Senator Al Franken apologizes for making “some women feel badly”
It’s been a difficult few weeks for women following the news, as sexual harassment allegations emerge almost daily. The latest man in the spotlight is Senator Al Franken. In recent weeks, several women have claimed Sen. Franken touched them without their consent.
It all began with radio host Leeann Tweeden, who accused Franken of groping her and forcing her to kiss him during a comedy tour in 2006, as HelloGiggles previously reported. Since the initial allegation, three additional women also came forward, each with a similar story.
According to Refinery 29, Sen. Franken released a new statement on Thursday, apologizing for “making some women feel badly.” And CNN anchor Jake Tapper posted the full statement to his Twitter account.
It is important that people accused of sexual assault take responsibility for their actions, but this apology falls a bit short. Sen. Franken apologizes for “making some women feel badly,” but glosses over the allegations that he touched them without permission.
Senator Al Franken issued a new statement Thursday on the newest allegations that he groped women: pic.twitter.com/vNqgyb5aAy
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 24, 2017
Just catching up with Al Franken's excuse that the women who say he groped them just misunderstood his warm hugs. Y'all gonna let him get away with that, aren'tya.
— Karol Markowicz (@karol) November 24, 2017
Many are calling on Franken to resign from his position in the United States Senate. Refinery 29 reported that an ethics investigation may take place, but so far Franken hasn’t indicated that he would willingly leave his post.
US Senator Al Franken issues a Thanksgiving apology after allegations of inappropriate touching, suggests resignation isn't on the table https://t.co/xKSxHscJZN pic.twitter.com/pOK8gX6pCc
— Bloomberg (@business) November 24, 2017
As Bloomberg News also points out, the apology itself implies he isn’t planning to resign. It ends with the phrase,
"And let me say again to Minnesotans that I’m sorry for putting them through this and I’m committed to regaining their trust."
Ultimately, while such allegations of sexual misconduct are incredibly devastating, it is also heartening that more and more women are bravely sharing their experiences. Hopefully, we are finally beginning to see some real change — in spite of apologies that don’t carry any weight.
