The Downfall of Eric Schneiderman
If you’ve followed the news in the last week, Eric Schneiderman, the Attorney General of New York, had to resign following the sexual assault and abuse allegations from four different women.
And in the New York Times on Monday evening, May 7th, a woman wrote in and said there’s a problem with “feminist men.”
The points made here on ataraxik.com might be misunderstanding the argument she made in the article, but the theme of it appeared to be: we shouldn’t trust men at all even if they seem like they’re good.
While the words written here are not excusing or defending his actions, after more reading, it appears like Schneiderman had a bad drinking problem.
Alcoholism
People vastly misunderestimate the effects of alcoholism.
In our culture, everyday life and drinking are intertwined, so much so, that people rarely stop and reflect on their behavior. It’s normal.
Suicide, violence, and general aggressiveness are all symptoms of alcohol abuse.
Scholars, such as Arthur Benavie in his book, “Drugs: America’s Holy War,” have argued that alcohol is one of the few substances where there’s a direct link between aggressive/violent behavior and its consumption.
And after reading into Eric’s case, one can’t help but wonder if that is what this man’s problem was.
Alcoholics are a special group of people. A blackout drunk might do things wildly uncharacteristic of their personality, to the point where their behavior is completely unrecognizable to those who know them personally.
It was the same thing with Mel Gibson all of those years ago when, after the police pulled him over, he raged on about Jews and how he owns Miami.
When alcoholics are drunk, to the point of not having the ability to create short-term memories at all, their behavior is entirely unconstrained by their regular moral code, reasoning skills, and ability to judge.
That isn’t to say they’re not responsible for their actions while drunk. Because they are.
The Point
The point is this:
A person’s actions while blackout drunk doesn’t necessarily negate who they are every day as a sober person.
Regarding his politics, views, and intentions to contribute positively to society, Eric Schneiderman probably was never “faking it.” He wasn’t putting on a facade just so he could use that position to abuse women beneath him.
Eric likely had a drinking problem so bad that he became abusive.
Because of the immense stress put on him nearly every day as the attorney general, It’s possible that he turned to drinking as a means of coping.
And after 40-50 years of heavy drinking and continual stress, it’s likely that his boozing became a serious problem, turning him into a horrible monster when drunk.