# Monica Lewinsky gave a really, really important TED talk on bullying



## Meanderer (Mar 21, 2015)

On March 19, 2015, Monica Lewinsky spoke at TED2015, breaking her silence and speaking up for survivors of online bullying and harassment. In this short clip, she says: "Anyone who is suffering from shame and public humiliation needs to know one thing: you can survive it. It may not be painless, quick or easy. But you can insist on a different ending to your story.".Watch for the full talk on TED.com and YouTube, March 20.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...really-really-important-ted-talk-on-bullying/


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## Debby (Mar 21, 2015)

Definitely going to look up that video.  Thanks for posting this 'trailer' Meanderer.

How many of us will be able to relate to some of what she probably will be talking about....young people making really bad decisions and then finally growing up and asking themselves, 'what was I thinking?'


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## QuickSilver (Mar 21, 2015)

I feel sorry for Monica..  and I think she deserves a chance to do something good with her life.  Cyber bullying is a good cause..  However, am I the only one to find it suspicious that NOW is when she is out there promoting her cause?  Could it have anything to do with Hillary running for President?  Is she being bankrolled by any group in particular?  hmmmmmmmmmmm  one has to ponder..but if she is, it's not a real brain strain to figure out which group.


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## SifuPhil (Mar 21, 2015)

Well, there goes the last shred of respect I had for TED ...


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## Debby (Mar 21, 2015)

So Phil, have you listened to her talk at all or will you just dismiss anything she might have said because a man in authority over her, took advantage of a young woman who was 'barely grown' and the world chose to focus on her moral failings and call her every abusive name in the book?  I looked at the link that Meanderer left in the OP and one of her comments says it all:_Public humiliation as a blood sport has to stop. We need to return to a long-held value of compassion and empathy.  

_And at another point in her talk, her words were: “At the age of 22, I fell in love with my boss,” she says bluntly as she begins her talk on the TED2015 stage, her hands clasped in front of her. “At the age of 24, I learned the devastating consequences. “Lewinsky asks for a show of hands: “Who didn’t make a mistake at 22?”

This link will take you to the TED website where you can read the transcript of her talk.  Very interesting in its own right and even more so in the light of an Internet that has made bullying a global possibility!   http://blog.ted.com/imagine-walking-a-mile-in-someone-elses-headline-monica-lewinsky-speaks-at-ted2015/


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## Temperance (Mar 21, 2015)

Have absolutely no sympathy for ML.  Believe she knew perfectly well what she was doing.  It was a game to her.  And yes, we all make mistakes at 22, mine, was marrying my first husband.  Was I bullied into it.  Certainly not.  Neither was she.


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## Debby (Mar 21, 2015)

For QuickSilver and anyone else who's asking the same question, she must have heard you:

'...Lewinsky says that there is one question she has gotten constantly about her re-emergence over the past year: why _now? She stresses that her decision to step back out into the spotlight on her own terms is not politically motivated.__“The top-note answer was and is: Because it’s time. Time to stop tiptoeing around my past … Time to take back my narrative,” she says. “Anyone who is suffering from shame and public humiliation needs to know one thing: you can survive it. I know it’s hard. It may not be painless, quick or easy, but you can insist on a different ending to your story......”_


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 21, 2015)

It's good that she's helping those who are being bullied, but like many others I have no sympathy for her.  She was old enough to know better, and now she's been milking it for what it's worth regardless of who _she's _affecting.  She's a media whore IMO, and has gained much financially for presenting herself as the poor victim.


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## AZ Jim (Mar 21, 2015)

It must be nice to look down from Ivory towers and not only condemn the past actions of someone who has admitted shame and guilt but seek denying them redemption.  Further blaming the microphone (TED) for daring to give voice to the subject is like boycotting a newspaper for daring to print a story you don't like.  The real shame is upon those who can cast all their stones without breaking any glass.  Sorry but that's the way I see it.  On the lighter side I couldn't help but notice she's wearing a blue dress.


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## Debby (Mar 21, 2015)

Temperance said:


> Have absolutely no sympathy for ML.  Believe she knew perfectly well what she was doing.  It was a game to her.  And yes, we all make mistakes at 22, mine, was marrying my first husband.  Was I bullied into it.  Certainly not.  Neither was she.




Weren't you lucky that your 'mistake' wasn't broadcast to the world so that they could judge you forever after on that one mistake?

