Revolutions really are messy.
Given the highly politicized excesses on all sides, it's difficult to know the long-term impact on sexual justice for women in America. Equally troubling are the questionable motives of many of the principals here, along with the scandal's screeching tenor, which together may have inoculated politicians and future candidates against serious charges of sexual misconduct. But going back to this pre-Anita Hill definition of privacy would have serious consequences for women and sexual justice in America. Over the years, the media have been especially confused about where the line should be drawn. When we were both guests on a 1994 radio program, Martin Tolchin, who was then one of The New York Times's top Washington reporters, said the paper of record would have been reluctant to pursue the story of Senator Packwood's predatory sexual behavior toward several dozen women.