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About David Silverman

David was the president of American Atheists until very recently but accusations that were made sometime around the National Convention that was just held in Oklahoma over Easter weekend he was dismissed after a seemingly very short investigation.
I have heard what I consider to be more rumor than fact of the accusations and personally feel he is a fatality of the "Me Too" movement.
After the likes of Cosby and Weinstein, who I consider monsters of predatory behavior, there have been many who have been less predatory and more having just been saduced by the attention their posistion gave them that they went way over the line to those who have had the occational misshap from not reading the situation correctly to those who have had a single incident of varying degrees of inappropriate behavior.
Having been, more than once, on the recieving end of unwanted advances, I have sympathy for both sides, but there are two sides, there are always two sides.
People like David are becoming casualties of the "Me Too" movent that seems to be instagating more accusations than seem warranted out of what seems to be a sence of solidarity.
People like Lawrence Krauss that I have actually known, not at all well but enough to see how he socializes, for a few years. I found the accusations made against him to be very beleivable though blown out of proportion.
Men of high standing, or at least popular standing, have always attracted far more attention which is something that can easily be misread. And I think truly dispicable people like Cosby and Weinstein are bringing attention to many who should and need to be called out, but are also causing great damage by the overreactions of the organizations they are associated with.
Should Al Franken stepped down?
Should Kevin Spacy been cut out of a movie he'd already completed?
Should Louie CK had every project he was working on cut?

Yes these men went way over the line and they should be held accountable but is trying to destroy their lives the appropriate response? For the likes of Cosby and Weinstein I say yes, but for these others there should be an appropriate response to their actions rather than the public hangings they have been given. Some level of understanding of how they came to believe their actions were not the violations they were, and some level of realization that the other people involved were not the purely innocent victims, every story has two side and they are never black and white.
I think David Silverman is the lates victim of the "Me Too" movement, and I don't use the word victim lightly. I do not know the whole story, I don't know that I really know any of the story. But I think the response by the American Atheist organization was a complete overreaction and in no way was any kind of due process served. I think he was railroaded by an organization that just wanted to cover it's own ass by distancing itself as quickly as possible any possible fallout that my befall Mr. Silverman only becuase he was in a position of not just great authority but of incredible visability as he was a dynamic and controvercial voice for the AA.
I hate to see how he is being treated. I agreed completely when they suspended him of his position for what was supposed to be an investigation but I think their knee-jerk response is cuting their nose off dispite their face and will do more harm to both them and Mr. Silverman.

But I am curious, who knows abnout the situation and what do you think about it AND the "Me Too" movement.

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ThomasLevi 6 Apr 18
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11 comments

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2

Some solid thoughts presented here, and for the most part I agree with you, I think the way Mr. Silverman was treated is appalling. There certainly should have been a more extensive investigation.

Thanks, though some members of the AA board were rather upset with my thoughts on the matter, thought I was shitting on them, but then they had all the information and they made the decisions so not surprised by their criticism but I was surprised by the anger. But Is I pointed out to a few people, this was a commentary about the "bee too" movement and it's impact on Silverman.

2

I don't have enough info to know, but that pendulum does swing wide when it swings!

3

So I just got reprimanded by Matt Dillahunty who, unbeknown to me is on the board of American Atheists. He says I don't know what the fuck I am talking about and that I sound like an idiot,

I don't know about you but it seems I've touch a nerve.

To get what I would call a huge over reaction from a board member of an organization that I was calling out for having a huge over reaction just seems like civil discorse is dead.

Such is life, I've been wrong before and I will be wrong again, it's a good thing having an opinon is a crime punishable by the internet.

1

Wow! I can’t believe the comments I just read. Not here. Not by people I consider smarter and better than most. Do you really think that the board would have fired him so quickly without valid reason? They have access to much more information than we do or ever will. It doesn’t matter what you “think”. Jesus fucking Christ.

Let me put it this way.
National convention ends on the 2nd. April 10th announcement David Silverman has been put on leave. April 13th announcement he has been fired with no other explanation and a link to a Buzzfeed article implying sexual misconduct.
It wasn't about whether or not he was guilty and it wasn't about whether or not the board had a good reason. It was about the fact that it seems like a knee-jerk reaction.

And you are correct, it doesn't matter what I "think" so why the fuck are people getting so worked up about my opinion about how it looks and what the overall impact will be?

I get a lot of opinions that basically say my opinion sucks, its a good thing I understand the value of an opinion.

@ThomasLevi o well if it SEEMS like a knee jerk reaction to YOU that’s all that matters.

@ElisaBailarina Well, I guess that just your opinion and that's all that matters, to you anyway.

2

No Vote, not taking sides. But you can not have it both ways. I can only be sure that I never been part of the "me too movement casualty roster", active or inactive. Not when I was popular in High School and College, not when my rank, station and position in Military may had given me the opportunity. So I sleep as a baby at my old age. May I had ever play the "Seducer" part? All my life, I was and still consider me a "Hunter" but I always hunted by my own merits on an equal field because that is the only "kill" worth anything for the "Honest Hunter"... I had not even gotten a lady drunk in my 64 years on this earth... I may be "Rare"... but I sleep like a Baby and Proud of my "Prizes". I, an Atheist since childhood, never organized or follower of heroes oe demi-gods.