Personally, I find it very hard to hold grudges against people and I'm always willing to give second chances especially if the original bad-act occurred when that person was very young and I get the impression that they are trying to make up for it, move past it, be better than they were then.  I only have to think back on some of the decisions that I made in my young-adult years to be reminded about how easy it is to make that poor decision sometimes.  Besides, where is the merit in despising someone forever?  Who benefits from it?


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## Debby (Mar 21, 2015)

SeaBreeze said:


> It's good that she's helping those who are being bullied, but like many others I have no sympathy for her.  She was old enough to know better, and now she's been milking it for what it's worth regardless of who _she's _affecting.  She's a media whore IMO, and has gained much financially for presenting herself as the poor victim.




Not everyone matures at the same rate.  22 for some is 22, for others it's the equivalent of 36 and for some unfortunates it's the equivalent of 17. 

As for her finances, after doing some more reading about her other than the first link and the one I found, I don't get the impression that she's rolling in cash.  Loads of legal expenses apparently as a result of the whole situation.  Besides, does any of this at all, warrant continued abuse and bullying?  Good ole Bill is celebrated and invited to speak for hundreds of thousands of dollar and he was the other half of that story.  Maybe to keep it fair here, everyone could indulge in some bullying and harshness for him?  Who wants to go first?


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## applecruncher (Mar 21, 2015)

There are many thinngs I did before and after the age of 22 that, when I think of them, make me cringe and ask myself _"what was I thinking"?
_
The Clintons (specifically Bill) have moved on and been successful. Monica will always (in the minds of some) be the tramp who embarrassed the President.

She hasn’t really had a long-term relationship (that I know of) and still – at age 41 - hasn’t been able to get a decent job, despite her efforts and considerable education.


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## QuickSilver (Mar 21, 2015)

I don't think I stopped doing stupid things until the age of 45..   Fortunately, they are not public knowledge.


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## AZ Jim (Mar 21, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I don't think I stopped doing stupid things until the age of 45..   Fortunately, they are not public knowledge.



Ahhh but I know, how much to keep quiet?


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## SifuPhil (Mar 21, 2015)

Debby said:


> So Phil, have you listened to her talk at all or will you just dismiss anything she might have said because a man in authority over her, took advantage of a young woman who was 'barely grown' and the world chose to focus on her moral failings and call her every abusive name in the book?  I looked at the link that Meanderer left in the OP and one of her comments says it all:_Public humiliation as a blood sport has to stop. We need to return to a long-held value of compassion and empathy.  _


_

_If you don't want to run the risk of public humiliation, it's all very simple: don't enter the public domain. If you don't want your name forever tied to a sleazy event, don't engage in that event. Even a 22-year-old should have enough sense to know that.




> And at another point in her talk, her words were: “At the age of 22, I fell in love with my boss,” she says bluntly as she begins her talk on the TED2015 stage, her hands clasped in front of her. “At the age of 24, I learned the devastating consequences. “Lewinsky asks for a show of hands: “Who didn’t make a mistake at 22?”




Please - she's still pandering, still trying to sway the crowds. 



> This link will take you to the TED website where you can read the transcript of her talk.  Very interesting in its own right and even more so in the light of an Internet that has made bullying a global possibility!





> http://blog.ted.com/imagine-walking...s-headline-monica-lewinsky-speaks-at-ted2015/




In general I object to the use of the term "bullying" in such instances. I went through real, physical bullying in my youth, and I became determined to stop it - by myself, with my own powers. I didn't go crying to the world about it, I didn't blame anyone but myself for allowing it to happen. Guess what? I learned to make it stop and I was never bullied again in my life, without having to get on a stage and dab at my eyes with a tissue.

Sorry - no empathy here. She made her bed, literally and figuratively.


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## Knightofalbion (Mar 21, 2015)

Nothing emboldens people like 'anonymity' (or at least perceived anonymity). It brings out the warrior in some people - and the monster in others ...

'Be sure your sins will find you  out' ... This is the world we live in. If you do something you shouldn't of, the chances are it will be taking on a life of its own in cyberspace for an indeterminate time to come....


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## QuickSilver (Mar 21, 2015)

I'm really glad that I have empathy...  It must be really difficult to balance on that Ivory Tower...


