It’s not a magnifying glass. It’s an ice pick.The sweeping arc and thrust of sexual misconduct allegations, untested and unchallenged. Uncharged, need one add. Which apparently doesn’t matter a fig in these caustic accusatory times.Throw in an “alleged” here and there — the media’s doing, not the politicians who rushed to the podium on Thursday — and, hey, all fine. Let’s move on to the instant repudiation, the character evisceration, the career annihilation.Another brick in the wall for women’s empowerment? Another brick through the window of basic fairness, I’d say, and the fundamental principle of innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.Patrick Brown isn’t Harvey Weinstein or Louis C.K. Shockwaves emanating from Queen’s Park strongly suggest an entire community that had not heard even whispers about inappropriate sexual behaviour in the now ex-leader of the provincial Conservative party’s past. The slag came out of nowhere, about a man who’s been in the public eye for nearly two decades.To be perfectly hard-boiled about this: where is the sexual misconduct, exactly?Read more: Patrick Brown resigns as PC leader amid sexual misconduct allegationsOpinion | Martin Regg Cohn: Brown lived and died by the court of public opinionOpinion | Shree Paradkar:Why did Patrick Brown evoke his sisters in his defence?Because what I’m seeing is sexual malice. Or political malice if the stunning downfall of Brown, who seemed on the verge of becoming Ontario’s next premier, has been manipulated by masters of dark political arts — a conspiracy theory loudly promoted on social media, for what’s that worth. I don’t give it much worth, actually, in the absence of any evidence — a concept, evidence, which has been woefully denigrated by the Uzi #MeToo movement splatter. But the timing, five months before a provincial election, is suspicious, aris ...
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