Opinion: Should Aziz be reprieved?
Jazmyne Boozer, Assistant Editor
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash.com
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“The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are solely those of the original author(s) These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of The Vision website or North Greenville University.”
Parks and Recreation brought us laughter, memorable quotes and many iconic characters. From the driven Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), to the sarcastically gothic April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza), Parks and Recreation entered our hearts as part of TV’s growing mockumentary genre and a beloved comedy. With over 120 hysterical episodes, it comes as a shock that one of the show’s most memorable characters, Tom Haverford, played by Aziz Ansari, is accused of sexual assault.
An anonymous woman who is going by the pseudonym ‘Grace’ recently spoke out about what she calls the worst night of her life with Ansari. It started off normally. They met at a Grammy party, texted for a week, went out on a date, then went back to his house as secular people do. This is where Grace says that the night went sour.
After kissing, Grace began to feel uncomfortable with where the night was going. She was not quite sure if she wanted to have sex with him or not. After engaging in some sexual activity, Grace did not want to continue. While kissing, she repeatedly pushed Ansari’s hand away and “mumbled”(according to her article). It was not until she finally mustered the courage to voice her concerns that Ansari stopped. Like any gentleman should do, Ansari stopped immediately and called an Uber for her to go home and paid.
The next morning, Ansari texted Grace and said he had a great time the night before. He was astonished to receive a text back that said she felt uncomfortable the entire night.
In her article, Grace stated that she gave Ansari plenty of non-verbal cues that indicated she was not interested in having sex the night before. Grace stated that she felt pressured into having sex, yet was not forced to perform the sexual acts. She posted her story with the #Metoo movement which has brought up a lot of controversy. The controversy lies with what the heck is a non-verbal cue and is that enough to give or not give consent?
Consent laws vary from state to state. Since Aziz is from the humble state of South Carolina and since NGU resides in the state, we will base it on those laws. According to Rainn.com and the South Carolina state laws, Aziz did nothing legally wrong. He did not force himself on Grace, nor did he coerce her into sex. Now, in Grace’s account of the transaction, he seemed like an entitled, spoiled jerk. However, should this man be thrown in jail for what happened? No, he should not.
Consent should be clearly stated and voluntary. No one should feel coerced into sexual activity…or anything for that matter.
South Carolina defines coercion, in summary, as when the perpetrator threatens the victim with physical harm, kidnapping, loss of career position etc. Aziz, neither threatened nor coerced Grace according to her version of the story. After reading the entirety of her story, I believe that Aziz legally did no wrong. It is imperative that women speak up and use their voices if they are ever uncomfortable with a situation; otherwise, the interpretation lies with the man. Unfortunately for Grace, Ansari saw a green light even though she was uncomfortable. However, she never clearly voiced her disapproval until after the deed. When she finally did, Aziz stopped immediately.
A non-verbal cue is not enough when something as serious as sex is concerned. Merely pushing someone’s hand away is not enough of a cue to say you do not want to engage in sex…especially if you are still kissing the man. If we allow this situation to be labeled as sexual assault, it damages what the Metoo movement was built on.
The problem with this being labeled as sexual assault is that it forces men to become mind-readers and puts women in a box of fragility and helplessness. The bottom line is that if a woman is adult enough to put herself in that situation outside the confines of marriage, she should be adult enough to voice her opinions, concerns and consent. As stated before, a non-verbal cue leaves too much up to someone’s interpretation. It simply is not clear enough to use a “non-verbal cue.” Ansari could have easily seen this “cue” as a form of teasing. Considering the fact that both parties hardly knew each other; it became even more essential to voice expectations and concerns in this situation.
Lastly, I would like to highlight that when Grace finally did voice her concerns, Ansari stopped his actions and called a cab for her to go home. If Ansari would have continued in ANY way, it could then be categorized as an assault.
To clarify, I am not saying that Ansari is completely squeaky-clean in this ordeal either. If at any point Ansari felt that Grace was not reciprocating in a consensual way, he should have asked if she would have liked to continue. From the way Grace described their night, Ansari seemed like a pompous jerk. This being stated, it is not illegal to be a pompous jerk. So, was their night adequate? No. Was it biblical? No. Was it just a bad date? No, it was an incredibly uncomfortable and disconcerting night. But was it criminal? This writer does not think so.