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## Debby (Mar 21, 2015)

SifuPhil said:


> _
> 
> _If you don't want to run the risk of public humiliation, it's all very simple: don't enter the public domain. If you don't want your name forever tied to a sleazy event, don't engage in that event. Even a 22-year-old should have enough sense to know that.
> 
> ...




Well ole fella, your bullying happened before instant communication with millions!  Big difference.  How does one go about 'duking it out' with millions of faceless, anonymous haters?

But if you don't want to forgive someone who never did anything to you personally and who has experienced years of humiliation and embarrassment over a situation that she has regretted for a couple decades now, well what can I say right?  We each make our decisions based on what kind of person we aspire to be you know.


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## WhatInThe (Mar 21, 2015)

Debby said:


> Weren't you lucky that your 'mistake' wasn't broadcast to the world so that they could judge you forever after on that one mistake?
> 
> Personally, I find it very hard to hold grudges against people and I'm always willing to give second chances especially if the original bad-act occurred when that person was very young and I get the impression that they are trying to make up for it, move past it, be better than they were then.  I only have to think back on some of the decisions that I made in my young-adult years to be reminded about how easy it is to make that poor decision sometimes.  Besides, where is the merit in despising someone forever?  Who benefits from it?



I partially agree about most make mistakes of some kind but...

For starters about how other's mistakes aren't broadcast to the world but that is the point. Because most others don't have a job where reporters & photographers were/are following one's boss and staff around everywhere they go. Lewinsky never heard the click of camera while working for the White House? Or never was in earshot or attending meetings on how they were going to deal with the press on various issues? To top it off to get a job at the White House let alone many other government jobs not only requires some smarts if not an academic resume but it requires some serious butt sucking. Here for the most inconsequential government job it's common knowledge that you go volunteer for a local or national politician of the party in power for one election cycle then you can ask for their name as a reference on a job application or someone will put in "a" good word official or unofficial for one to be hired.

I don't think she is naive as many think. Did she get put through the ringers unnecessarily absolutely. But just to get the job she had tells you something.


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## Shalimar (Mar 21, 2015)

Wow, how incredibly intolerant, Phil. I also have been through physical violence, and there were no powers that would have been worth a tinker's darn. You bet I complained, good thing, otherwise I would be dead. You are not a woman and inhabit a different world. Read the stats. In your country and mine. It is becoming worse. Was it my fault, hardly. Monica was a kid. Blame the mature man here. Who knew better. When will women be treated seriously, and equally? Apparently not today. Men are studs, and women are sluts? Shame, shame.


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## AZ Jim (Mar 21, 2015)

Shalimar said:


> Wow, how incredibly intolerant, Phil. I also have been through physical violence, and there were no powers that would have been worth a tinker's darn. You bet I complained, good thing, otherwise I would be dead. You are not a woman and inhabit a different world. Read the stats. In your country and mine. It is becoming worse. Was it my fault, hardly. Monica was a kid. Blame the mature man here. Who knew better. When will women be treated seriously, and equally? Apparently not today. Men are studs, and women are sluts? Shame, shame.



I agree.  A young girl in the area of influence of a powerful man can be putty. Give her a break she's paid for her "sins".


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## Shalimar (Mar 21, 2015)

Phil, you believe  the only bullying is physical? Words often cut deeper than any other wound. Half the trauma victims I have served were flattened by emotional damage brought about by verbal abuse in all it's wondrous forms. I am truly grateful that these individuals came to me for help, tissues in hand. Many of these people were/are men.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 21, 2015)

Debby said:


> Not everyone matures at the same rate.  22 for some is 22, for others it's the equivalent of 36 and for some unfortunates it's the equivalent of 17.
> 
> As for her finances, after doing some more reading about her other than the first link and the one I found, I don't get the impression that she's rolling in cash.  Loads of legal expenses apparently as a result of the whole situation.  Besides, does any of this at all, warrant continued abuse and bullying?  Good ole Bill is celebrated and invited to speak for hundreds of thousands of dollar and he was the other half of that story.  Maybe to keep it fair here, everyone could indulge in some bullying and harshness for him?  Who wants to go first?



Honestly, I'm _really _tired of hearing about her and her story.  She must not be too devastated over the whole thing because every time she takes the opportunity to be in the spotlight, she drags the story with her.

  I don't fault her so much for the act(s) itself, but for her insisting on profiting from it and not letting it die, then crying about it.  I think both of them are wrong for doing what they did, but at least he's keeping it in the past and letting it die.  She's made a career out of the story, made 12 million bucks on her book deal and more money appearing on shows and interviews. 

