Bill Maher Makes Bold Declaration About Cesar Chavez After Sexual Assault Allegations
What To Know
- Bill Maher addressed the recent sexual abuse allegations against labor leader Cesar Chavez, comparing him to Jeffrey Epstein and highlighting the controversy over removing Chavez’s name from public buildings.
- Maher acknowledged Chavez’s significant positive impact on farmworkers’ rights but questioned whether his good deeds outweigh the harm he caused, referencing Dolores Huerta’s decision not to come forward for the sake of the movement.
- He concluded that real life often involves choosing between imperfect options and that expecting only “good people” to do great things is unrealistic.
Warning: The following post reports on allegations of sexual abuse.
Bill Maher just made a bold declaration about labor unionist and political activist Cesar Chavez after allegations of sexual abuse were revealed.
On April 10, during the “New Rule” segment of Real Time With Bill Maher, the late-night host addressed the idea of positive impact from people who also cause great harm.
“Stop asking me how it is that bad people can do good things,” he began. “Here in California, we’ve been busy lately scraping a name off every building in the state because famed labor leader Cesar Chavez turned out to be not the folk saint we had been told — but more like the Latino Jeffrey Epstein.
In March, The New York Times published an article exposing allegations of decades of sexual abuse by the civil righst icon.
“Saint? He was more like a priest, if you know what I mean,” Maher quipped. “Officials here have been in such a rush to get his name off schools, half the kids in LA now go to TBD Elementary.”
Maher pointed out that Chavez “undeniably made the lives of millions better.” But he also posed the question: “If you could go back in time and kill him to spare the young girls he assaulted, would you?”
“A purist says yes. I say no,” he continued. “Which is also what Dolores Huerta said. She was Chavez’s right-hand aide in the movement, and also one of his rape victims.”
The stand-up comedian then shared a quote from Huerta explaining why she didn’t come forward after allegedly being assaulted by Chavez.
“The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure (farmworkers) rights, and I wasn’t going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way,” she explained. “The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual.”
After reading the quote, Maher declared, “That, to me, is pretty heroic.” He added, “But that’s life. Being an adult often means choosing between two horrible options, like the food on United.
He concluded, “But here’s where someone always says, ‘Why can’t we just have great deeds done by good people?’ I don’t know, because we live on Earth. Things are really imperfect here.”
If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is the victim of child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
Real Time With Bill Maher, Fridays at 10/9c, HBO
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