The Feminization of Victimhood
Recently, I watched a documentary on Larry Nassar. He was the team doctor for the U.S. Women’s national gymnastics team from 1996-2014. In January, 2018, Nassar was convicted of possessing child pornography and ten counts of sexual assault. He was sentenced to an astounding 100-235 years in prison.
Nassar had been accused of sexually assaulting at least 265 young girls. This was a real case of #MeToo Syndrome, as seemingly every girl he had coached eventually joined in, telling their own stories, which as far as I can tell were extremely scant on details. Color me skeptical, as usual. I have yet to hear any media outlet tell Nassar’s side of the story. What was his explanation? I’ve watched two specials on Nassar, and there wasn’t a single talking head, a single defense lawyer, who at least attempted to provide some context. The most incredible aspect of these charges was that the accusers- again, not sure how many, but perhaps all of them as far as I know- revealed that their parents were present during the abuse. You might be thinking, wait a minute, how could a sexual assault happen in front of parents? Yeah, that’s what I was wondering about. If I understand correctly, Nassar is accused of touching these girls inappropriately, while their parents were right there in the same room.
Again, the case is a bit fuzzy on specifics, as happens all too often in the #MeToo world. It seems that Nassar’s conduct was first reported in June, 2015, when the personal coach of a female gymnast heard her discussing Nassar with another girl. Once the #MeToo effect kicked in, it was eventually alleged that Nassar had been abusing girls since as early as 1994. Some victims would claim they reported his behavior to his superiors at Michigan State University in 1997. I suppose Michigan State initially denied this, but I don’t know for sure, because the media coverage is essentially a prosecutorial brief. Three former gymnasts would appear on 60 minutes in February, 2017, to accuse Nassar of sexually abusing them. They also, very tellingly, used the virtue signaling phrase “emotionally abusive environment.” Nassar was accused of inserting his finger in the vaginas of an unclear number of girls, in the presence of an unclear number of parents, who somehow never recognized it.
In October, 2017, Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney did indeed use the #MeToo hashtag on Twitter, charging that Nassar had repeatedly molested her for eight years. Once the parade of former gymnasts read their victim impact statements in court, Nassar had zero chance at any kind of impartial justice. I think I’m the only one in the world who is opposed to victim impact statements, which are not evidence, and serve only to emotionally manipulate the proceedings. Apparently, Nassar was still claiming to be “an innocent person” behind bars, when he was stabbed ten times in July, 2023. I’d sure like to know what Nassar’s defense was. You certainly can’t find out from any television program on the subject, or anywhere else online. If Nassar is the monster he’s being portrayed as, then I’m guilty of aski
Article from LewRockwell
LewRockwell.com is a libertarian website that publishes articles, essays, and blog posts advocating for minimal government, free markets, and individual liberty. The site was founded by Lew Rockwell, an American libertarian political commentator, activist, and former congressional staffer. The website often features content that is critical of mainstream politics, state intervention, and foreign policy, among other topics. It is a platform frequently used to disseminate Austrian economics, a school of economic thought that is popular among some libertarians.
