Sometimes it's hard to believe what you hear

Sometimes you hear about something and you can't believe it's true.

The person telling the story surely didn't witness such an event. Could someone be so cruel?

What if the person telling the story actually witnessed the event? Would you believe it to be true?

And what if you trusted that person, and they said there were some very reputable people who also witnessed the event?

Would you believe it then?

What if the person witnessed someone in a public building, paid for with your tax money, talk about women like it was the 14th century?

And there were women in close proximity and could hear every word?

What if the person refereed to women as chattel?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term chattel comes from the 14th century.

The definition:

1: an item of tangible movable or immovable property except real estate and things (as buildings) connected with real property.

2 : slave, bondman.

What if that person also suggested that men were better off when women walked behind them, thus suggesting they were second-class citizens?

And what if the witness(es) told you the person was serious? (Even if they were joking, they shouldn't have said it!) They didn't hesitate with their remarks, and probably would have gone on longer if someone hadn't changed the subject.

What if you find out later this person has a history of such comments, and telling women -- including those in high positions -- how he feels about them.

What would you do?

There's such a person in Greene County, who receives part of their yearly salary with taxpayers' money. They deal with women in the workplace on a daily basis, and women depend on this person's actions.

It's sad that such things enter anyone's mind. For someone to say such things is disgusting.

Chris is the general manager/editor of the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by telephone at 847-4487 or 1-800-947-4487 or by e-mail at cpruett79@gmail.com .