#MeToo – I’m pretty sure I can post it, but I won’t.
The hashtag surfaced when women who were sexually harassed or assaulted by Harvey Weinstein came forward.
Created by actress Alyssa Milano, #MeToo provides people the opportunity to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and assault.
#MeToo breaks the bonds that are cuffed to victims when they are sexually harassed or assaulted by allowing him or her to say something happened without saying how something happened.
The number of times I saw “Me Too” in my feed was alarming. I scrolled through all of my social media and saw how widespread sexual harassment and assault is withinmy social circle, so much so that I questioned if I should — or even can — post #MeToo.
I can’t bring myself to say “me too,” not because there aren’t circumstances that could qualify me to post #MeToo, but because my experience with sexual harassment and assault is not nearly as horrific or traumatic as others.
The truth is, while it does allow the freedom, it also allows anyone who sees someone they know post “me too” to think the worst has happened.
In some cases, the worst of #MeToo has happened and in others, it could be a sexual joke told to the wrong person or a man or women who persistently tried to date someone who said “no.”
I hope and pray not everyone I have seen use this hashtag has been raped or experienced assault, but my fear with this hashtag is that it has become too common.
I fear this hashtag has overshadowed the importance of awareness by too many people using and by possibly using it in the wrong sense. I worry this hashtag misrepresents the gravity of harassment and assault cases.
#MeToo was meant to open eyes and I’m sure it did, but it wasn’t meant to just be a trending hashtag. It wasn’t meant to be used by those like me, who have to wonder if it applies to them; it was meant to give voice to the voiceless people who know it has happened to them.
The sad truth is sexual harassment and assault in today’s society is more common than we may think, but thankfully, the worst hasn’t happened to everyone.
#MeToo should be used by those who are certain and not those who are unsure.
