over to my house and took her statement. They then went to the boys apartment and took his statement. He claimed that it was consensual and that she was just feeling remorse after the fact.  The cops came back to us and explained that it was a "he said- she said" problem and there was not much they could do. They discouraged her from taking it further explaining the ordeal that she would have to go though fighting and that since he didn't kill her then on the outside chance that she won not much would happen to him anyway.  
I know this is just one anecdotal example. But I hear these accounts often.  
No one has the right but it happens every day. https://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/reporting-rates  It says that 60% of rapes go unreported and 3 out of every hundred rapeist will spend a single night in jail.  
Other reports say 80% to 90% of rapes go unreported. Google it for yourselves.  

One out of every 6 women in the US have been raped https://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-victims  They just don't report it. They carry it around with them for the rest of their lives. Why should Cosby's victims be any different?

The news says that one of the sexual assaults was recent. As old and fragile as Bill is how does he manage to rape someone? I believe in my heart that I could kick his behind if he tried to rape me. I am thinking the recent ones are probably bs, and that the older ones are probably very much true. The newer ones are most likely women trying to jump on the publicity bandwagon.

I agree that he is old and weak now and can't see how he could rape someone recently.. but if he did, indeed, abused women, even 20 years ago, he has to pay. As far as the newer ones, you are probably right, I can see these ladies jumping on the publicity bandwagon.

Off topic, but the college rape statistics patently false.  Typically it is quoted that 25 to 30% of college women are sexually assaulted during their college careers.  This is arrived at by conflating any unwelcome touching with sexual assault.  For example, a college frat boy grabs a co-ed's breast gets conflated with actual rape.  Such behavior is boorish and should be subject to punishment, but it is not rape.

To give context, if 25 to 30% of Duke University co-eds were sexually assaulted, the University would have a higher crime rate than all forms of violent crime (rape, murder, assault) in the city of Detroit.

In addition, the Obama education department is insisting (under threat of losing Federal funding) that college set up extra-judicial tribunals where the guilt or innocence of a male student accused of sexual assault based upon (i) a preponderance of evidence (not beyond a reasonable doubt), (ii) no opportunity to cross-examine witnesses against him and (iii) no ability to hire council to represent his interests.  In addition, the "tribunal" consist of students and faculty with no training or experience in sexual assault cases.  The punishment typically takes the form of losing a college degree worth 10's of thousands of dollars.

A male student was dismissed from Auburn University following a rape allegation from his live in girlfriend.   She initially claimed that she awoke from sleep to find her boyfriend having penetrating intercourse with her.  She filed a police report.  He claimed they had consensual intercourse.  She later withdrew the accusation.  They wound up reconciling and continued living together (okay the guy was not overly bright).  

They eventually ended their living arrangement whereupon the woman accused her ex of a brutal forcible rape outdoors on the college campus (a hiding in the bushes type of assault).  In addition, she re-filed the original claim she previously recanted.

The police investigated and determined that no charges should be filed in no small part because the woman failed to show up to testify in the case and no physical evidence supporting second assault claim.

The University tried him and the male student was unable to have a lawyer represent him, was unable to question his accuser and unable to present any witnesses that might support his claim of innocence.  Again, the standard was a preponderance of evidence.  Not surprisingly, he was found guilty, expelled from school and barred from entering any college property.

I believe that rapists should be castrated, but the crap that is going on at colleges now regarding ignoring the basic rights of male students is bunch of bullshit.  

We have a legal system for a reason.  If a woman is raped anywhere, it is a police matter and universities should get out of the crime and punishment business.

Thus ended the rant.

who did go to the police and the DA even says he thought Mr. Cosby might have done something but not enough evidence.The lady who did go to the police back in '05 settled with Mr. Cosby a year or two later.
She is the only one who went to the police.
I believe that some of these ladies are telling the truth do we know if all are telling the truth?
No...but maybe the ones who were silent got the nerve to speak up after realizing they were not alone with what happened to them.Janice came forward the only issue I see with her is she wrote a book years ago mentioning Mr.Cosby and how he tried to make a pass at her.She declined and that was it according to her autobiography some years ago so a little confused now when she comes forward with a different story.
Even though some media did get ahold of the pictures she took of him the night she says he assaulted her.

Mr. Cosby pissed someone off and that is what got the ball rolling.All over a stand-up comedian mentioning him in one of his routines causes all of this?These rumors about Mr. Cosby has been mentioned for at least ten years now.

I don't disagree with what you mention at all.

