Although it really shouldn't have taken this long, 2017 has ushered in a new area of holding men accountable for their actions.

From Louis C.K. to Harvey Weinstein and, now Matt Lauer, men in positions of power and privilege, who have been getting away with their disgusting crimes, are finally being exposed. For so long, our society has given boys and men this unspoken permission, through power and entitlement, that men are unable to control themselves when it comes to anything of a sexual nature.

We instill this sort of mindset from a very young age, too, using colloquialisms like "boys will be boys" or "he's mean to you because he likes you." And because of this, young girls grow up learning how to protect ourselves.

Don't walk alone at night. Don't go down an alley. Don't wear provocative clothing. Don't smile. Don't look at anyone. In fact, just don't leave the house.

We get these instructions as if it's our fault if we cannot always strictly adhere to them and something happens. Sometimes you have no choice but to walk alone to your car at night after work.

We are given all these public instructions, even though most people are sexually assaulted or raped by someone they know. But instead of attempting to prevent sexual assault by teaching boys from a young age about consent and letting them know that actions have consequences even if you're a privileged straight white male, (*cough* Brock Turner) we, as a society, choose to either not believe the victim or find ways to blame them.

Whether in court or among friends, the victim will be asked about what they were wearing, if they had anything to drink, if they had been flirting, as if these would all be excuses for their abuser's behavior.

Women get sexually assaulted wearing sweatpants, in their own bed when they're asleep, or wearing a fucking potato sack. It's not about libido or what the victim did. It's about the power structure, the dynamic between the predator and the prey. Men are able to control themselves. In fact, plenty of them do.

With all that said, it's good that men in positions of wealth, fame, and power in the entertainment industry are now being held accountable, however, this has yet to happen to men in politics. Roy Moore, John Conyers, and yes, Donald Trump are still roaming free with the support of millions, despite several sexual assault and rape allegations against them and the past and present lawsuits that have ensued because of it.

Alabama Republicans would rather vote for a child molester instead of a Democrat and our president has openly admitted to sexually assaulting women, yet he's still in office. Our president should be held to the same standard. Our politicians should be held to the same standard. Being a rapist or sexual assaulter is not a character flaw. It's a crime. If only the people supporting these men held that law as high as the second amendment.