Posted on 06/27/2020 4:45:47 AM PDT by Kaslin
On Netflix the new documentary ‘’Athlete A’’ is a very well made and smartly constructed documentary covering the recent exposure of the longterm sexual abuse that was taking place with USA Gymnastics. The title refers to the initial witness who anonymously came forward to state on the record how she, as a gymnast, had been the victim of abuse, and it is a detailed account of how the institutionalized permissiveness of abuse in the organization was exposed.
The tale of how an official USA Gymnastics doctor was able to abuse young girls for decades, and be shielded by those who operated the Olympic gymnastics program all that time is as jarring as it is absorbing. Learning the leaders put the girls’ athletic health in a secondary position to winning is not all too surprising, but learning that their ultimate safety was also little more than a passing concern becomes disturbing. It is a cautionary tale of the highest order for parents with kids involved in any larger organization entity.
Just as compelling was the progress made by the members of the Indianapolis Star newspaper to exposing this story. What we have become exposed to is something that has fallen away in our national media circus -- hard working and intrepid journalism. If you are immersed in any fashion with dealing with the national press you quite easily can become inured to the unethical carnival show that our press corps has become. We are so accustomed to the preening before cameras and the polluting of reports with political bias that it is almost moving to be witnessing ego-free journalism.
This story emanates from an initial investigation into local abuse cases, and we are brought along as the paper built the story with leads and research. We are introduced to Steve Berta, the Investigations editor at The Star, who notes how this massive national story began from a small newsroom ‘’in the sticks’’. Then we are introduced to reporter Marisa Kwwiatkowski, who was investigating cases of abuse within the local school system, and it was from this initial story that the entire scandal gradually unfolded.
One of her sources had made mention that she should also look into USA Gymnastics and its handling of abuse cases. A lawsuit was uncovered concerning one of the gymnastic coaches. Fellow reporter Mark Alesia was able to discover this coach had been mentioned years earlier as a predator but instead of action taken he was moved off to various gyms, away from the problems. The Star dug into court records and depositions by the USAG officials and released a story on the way the outfit dealt with sex abuse complaints.
The story came out during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and even as it was a jolting expose it became only the beginning. Upon its release a number of former gymnasts came forward to give their stories of abuse at the hands of Dr. Larry Nassar, the longtime medical director of the USA teams. As Alesia notes, they had three individuals claims of abuse against Nassar, being made by three former gymnasts who did not know each other. Asks Alesia to this reality; ‘’How many more could there be?’’ The answer to that question later is disturbing. Reporter Tim Evans joined in on the team looking into the swelling amount of girls and cases that were gradually coming forward.
The testimonies of these women and the stories of what they each endured is gripping. The reality of what the organization was willing to not only permit but to work at covering up is infuriating. Through the progress of this documentary the work of these reporters keeps moving to the front. That is what becomes striking; their work is what stands out, not their names and personalities.
Think of all the reporters we are familiar with who are intent on making themselves the focal point of a story. Picture the correspondents who ask questions in a fashion that seem more intent on drawing attention to them instead of getting at the heart of a story. Here we have a collection of journalists who are not charismatic, who do not look wholly comfortable being on camera, but they were doing work that begs to be told. What they have to present is work we want to consume.
It is such a striking difference to have journalists who accomplished things that make us want to listen intently, instead of brash faces who are demanding they be heard. This is what journalism is supposed to be, and it is a breed that appears to be an endangered species.
So, put Biden Pelosi and Schumer in charge and we won’t have any more sex scandals, because any discussion of the sexual perversions of the elite will be suppressed with solitary confinement, if you are lucky.
All of this “shielding” that happens in the context of institutions, who does it? What kind of person? How does the welfare of a child become subordinate to whatever the hell the institution does? Are they ALL bent? How do they live with themselves?
Sex scandal?
Everything has been infiltrated by liberalism.
We lost
Nassar, the doctor, was exposed, charged, put on trial and sent to prison for life.