I have a unique view of the "me too" participants. I have never been the hunter, I've always done just fine being the prize worth catching. And there were a few times I was caught by someone I didn't want to catch me and could very easily say I was sexually assaulted. But being a guy I could laugh it off. A girl trying to force herself on my and shoving her hands down my pants just came off as desperate rather than aggressive. Having not truly felt assaulted I have a much calmer perspective and understanding of how I got into that situation, knowing to some degree I had led them on. Had the roles been reversed my life could have been ruined. I feel some amount of sympathy for popular men, the attention they get can and does go to their head and they can so easily step over the line without even knowing it. There are no excuses but there are two sides to the story but it's always the man who is the criminal.

@ThomasLevi I had known and dealt with Female Predators. I Salute You, what man don't enjoy been seduced?

@GipsyOfNewSpain Well, I wouldn't call them predators, more just overly enthusiastic and just assumed I was equally so, I do after all like a forward girl, but no all girls. It's kind of funny though, when you tell a woman no means no they just look at you in disbelief. It's less like rape and more like when the dog is humping your leg.

@ThomasLevi Well there is all kind of different humans. I lsarned early in my life... co-workers were off limit. Even on the military, Never with someone of my own command. People always talking, no secret ever kept.

3

This is why I do not join movements. I have seen what began as an honorable cause become a mob of users. Those that would join a bandwagon just to effect vengance. A wounded alpha being set upon by the group. Lord of the Flies. Animal Farm. The rush to judgement. Mob rule. Ugly. Thusly a loner I am.

7
  1. I know that there are creeps, but there is also a double standard.
  2. I know there are ligit accusations, but there are also many false ones
  3. I know that once any accusation is made by a woman it can have devestating effect on a man who has done nothing wrong. Even if proven false there is no recourse for the the man to get his reputation back and little or no punishment for those that falsely accuse. This is far too common in divorce and custody cases where judges tend to side with the woman "to err on the side of caution"

My advice, don't believe everything you hear. Take accusations serious, but with caution. Don't jump to conclusions. Also, be extremely careful...Just because one person thinks it's OK doesn't mean everyone will. For example I have a friend who's son ended up with a traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle accident. Recently he got in a habit of kissing the hand of women when he met them...while some thought it was cute and endearing, another one was deeply offended and threated to call the cops.

I give your response 5 stars. The over reaction from the American Atheist organization is why I felt the need to speak out. Regardless of how the accusation pan out I think they handled it poorly and have cause more damage to both themselves and David Silverman.

5

I can't vote because I have no way to know if there is any truth to this rumor.

Well, it was kind of an opinion vote.

@ThomasLevi Likewise, insufficient data for me to make any kind of judgement.. So I might have checked option 2, but not familiar enough to make any comment.

5

This is an extremely interesting conversation that we should be having in this country. Certainly the accusations against Krause have tainted my opinion of him, whether deserves or not. I do not know much about Silverman but will be reading about that. At some level, we know nothing about the true character of people who become “celebrities” or leaders of one sort or another. If someone is talented and they use their talents for the good of others but their personal behavior is hurtful to others (or themselves) should they be denied the ability to continue contributing to society? If they use their position or power to suppress or abuse others, how do we distinguish between that an misinterpretations of interactions? Many questions to be considered around these recent events.

The worst thing about Krauss is not the accusations but how he handled them. I've seen the man in action and he loves the attention and it definitely goes to his head so that he probably was not cognizant of when he crossed the line and those he crossed the line with have responded more to it after the fact as they had also been caught up in the moment during time spent with him.
But I agree, conversation needs to be had rather this constant stream of knee-jerk reactions.
I think David was very well aware of his past digressions and attempted to make amends to them without actually outing himself. The last couple years he has been tough on not tolerating such behavior while also making a point that those who perpetrate such behavior should not be condemned. I don't know the real timing of events from his accusers nor when they reported them so I make no real judgement and don't think AA should have been so quick to act in his dismissal. Having him stand down either temporarily or even permanently as president seemed reasonable, but getting fired so quickly just seems like an over reaction. What details that do come out will paint a clearer picture but the damage is already done to the reputations of both Silverman and AA in my opinion.
I've spoking to a few people who no longer take part in any kind of event for the fear of someone making accusation that far exceed the actual events. Richard Carrier was a victim of overblown accusation 2 years ago because of a ex love interest, and is still dealing with it.

5

Here is an article from The Friendly Atheist that addresses many concerns surrounding David Silverman.

[patheos.com]

Thanks, I had not seen this post was was aware of much of that info. Again, all very vague and seemingly rushed to action before due diligence for someone who has been with for a long time and done much for that organization.

4

Don't know enough about the situation to cast a vote.

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