Megan Batchelor deserves praise, not condemnation, for standing up for her rights.
Unfortunately, the neanderthals are pounding their chests, bashing her on Twitter and across social media with their variations on, "it was harmless, why so sensitive?" "what did you think was going to happen at a rock festival?" and "get over yourself."
Batchelor, a CBC Vancouver TV reporter recently transplanted from Global in Winnipeg, was sending a live on-air report from the Squamish Valley Music Festival on Friday when a shirtless young guy ran up to her, kissed her on the cheek and quickly ran away.
Clearly flustered, she finished her report. She then filed a complaint with Squamish RCMP, who are investigating because, as RCMP spokesman Staff Sgt. Brian Cumming told the Vancouver Sun, "unwanted touching in any way is assault."
Batchelor has been good enough to share both the encouragement and the scolding she's been receiving on her Twitter account.
All the ridiculous criticisms amount to is the Waylon Jennings' Dukes of Hazzard theme song defence - "just a good old boy, never meaning no harm."
Still in 2015, the prevailing attitude is it's the woman's fault for attracting unwanted attention and she doesn't have a sense of humour.
There is no joke here.
What, exactly, is funny about a man forcing himself on a woman without her permission?
The line is crystal clear.
There is no time or place or context or any other excuse that allows a man to touch a woman in any way without her explicit consent, whether he knows her or not.
There is no degree of severity that forbids a man to touch a woman's rear end, her breasts and her genitalia but somehow gives him licence to touch other parts of her body because it's not overtly sexual or threatening.
Unwanted touching means unwanted by the person being touched.
This is not political correctness or high-minded human rights. It's the law.
It doesn't matter if the man or the TV audience or the Twitter mob consider the quick smooch as non-invasive, non-sexual and harmless. For a woman who has been a past victim of sexual assault or unwanted sexual touching, to be kissed randomly by an unknown man in public is more likely to be terrifying, instead of some good clean fun. It doesn't matter, however, whether Batchelor is a previous victim herself or not. She did not consider it harmless, the law is on her side and she took legal action that she is entitled to as a Canadian citizen. Once a complaint of harassment and sexual assault - regardless of its severity - is filed, it should be investigated to its full extent. For too long, women filing these kinds of complaints were not taken seriously or no investigation followed at all because it was their fault they were victims. In that space, predators like Judge David Ramsay and Robert Pickton operated and thrived. It is the young man who is at fault here, not the reaction by Batchelor.
She stood up for her rights as a woman and as a human being to not be physically accosted, whether it's in her job as a reporter or just walking down the street. On the flip side, this young man decided he had the right to violate Batchelor's personal space because he felt like it. Not cool.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending.
A 17-year-old boy stepped forward Monday afternoon, claiming he was the one who planted the kiss. Batchelor quickly accepted the apology.
A mistake was made and responsibility was taken. Full marks to this young man. Instead of getting defensive and trying to justify his irresponsible and insensitive behaviour, he realized he caused harm and took the proper steps to address the situation.
Unfortunately, Batchelor won't get the same level of maturity and acceptance from others. To her critics, she's just another uppity woman who thinks she is the sole decider of who gets to touch her body.
-- Managing editor Neil Godbout
