The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that four people -- three woman and one man -- have come forward saying they were molested as young children by famed Philly Daily News sportswriter Bill Conlin. (The victims, including families members, say there are many others. Read the harrowing account HERE.) If something good has come out of this disgusting Jerry Sandusky story it's that it feels like the lid has finally been blown off of keeping these horrible secrets and protecting so-called "pillars of the community." No other case-- even the Catholic Church scandal -- seems to have had such an effect. And while I'm not exactly sure why, I think it's fantastic. Even if the statute of limitations has run out of many of these cases -- as it has for victims of Bill Conlin -- you get the sense that their bravery is setting an example for other victims, many of whom will be able to seek justice. When you read how the families of Conlin's victims reacted to hearing their children were victims of sex abuse in the 1970s -- these kids TOLD their parents, it's not like it was a secret! -- it's completely heartbreaking. "Don't tell your father, he has a terrible temper!" one mom said, concerned about Conlin's well-being. The mother of the boy decided to deal with the situation by keeping her son away from Conlin, yet continued to allow her daughter to play at his house. "I thought he was just interested in boys," she reasoned. Others didn't want to upset Conlin's wife, whom they considered a friend. These parents sound like negligent -- if not complicit -- monsters now, but as you read the web of secrets and lies Conlin's sins created you begin to realize they thought they were doing the best they could at the time, even if it was anything but. One anguished dad now says he didn't believe his daughter at the time because he just couldn't believe a man could do what his little girl had told him Conlin had done to her. (Two-for-1 innocence robbing.) Very, very sad. Glad they are coming forward now.
Through his lawyer, Conlin said he was "floored" by the allegations which "supposedly happened 40 years ago," as if the statute of limitations had also run out on the pain he has inflicted.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The Sandusky Effect?
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3 comments:
Bullshit. If these people had a valid claim, why didn't they make it in the appropriate forums back when something could be done about it, and when the American system of justice could have balanced the rights of the accused versus the charges being made. Now we just have started a witch hunt. Accusations will flow wildly without regard to truth. It's Mc
Carthy and Communism all over again. People will be guilty until proven innocent, and that's simply un-American.
@Ken: Thanks for this. On second thought, you're right. That 7-year-old girl who got a finger rammed up her vagina repeatedly and then told her mother what was happening to her should have reported it when the "appropriate forums back when something could be done about it, and when the American system of justice could have balanced the rights of the accused versus the charges being made."
What a stupid whore she is. Same with the dozen other kids who didn't speak up.
It's almost predictable that these sex scandals keep coming out of places that are notoriously homophobic: Republicans, Catholics and professional sports.
Hopefully these painful revelations will make the walls come tumbling down at last.
And Ken, you need to get over your severe denial complex. How many pre-pubescent children could even comprehend what was happening, let alone take decisive action involving law enforcement? And even if they did, would parents and cops have taken them seriously? Doubtful.
Your "blame the victim," knee-jerk defensive posture lacks all intellectual merit, and is exactly the sort of "see-no-evil" idiocy that allows these sexual abuses to continue.
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