Dearest All,
Everyone seems to be dismayed that I believe in due process under the law. Despite your hectoring, I still do. It's the foundation of justice. If you want to argue that our justice system is fucked to the point of absurdity and must be rebuilt, I agree.
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But even in the hopefully rebuilt justice system of the future, we will still need evidence and proof of crimes. So when the story about my friend broke, and people were calling him a pedophile based on two screenshots, I offered to give money to RAINN if people had more.

In short, they did have more. So I'm giving money to charity. I didn't know he was doing this. I don't think any of us did. I wouldn't have been friends with him had I known. It's sad for all involved.

But in terms of who to believe in legal situations, automatic beliefs of one group are as faulty as automatic DISbelief of another. For millennia, white people were believed over black people. The last few years of camera phone video have shown that to be a farce.

I'm very aware that the treatment of women around sexual assault is atrocious. From male investigators to slut shaming to vague legal standards, this must all be rebuilt immediately. And when it is, it will still require due process.

And on a personal level, when I see a friend get accused of something on Twitter, here's my calculus: Do I want to be a loyal friend or do I want to be a part of a seemingly righteous mob based on (at the time) scant evidence? I hope you understand the desire to be a friend.

Anyhow, here's my $5000 donation to @RAINN. And in the interest of the still bigger fish to fry in our country I'll make one to @NAACP_LDF as well.