 There are many people out there that will make excuses for her 'innocence', and she banks on that.  I personally disagree, but don't force anyone to adopt my opinions.  Even when I was 13, and not sexually active, I knew that having sex with a married man was wrong, and had enough intelligence to know that if I had an affair with someone who is so much in the public eye as the President of the United States, that I would be in the headline news. 

 In no way do I believe that she was _so _innocent or immature...they were both willing participants, and one shouldn't get any more sympathy (or criticism) than the other, IMO.  I'd have more respect for her if she just faded into the woodwork where she came from after this.  How can you feel sorry for someone who drags up their own dirt for dollar signs, and has no regard for others involved...I can't.  She needs to get a life, and stop trying to destroy others.


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## AZ Jim (Mar 21, 2015)

SeaBreeze said:


> Honestly, I'm _really _tired of hearing about her and her story.  She must not be too devastated over the whole thing because every time she takes the opportunity to be in the spotlight, she drags the story with her.
> 
> I don't fault her so much for the act(s) itself, but for her insisting on profiting from it and not letting it die, then crying about it.  I think both of them are wrong for doing what they did, but at least he's keeping it in the past and letting it die.  She's made a career out of the story, made 12 million bucks on her book deal and more money appearing on shows and interviews.
> 
> ...



I am surprised you feel as you do.  You certainly have that right and it doesn't effect the way I enjoy you but it does surprise.  I guess if we were talking about Kim Kardashian I would be on your side of this issue.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 21, 2015)

If it were me, I think I'd admit I made a mistake, deal with it, take the criticism that comes from it and be done with it.  I wouldn't be the one to keep bringing it to the public and rehashing it for financial gain and camera time.  I'm just being realistic, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise...I think we've all had enough of dragging it on already.  No, not just a bit?


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## Josiah (Mar 21, 2015)

https://www.facebook.com/bullymovie...41826.107214895991663/728470823866064/?type=1


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## SifuPhil (Mar 21, 2015)

Debby said:


> Well ole fella, your bullying happened before instant communication with millions!  Big difference.  How does one go about 'duking it out' with millions of faceless, anonymous haters?



That has little to do with it - I could have easily run around crying to everyone and assumed the victim persona, like she has.

There are more ways to win a conflict than to "duke it out" ...



> But if you don't want to forgive someone who never did anything to you personally and who has experienced years of humiliation and embarrassment over a situation that she has regretted for a couple decades now, well what can I say right?  We each make our decisions based on what kind of person we aspire to be you know.



If they never did anything to me, then why should they ask for my forgiveness?


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## SifuPhil (Mar 21, 2015)

Shalimar said:


> Wow, how incredibly intolerant, Phil. I also have been through physical violence, and there were no powers that would have been worth a tinker's darn. You bet I complained, good thing, otherwise I would be dead. You are not a woman and inhabit a different world. Read the stats. In your country and mine. It is becoming worse. Was it my fault, hardly. Monica was a kid. Blame the mature man here. Who knew better. When will women be treated seriously, and equally? Apparently not today. Men are studs, and women are sluts? Shame, shame.



Intolerant? Only of people that cry about the results of their own actions. I'm not intolerant of a passenger in a plane crash ... but I _am_ intolerant of drunk drivers that crash. I'm not intolerant of mugging victims (unless they walk down the street at midnight with $100 bills sticking out of their pockets) ... but I _am_ intolerant of people that don't let go and just live their life.

I've taught _many_ women how to take responsibility for their lives - there are _no_ excuses, except for the ones they fight for.


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## SifuPhil (Mar 21, 2015)

Shalimar said:


> Phil, you believe  the only bullying is physical? Words often cut deeper than any other wound. Half the trauma victims I have served were flattened by emotional damage brought about by verbal abuse in all it's wondrous forms. I am truly grateful that these individuals came to me for help, tissues in hand. Many of these people were/are men.



Words only have the power we give them. Try comparing them with a knife slash across your neck or a bullet in your leg. 

This country ... this _world_ ... has become disgustingly soft in the last few decades.


