Senator Al Franken of Minnesota gives a sorry apology

Senator+Al+Franken+of+Minnesota.+Due+to+sexual+assault+allegations%2C++Franken+has+announced+his+resignation.+However%2C+his+reasoning+behind+the+resignation+has+people+asking+if+he+is+truly+sorry.+++++

Photo by Lorie Shaull via Creative Commons license

Senator Al Franken of Minnesota. Due to sexual assault allegations, Franken has announced his resignation. However, his reasoning behind the resignation has people asking if he is truly sorry.

Mitchell Smith, Op-ed Editor

Minnesota Senator Al Franken has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault and misconduct. Leeann Tweeden, the first woman to come forward, says Franken forcefully kissed and groped her during a 2006 USO trip. A photo released shows Franken groping Tweeden while she was asleep.

Several senators have called on Franken to resign, most notable Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has declined to comment on the matter.

Franken is currently under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee following Tweeden’s accusations. Franken has since apologized for his actions, saying that he crossed a line.

Franken was not the only member of Congress to face accusations. John Conyers, the oldest member of Congress, also has been accused of sexual assault and misconduct by previous members of his staff. Conyers announced his resignation soon after.

In light of Conyers’ resignation, Franken has announced his intent to resign from the Senate. However, his “apology” was sadly unapologetic.

Franken’s apology speech made one thing very clear: he doesn’t believe he has done anything wrong. His apology speech was lacking a critical aspect, an apology.

“Over the last few weeks, a number of women have come forward to talk about how they felt my actions had affected them. I was shocked. I was upset. But in responding to their claim, I also wanted to be respectful of that broader conversation. Because all women deserve to be heard and their experiences taken seriously. I think that was the right thing to do. I also think it gave some people the false impression that I was admitting to doing things that in fact I haven’t done. Some of the allegations against me are simply not true. Others I remember very differently,” Franken explained in his speech. In his statement, it’s clear that he believes women deserved to be heard, but at the same time saying he’s not guilty of what he has been accused of.

As Franken continued his speech, he made a point of asking why he was resigning while President Trump is accused of sexual assault, and Roy Moore, a Republican candidate for Senate, looks to win in Alabama’s special election.

The points Franken makes are fair. However, the only reason Franken is resigning is because he gave into the pressure to step aside.  

However, Franken’s “I did nothing wrong” plea won’t sit well with his supporters. Democrats claim they are the pro women party, and Franken’s speech seemed to go against that.

In spite of the allegations against multiple Hollywood stars and other democrats, Franken’s resignation was needed.