My family has each other back no matter what and yes it would be handled.

So I am also not talking about all of these woman as a whole but some are in it for the money too.

If some ladies came forward and no arrest or charges were put on Mr. Cosby.

Then it still leads me to believe it's a lot more to this story.

 

I agree with these points . This probably is more common than we think but when a celebrity does this the repercussions are magnified in the spotlight. Maybe some good will come out of this Cosby case setting a new standard to protect women in these sort of situations.

UHH...

What's with the sports analogies?  They have what to do with the OP's thread? If you're using them for the sake of example, it's rather off base and lacking.  Especially for a thread regarding sex crimes.  The NFL is smacking down on domestic violence, not rape. Although... those assholes probably are rapists and beaters to boot.  Anyhow, I digress.

Oh, and the "legal system"??? Is big business.  $$$$$$$$$$$$ Is dirty. And most of us know it and don't say shit.

Love,
Ash

miss me???
haha!  Most of you are thinking "Nope!"  

-- Modified on 11/23/2014 1:25:57 AM

I think over all it is a witch hunt.  Did he do most of it, yes.  From what I have seen on TV he gave pills to the girls openly and they knew they were taking them.  The girls did not report at the time because over all he did not drug them with out them knowing it and I am sure there is a lot about the time it happen that they did not say any thing.

But why now, why the witch hunt.  He openly thinks that blacks need to take responsibility for what they do.  He reports that looting and killing is wrong.  It is not the white mans fault for the all the kids with no dads and the black kids in jail.  So he needs to pay for that.  Like CNN that is my feeling on it.

It was not a sports analogy, rather it was a criticism "extra judicial" punishment of misbehaving individuals.  If our legal system finds no reason to incarcerate an individual wrong doer, why should it fall upon private employers to deny them the means to make a living.

BTW, no one here misses you

When you look at people like Mr.Cosby and other people not just him.

They are the types that would look down on people like us in this hobby.

The truth is we are smarter then them!

So we are screened and can enjoy our safe sexual dates.

Then people go back to their lives and no one gets hurt if things are done right!

Sometimes some of us even build strong friendships in this hobby too.

The truth is if more people were open and honest about sex.

I wouldn't say all but a lot of this stupid shit would stop.
 

-- Modified on 11/23/2014 10:08:32 AM

As I confessed on the main discussion board,  I was 17, in high school dating an older guy when he left me alone at a party and I was attacked by 4 of his friends. Did I report it? No.  I was afraid my mom would find out I was no longer a virgin and hate me. I had a busted lip and bruises from being held down while I fought the guy off.  Horrible? Yes. Common? Oh yes. It happens a lot more than reported.  

I was held down others are drugged. It happens so often that there is now a nail polish to tell you if your drink is altered.b problem is, unless you're paranoid, why would you wear it and test your cocktail?  

I knew my family would "have my back" and that is why I never told them. I just wanted it to GO AWAY and I knew they would have pressed charges. If you ask my dad if any of his daughters were ever raped he would say"of course not! "

 
 

Because a black comedian called Cosby a rapist in his stand-up routine.  This started everything.  

-- Modified on 11/23/2014 12:02:42 PM

This is what is most interesting in all of this. He has openly advocated for the African American community to take responsibility for themselves so that they might be taken seriously by others. He says to drop ebonics and pull up your pants, be responsible to your families and get off welfare, etc.  

So it's baffling that when an up and coming comedian makes a reference to these very serious allegations, he is not vigorously defending himself. He can afford the lawyers and he obviously doesn't have a problem shutting down an interview when it's heading in that direction. How can you be an advocate for a certain way of behaving but not defend yourself when your own moral compass is called into question? Who's taking you seriously when you won't defend yourself - even if only in the court of public opinion?  

That is, after all, where you've made your case as an advocate for change, is it not?

-- Modified on 11/23/2014 10:12:39 AM

-- Modified on 11/23/2014 10:49:46 AM

Ya you're smarter than he is tool bag. You're here and he's got hundreds of millions in the bank. Imagine that.

This comment was not about money smart guy.

I am talking about avoiding problems like this being in the hobby!

We are screened and most providers have reviews.

So both parties can feel comfortable dealing with each other.

The man is very rich but does that make a difference now?

He is getting hit from every direction and it's sad!

Very well said!

 

With all due respect this post makes little to no sense. The Media didn't start all the things that are being said about Mr. Cosby and the reason you stated for them to do so also is counterintuitive to what most media outlets are saying, including various CNN personalities.