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## Shalimar (Mar 21, 2015)

Really? You know nothing of my experience. I will trade you yours for the decade+ war I fought in the fields of childhood. Even my paratroopers refer to me as a prisoner of war. Have you personal experience of torture? I do. You lack credibility. Brainwashing is often a far more effective tool than physical torture. Disgustingly soft? Sometimes all one can do is survive. Of fifteen children subjected to ritual abuse, I am the only survivor. Do not speak to me of strength. I am no one's victim, but a survivor who,dedicates her life to serving those who are traumatized by abuse in any of it's myriad forms. I speaK in recognition of these individuals who risk everything to get on with their lives. I honour their struggle, sadly, you do not. PTSD, and many other disorders cause unimaginable pain. I would much rather Be slashed in the leg, than the mind. Many of my Airborne buddies echo that sentiment. Feel free to tell them how soft they are.


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## SifuPhil (Mar 21, 2015)

Shalimar said:


> Really? You know nothing of my experience.



I never claimed to.



> I will trade you yours for the decade+ war I fought in the fields of childhood.



It's never wise to trade a pig in a poke. You know nothing of MY experiences.



> Even my paratroopers refer to me as a prisoner of war. Have you personal experience of torture? I do. You lack credibility.



So are you claiming that you've been tortured - physically? 

How do I lack credibility? Am I supposed to show you my torture club membership card? 




> Brainwashing is often a far more effective tool than physical torture.



That depends upon the results desired and the methods utilized.



> Disgustingly soft? Sometimes all one can do is survive. Of fifteen children subjected to ritual abuse, I am the only survivor. Do not speak to me of strength. I am no one's victim, but a survivor who,dedicates her life to serving those who are traumatized by abuse in any of it's myriad forms. I speaK in recognition of these individuals who risk everything to get on with their lives.



Please don't lay your excess baggage upon me - I neither want nor accept it. 



> I honour their struggle, sadly, you do not.



Good assumption. Unfortunately it's erroneous.



> PTSD, and many other disorders cause unimaginable pain. I would much rather Be slashed in the leg, than the mind. Many of my Airborne buddies echo that sentiment. Feel free to tell them how soft they are.



Many people - most, in fact - are not made of the "right stuff" to be in the war arts. They are victims of nothing more than having a normal human nature, one that recoils when faced with horror. A few - perhaps the special forces types that sign up for several tours, or the mercs that sell their violence by the pound - they can live with the taking of lives. 

PTSD is the modern-day equivalent of "shell shock" - some cases are real, but many are just brought about by that damned human nature. 

And above all, I can't believe you're comparing Monica's crocodile tears with water-boarding and having bamboo shoots shoved under your fingernails. They're worlds apart.


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## Knightofalbion (Mar 22, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I'm really glad that I have empathy...  It must be really difficult to balance on that Ivory Tower...



I'm glad to hear that you have empathy, QuickSilver.  Sometime, you must tell me how far it extends. I'd be interested to hear.

As for balancing on that Ivory Tower. It's the Ivory Tower of realism.
Bullying is wrong, of course it is. And I have sympathy for her, but if a woman is going to engage in various forms of '****** activity' with a married man, especially when that man happens to be the President of the United States, don't be surprised if that 'information' gets out and takes on a life of its own on cyberspace, with all that that entails.

I can't help thinking Monica would be well advised to keep off social media altogether. Like it or not, given the nature of the internet, someone with her history is always going to draw fire.


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## QuickSilver (Mar 22, 2015)

Knightofalbion said:


> I'm glad to hear that you have empathy, QuickSilver.  Sometime, you must tell me how far it extends. I'd be interested to hear.
> 
> As for balancing on that Ivory Tower. It's the Ivory Tower of realism.
> Bullying is wrong, of course it is. And I have sympathy for her, but if a woman is going to engage in various forms of '****** activity' with a married man, especially when that man happens to be the President of the United States, don't be surprised if that 'information' gets out and takes on a life of its own on cyberspace, with all that that entails.
> ...




Well, suffice it to say that I can empathize... and I'm glad I'm capable of that.. apparently some people are not.   

As for Monica.   I just can't get that deep in the weeds about her particular situation.   All I see is a 22 y/o that made a bad decision and will pay for it her entire life.  Acutally.. it ruined her life.   Aren't you glad that yours didn't?


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## Raven (Mar 22, 2015)

I wish Monica would just go away again.  This is an old story and I'm tired of hearing it.
When I was 22 I was married and had a 2 year old child and I certainly knew having an affair
with a married man would cause a lot of trouble for myself and family.
People would forget if she would not keep bringing up her mistake.

