A Short, Plain Look at Devorah Blachor’s Argument: Why Sexual Violence Still Happens in the U.S.

# What the piece says

Devorah Blachor's column expresses frustration that sexual harassment, assault, and violence continue in the U.S. despite multiple waves of feminism and movements like #MeToo. She frames the problem as cultural and political: behaviors and systems that allow powerful or privileged men to avoid accountability have not been dismantled.

# Examples and targets

Blachor cites a set of real-world touchpoints to make the argument concrete. She mentions fraternity culture and specific cases tied to Cornell. She brings up the continuing public and political prominence of men who have faced accusations or who have been seen as dismissive of women — naming politicians and public figures who endorse or are endorsed by influential leaders.

Jeffrey Epstein appears as a structural example: Blachor notes that he operated in plain sight for years and that many of his alleged enablers held high-ranking positions. She also references public figures who have histories of accusations or controversial conduct toward women and questions how their continued visibility affects norms.

# How power and politics factor in

The column links political choices to social consequences. Appointments and endorsements — including for judges and other senior officials — are presented not as isolated decisions but as signals that affect public norms about who is protected and who is believed.

Blachor stresses that when political leaders appoint, defend, or refuse to meaningfully sanction accused men, it reinforces a climate where girls and women remain vulnerable.

# Questions the piece raises

Blachor asks directly what practical steps society should take to prevent assaults: do we change what we teach girls about safety, alter social spaces where assaults occur, stop shaming victims, or create new institutional responses? She also suggests skepticism and irony about simple solutions — for example, sarcastically proposing another powerful billionaire or a government czar — to show that leadership alone is not a fix without accountability and systemic change.

# Tone and intent

# Concrete implications for readers

• Patterns of impunity matter: when high-profile actors remain influential despite accusations, that influences broader social tolerance.
• Institutional responses are central: universities, the legal system, and political actors all shape outcomes for survivors.

# Bottom line

Blachor's column is a call to recognize that social and political choices keep sexual violence problems active. She pushes the reader to consider how culture, leadership, and institutional decisions interact to protect or endanger girls and women.