Mark Halperin: Murderers Are Afforded More Opportunities Than Canceled People
OUTCAST
Disgraced pundit Mark Halperin said he believes murderers are treated more fairly—and receive better opportunities—than those who have been “canceled” from the public sphere for sexual misconduct. Halperin, who in October 2017 was accused by 14 women of unwanted sexual advances and groping during his decade-long tenure at ABC News, described to a meager group at an Upright Positions Communications event in San Francisco last week the hardships he has faced since getting “canceled.” After losing his spot as an MSNBC senior political analyst, his show on Showtime, and a book deal, Halperin said he hasn’t “had a job interview in two years” despite applying to several restaurants and Target.
“It’s akin to being a refugee, or being in some other situation where you’re constantly under pressure and can’t stop to unless you’re a super strong person, you can’t stop to try to rebuild that kind of confidence and self-worth that is required,” he said, before noting his life is akin to having post-traumatic stress disorder. When asked by a Mother Jones reporter if he should be held accountable for his alleged behavior, Halperin said that while victims deserve priority, there is a societal block to allow such prominent offenders to be reintegrated into society. “Murderers in our society who get out of prison are afforded an opportunity to go on with some aspect of their life,” he said. “The challenge to a lot of people who are canceled is there’s no mechanism for that, regardless of what they’ve done, regardless of whether they’ve tried to make amends.”