I seem to remember reading before this she had broken up the marriage of a young couple by
having a relationship with the  husband.  Just another mistake by a poor immature girl.


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## BobF (Mar 22, 2015)

And why is not the other half of that silly mess also on the table of public judgement?    Because he has enough power to have many friends making sure he is free of guilt.   Yes he was pulled up and shame applied all around and over him by members of Congress.   A high and might man of his age allowing a lone female to wander the halls of the White House and leading her on with his willingness.   Too bad they did not force the conclusion that his acts were, to me, even worse than a young woman's wild actions, he was our leader and her leader too.   Not a nice thing to have done and his punishement was near nothing but the public awareness given to him.   And he never even accepted that.   It takes two to tangle and both should have the same results.   He was well old enough to know the difference and so was she.   It was not all Monica's fault at all.   Both were involved, but some responses seem to think only Monica is guilty.


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## QuickSilver (Mar 22, 2015)

However, most have forgiven Bill...  Yet Monica still has the scarlet letter..


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## Temperance (Mar 22, 2015)

Debby said:


> Weren't you lucky that your 'mistake' wasn't broadcast to the world so that they could judge you forever after on that one mistake?
> 
> Personally, I find it very hard to hold grudges against people and I'm always willing to give second chances especially if the original bad-act occurred when that person was very young and I get the impression that they are trying to make up for it, move past it, be better than they were then.  I only have to think back on some of the decisions that I made in my young-adult years to be reminded about how easy it is to make that poor decision sometimes.  Besides, where is the merit in despising someone forever?  Who benefits from it?



Don't despise or hold any grudges against her. I feel nothing regarding ML. Just stated I have no sympathy for her.  She should accept responsiblity and move on.  One usually doesn't try to make a career out of ones mistake.


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## Temperance (Mar 22, 2015)

SeaBreeze said:


> If it were me, I think I'd admit I made a mistake, deal with it, take the criticism that comes from it and be done with it.  I wouldn't be the one to keep bringing it to the public and rehashing it for financial gain and camera time.  I'm just being realistic, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise...I think we've all had enough of dragging it on already.  No, not just a bit?



Bravo SeaBreeze!


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## BobF (Mar 22, 2015)

What is on Monica's mind these days?    For sure she feels somewhat used by our former President.   I am sure she also feels guilt for having spent private time with the President.   I wonder if the reason she is making these confessions is to help other younger and possibly also confused ladies into rethinking their personal lives a bit more closely.   I wonder, because like most on this forum, I don't know why she is speaking about this unfortunate situation.   At least give her credit for keeping quiet for 20 years.


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## QuickSilver (Mar 22, 2015)

All I can say is I'm kind of shocked by the animosity toward her..  It's kind of like shaming... which I thought as a society we were moving away from.


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## WhatInThe (Mar 22, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I feel sorry for Monica..  and I think she deserves a chance to do something good with her life.  Cyber bullying is a good cause..  However, am I the only one to find it suspicious that NOW is when she is out there promoting her cause?  Could it have anything to do with Hillary running for President?  Is she being bankrolled by any group in particular?  hmmmmmmmmmmm  one has to ponder..but if she is, it's not a real brain strain to figure out which group.



I've heard rumors on her motivations for a while now. Some say Hillary herself wants all her dirty laundry out in the open now before she is an official candidate so the media can bludgeon the issue to death now. Others say some conservative groups want Hillary out of the picture before she even campaigns.

But I heard an interesting scenario which could be revenge of sorts for Monica. Supposedly Hillary went out of her way to cover up hubby wild Bill's indiscretions which forced investigations and testimony in smaller ****** harassment lawsuits in which the Lewinsky affair came about. They said it was Hillary who told Bill do not settle or try to make it go away and show these women for liars they supposedly were. Supposedly Hillary assumed after put through some legal hassle the lawsuits would be dropped and the women would go away. The case in question was did Bill Clinton use state troopers to cover his affairs as governor.

If Monica saw how Hillary tried to "manage" Bill in her eyes this might be revenge.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 22, 2015)

Raven said:


> I wish Monica would just go away again.  This is an old story and I'm tired of hearing it.
> When I was 22 I was married and had a 2 year old child and I certainly knew having an affair
> with a married man would cause a lot of trouble for myself and family.
> People would forget if she would not keep bringing up her mistake.
> ...



