It’s not bad apples — it’s the tree

By Sarah Henn Hayward | FāVS News Columnist

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. 

In the face of gross, cruel or unjust behavior, we tend to isolate that behavior to keep its stain off the rest of us. We comfort ourselves with arguments often centered around the idea of “bad apples.” 

I’ve been watching with horror as parts of the Epstein files have been released, and I have been astonished at the width and depth of them. Rich and powerful men of the world — foreign leaders, current and former U.S. Presidents, tech gurus, doctors, spiritual leaders, Wall Street brokers, politicians, business moguls — all willing to fraternize with a pedophile, if not participate along in his behavior. 

And while these men have more power and money than the rest of us, they are not inherently different than the typical man. When given the opportunity, these men were eager and willing to use their power and connections to rape young women. To exert power over another human being against their will or freely given consent.

It brings to mind the case of Gisèle Pelicot, whose husband drugged her for years so he and dozens of strangers could rape her. Fifty-one men were found guilty. These men had responded to an online message board about anonymous encounters. Even more men who did not respond to the ad saw the posts and did not think to call them in to the authorities.

In a small town in France, Gisèle’s husband was able to find over 50 men who were eager and willing to rape his unconscious wife. The wasn’t a special town full of evil men. These were average men in an average town. That’s what’s so disturbing.

The pattern is bigger than one man

The “bad apple” argument is also touted anytime we have a national discussion around police violence, particularly against Black people and other people of color. Murderous cops are explained away as a one-off and not enough investigation is done into the underlying patterns. 

The pattern is stark. Black people have significantly higher odds of violence or deadly force at the hands of police than white people. Black people are routinely pulled over when driving nice vehicles. Black neighborhoods have a significantly greater police presence compared to white neighborhoods. There’s a larger pattern at play.

It is absolutely true that not all men are base and evil. Not all men would be OK with taking advantage of underage girls, with raping anyone, let alone an unconscious woman. Not all men abuse their wives. So we chalk it up to bad apples and keep hoping that no one in our immediate circles will become an unlucky victim. 

Likewise, not all cops are inherently racist and violent. Most want to protect their communities and are willing to put themselves in unpredictable, dangerous situations for their job. But why do we have so many instances of unjustified, racially-targeted violence from police officers? Why have there been so many campaigns to “say her/his name?”

The bad apples argument takes the pressure off us as a society to look at what we are doing wrong on the whole to perpetuate this behavior. We excuse it away instead of looking deeper for a cause.

It is uncomfortable to admit that our very foundations have cracked. Or perhaps were never solid to begin with. That we have built a society with patriarchy, racism and inequality at its core. Maybe we feel guilty by association and uncomfortable with the idea that we need to update our thinking. It can feel overwhelming. 

Where do we even start?

Personally, I start with education. I read and learn about the world that people who aren’t like me experience. I seek out both scholarly work and direct personal experience by those affected whenever possible. It’s not helpful to read about racism from a white person. 

So where do we start?

The lived experience of Black people and other people of color is far more informative and authentic. It’s not insightful to read about the patriarchy from a male author. It’s more powerful to read from a woman who has lived experience and has done the work. 

On a larger scale, we need to hold people accountable. Movements like “Me Too” have created opportunities for men like Gisèle Pelicot’s husband to receive justice. Social pressure to release the Epstein files have led to some consequences for perpetrators, more so abroad than in the U.S. so far unfortunately.

The truth is uncomfortable. The truth is we have work to do and room to grow. That we were all raised in cultures steeped in inequality. With power-hungry, greedy, self-serving values built in.

That’s not to say America is terrible or to be unpatriotic. I want things to be better because I believe in the idea of America — a land of freedom and equality for all. And we are not there yet.

Bad apples cannot grow from a healthy tree. We need to admit that the “fruit” we are producing in our society is not healthy, and then work hard to take out the rot.

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