To reopen these accusations seems more prurient in nature than a genuine ‘need to know’
Did any of these potential Olympians tell their parents, spiritual advisor or close friend?
These were strong girls...
...did any attempt to kick him in a strategic body part?
Did any scream?
Did they all keep going back to him?
That’s what I would want to know if I wanted to know....
NOT the prurient ‘what he did and how he did it’
You’re kidding, right? How did you miss this one?
All your answers were covered in the news articles along the way. Remmeber that many of these girls were TINY. 5’ tall, MAYBE 100 lbs. Some as young as 15 years old.
His modus operandi was to privately set up massage sessions and tell the vulnerable ones that he had a secret method for helping them gain flexibility and that it required him internally massaging their vaginas.
Try actually searching Larry Nassar for about ten minutes before you make this type of stupid comment.
This was sexual assault, not sex.
Nasser abused the girls right in front of their parents. He didn’t rape them in a locked room, or force them into performing sex acts on him.
He penetrated the girls with his fingers while examining the victims, right in front of their mothers and usually with a nurse present.
He claimed that the vaginal exams were part of evaluating muscle strains of inner thighs.
And he abused the same girls over and over again, for years. Nassar was considered one of the best when it came to sprains and strains, so he was part of the USA Gymnastics team for decades.
He was also a teaching physician at Michigan State University, and also abused members of MSU’s gymnastics and volleyball teams.
More of a molestation / sex abuse scandal.
At least one girl told a female coach. The coach informed Nassar of this and the abuse continued. One girl told her dad. The dad made her apologize to Nassar.
‘Stupid comment’.....?
This is not the 1950’s or Victorian England
Young girls today grow up fast and are plenty informed.
And whether you noticed or not, a number of these ‘victims’ produced indiscreet selfies in scant attire in various publications afterwards
The ‘doctor’ is where he belongs.....in prison
...but in this ‘me too’ generation ...
......you don’t get to call my opinion stupid
Then shame on that dad!!!!!!!,
It’s now all about tearing down institutions, or making sure they are adequately ‘Woke’.
Wonder how many girls lost spots on the team because they refused his advances.
At least one girl told a female coach. The coach informed Nassar of this and the abuse continued. One girl told her dad. The dad made her apologize to Nassar.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
About the same ‘mind set’ as the Priests abusing young lads.
If you grow up where the Priests and Nuns are considered the ‘hand of God’ when the Priests ‘abuse’ one, they are reluctant to ‘tell’ as you feel your parents won’t ‘believe’ you, same with the nuns and physical abuse, ALL parents know ‘Sister wouldn’t have hit you if you hadn’t done something wrong’ so they gain full immunity because after a couple of times getting it ‘3 times...1st in school, 2nd when at home, 3rd when you get back for carrying tales home from school.
As to the priests, once the lad has figured out it ain’t right he is so ashamed that he says nothing and years can pass when best friends don’t realize the OTHER one had been abused also.
I was so irate when I first heard the ‘official’ stories that I had to do some ‘soul searching’ but I wasn’t ‘hiding’ anything, I think my anger was from the fact that your parents put one in that position then not believe you, and then the Church just shifting them around from parish to parish.
Deserve to be driven into bankruptcy because of the cover ups AND a whole lot of people should have been jailed - including the ones who covered it up.. We can say the individual may have had a sickness but the real ‘sinner’ here is the hierachy who did nothing.
You’re ignorance of this scandal is as wide as the Grand Canyon. It’s the female version of the Theo Fleury/Sheldon Kennedy one. I doubt you’ve heard of either of them either. The whole reason they were vulnerable is because they weren’t informed. You need to read up on this in far more detail than you have so far.
Your comment is stupid . . . in case you need reminding. As you will see when you investigate it more.
I have no interest in investigating.
Nassar is in prison for life.
Just because people disagree with me I don’t call them stupid, as you have twice!
But I will call you RUDE!
Don’t post to me again!
I called your COMMENT stupid, not you. Reading comprehension is your friend, not your enemy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.