I don't think she'll ever go away Raven, she'll be working this story for sympathy until she's 90.  I don't think any of us really care too much about the ****** acts, it's how she has exploited them for her own gains since the affair.  She keeps bringing this on herself. 

Clinton is absolutely guilty in this whole affair, but he's hardly raped an innocent little girl.  He's tried to let this thing die, but he's also getting bullied over it, although he doesn't keep it alive like she does.  They're still plastering the internet with a portrait of his that was painted in 2006.  Almost ten years later, the web is buzzing about the hidden blue dress...is that not a form of bullying? Clinton, Hillary and Chelsea are bullied every time she rehashes this thing.

http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,138553,00.html



> It had been a trying week. On Tuesday evening, 10 minutes before the State of the Union address, a slight, ponytailed man named Andrew Bleiler, 32, stood with his wife in front of their home in Portland, Ore., and confessed to a five-year affair with Lewinsky. He said it started when she was 19 and he was a stage-production teacher at Beverly Hills High, that he tried to end the entanglement in 1993 after both had moved to Oregon, but that Lewinsky threatened to tell his wife Kathlyn.
> 
> Over the past two years, Lewinsky had kept the Bleilers posted on her exploits: she told them she was frustrated with dating an unnamed high-ranking White House official because he indulged only in oral sex, and that she had become pregnant by another man and had had an abortion. "I don't think there is any doubt," Giles told TIME, "that she had some ****** encounters with someone at the White House."
> 
> ...




http://www.nydailynews.com/archives...anned-prez-seduction-teacher-article-1.791263



> Monica Lewinsky's ex-lover last night described her as a manipulative, sex-obsessed woman who went to the White House vowing to seduce the President and then bragged of an affair with a top official.
> 
> Andrew Bleiler, 32, the former drama teacher at Lewinsky's Beverly Hills High School, said he will turn over documents and photographs to independent counsel Kenneth Starr when he and his wife, Kathlyn, meet with Starr's prosecutors today in Portland. The Bleilers said they don't know who the official was and suspect he does not exist.
> 
> ...


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 22, 2015)

Temperance said:


> Don't despise or hold any grudges against her. I feel nothing regarding ML. Just stated I have no sympathy for her.  She should accept responsiblity and move on.  One usually doesn't try to make a career out of ones mistake.



I feel the same way, and yes, one usually doesn't try to make a career out of one's mistake.


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## oldman (Mar 22, 2015)

Temperance said:


> Don't despise or hold any grudges against her. I feel nothing regarding ML. Just stated I have no sympathy for her. She should accept responsibility and move on. One usually doesn't try to make a career out of ones mistake.



It's what people do to stay in the limelight or at least to stay in the papers. You can look at many others who have committed heinous acts in their life and still keep making it sound like it just happened. I think perhaps the media prompts them to do so. Pete Rose is an example of what I am talking about. Every time, or nearly every time Pete is on on ESPN the gambling thing comes up. I am not saying that all celebrities continue to remind the public of their "mistakes", but many do. We have those that have been caught indulging in gambling, drug use, theft, fighting, punching out cops, illicit ****** activities and so on. For a lot of them, they remind the public what they are best known for. Everyone from Robert Downey Junior, Zsa Zsa, Paul Reubens, Winona Ryder and even that little punk Bieber. What's upsetting is that most walk away unscathed, but if John Q. Public pulled some these antics, their butts would either be jail, or they would need to take out a mortgage to pay the fines. 

Seriously, do you believe people would go to one of her appearances, if there was no chance that she might bring up the dress issue? Heck, some people say that had she not hid the dress, she may not have lived to tell the story. Then others have said it was too bad that Ron Brown didn't have a dress to hide. Who was he about to rat out? I have read the reports of the crash, (could care less about the political crap that was conjectured), and I am really stumped that they slammed into the side of a mountain while the pilot was doing an instrument approach. That's just a hard pill to swallow. Normally, when government officials are on-board, only the top pilots are flying the aircraft. The one report stated that the pilot was inexperienced? Really???


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## Temperance (Mar 22, 2015)

oldman said:


> It's what people do to stay in the limelight or at least to stay in the papers. You can look at many others who have committed heinous acts in their life and still keep making it sound like it just happened. I think perhaps the media prompts them to do so. Pete Rose is an example of what I am talking about. Every time, or nearly every time Pete is on on ESPN the gambling thing comes up. I am not saying that all celebrities continue to remind the public of their "mistakes", but many do. We have those that have been caught indulging in gambling, drug use, theft, fighting, punching out cops, illicit ****** activities and so on. For a lot of them, they remind the public what they are best known for. Everyone from Robert Downey Junior, Zsa Zsa, Paul Reubens, Winona Ryder and even that little punk Bieber. What's upsetting is that most walk away unscathed, but if John Q. Public pulled some these antics, their butts would either be jail, or they would need to take out a mortgage to pain the fines.
> 
> Seriously, do you believe people would go to one of her appearances, if they was no chance that she might bring up the dress issue? Heck, some people say that had she not hid the dress, she may not have lived to tell the story. Then others have said it was too bad that Ron Brown didn't have a dress to hide. Who was he about to rat out? I have read the reports of the crash, (could care less about the political crap that was conjectured), and I am really stumped that they slammed into the side of a mountain while the pilot was doing an instrument approach. That's just a hard pill to swallow. Normally, when government officials are on-board, only the top pilots are flying the aircraft. The one report stated that the pilot was inexperienced? Really???



So very well said, oldman.  If we're lucky, we may get justice, what the famous get is know as "celebrity justice".  You mention Pete Rose, saw a commercial with him a few weeks ago,
and even then something was stated about him not being able to go into the hall, and his remark was "not even my own hall?"  May not be exact, but even I knew what he was referring too.


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## applecruncher (Mar 22, 2015)

Interesting how when a married man cheats most people (especially other females) blame the other woman. ("He was under her spell, she should have been able to resist”).....huh? 

And Monica accepted responsibility a long time ago. She never went around saying "Woe is me, did I do something bad? It wasn't my fault!  He took advantage!" But *I* never saw her as being 100% responsible. Bill Clinton was President, and HE was married. Monica was not.

I don’t think Monica is looking for anyone’s sympathy, so people saying they don’t feel sorry for her is neither here nor there, imo, and whether or not anyone does or does not feel sorry for Monica doesn't mean squat anyway. But even if she discovered a cure for cancer, many would still only see her as that woman who diddled around with Bill Clinton.


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## Knightofalbion (Mar 22, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> 1) Well, suffice it to say that I can empathize... and I'm glad I'm capable of that.. apparently some people are not.
> 
> 2) As for Monica.   I just can't get that deep in the weeds about her particular situation.   All I see is a 22 y/o that made a bad decision and will pay for it her entire life.  Acutally.. it ruined her life.   Aren't you glad that yours didn't?




1) Maybe best to stick with empathy, rather than making judgements and snide comments ....

2) I think you're insulting all 22 year olds with that statement. 
She wasn't a starry-eyed 12 year old. She was an oncologist's daughter, with a university degree, and astute and intelligent enough to get a job at the White House. 
And at 22 she should have had a sufficient moral compass to know right from wrong, to know not to fool around with a married man, certainly not the President of the United States.

And if you want people to stop talking about something, perhaps going on global media and reminding everybody about it is not your best move...


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 22, 2015)

Knightofalbion said:


> She wasn't a starry-eyed 12 year old. She was an oncologist's daughter, with a university degree, and astute and intelligent enough to get a job at the White House.
> And at 22 she should have had a sufficient moral compass to know right from wrong, to know not to fool around with a married man, certainly not the President of the United States.
> 
> And if you want people to stop talking about something, perhaps going on global media and reminding everybody about it is not your best move...




Couldn't agree more Knight!


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## AZ Jim (Mar 22, 2015)

I am amazed at the ire ML invokes in some.  EOM


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## SifuPhil (Mar 22, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> I am amazed at the ire ML invokes in some.  EOM



As sure as a Greek tragedy needs to have a Chorus, so do we always need someone to hate.  It gives direction to our venom. 

If Monica wasn't on the stage, I'd be kicking puppies.


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## QuickSilver (Mar 22, 2015)

I can see that.


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## SifuPhil (Mar 22, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I can see that.



You can see the mask I wear here - and that's pretty much all. 

As others have mentioned, I have no love for Clinton in this episode either, but he isn't touring the country constantly reminding me of his misdeeds. Yes, he's a prime example of a sub-human without an iota of honor, but he isn't in my face 24/7 either.


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## AZ Jim (Mar 22, 2015)

"You kids stay the hell off my lawn  Grrrrrrrrrrr!"


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