Money Money Money: Sandusky Trial Day 2

Brief post  tonight, but there's a couple of things that just need to be addressed.

The defense that these victims are in it for the money is ridiculous.  There are many opportunists in this world.  There are always scam artists looking for a buck.  Here's the problem, when was the last time you knew someone who faked sexual abuse for fun and profit?  When was the last time 10 men you knew faked sexual abuse to roll in a bed of money?  It just doesn't happen.

Statistics show that 1 in 10 boys are sexually abused, but due to the stigma of reporting, that number is probably closer to 1 in 6.  I won't go into the shame of abuse and the horror of reporting in this post. Suffice it to say, in my years of doing this, its been a lot harder to get boys to talk about what happened.

The second point I want to address tonight, is the breakdown of Victim 1 on the stand and his admission that he may have said different things in the grand jury testimony.  If I had a nickel for every kid whose story evolved over time, I wouldn't still be working for the state.

The fact is that victims are human, horribly beaten down humans.  Victim 1 was the kid whose guidance counselor didn't believe him.  Memory is imperfect.  Sometimes kids say things happened once or twice, and those things happened many more times.  Its tragic that they have to relive it in trial, but at least Victim 1 was strong enough to be on the stand.

This trial is an ugly business, it is not going to get better.  For whatever reason, Sandusky has decided to take this to the end.  Here's hoping his end is in a State Penitentiary for the rest of his miserable life.

Say It Aint So Joe! Sandusky Trial day 1.

Today marked day one of the trial of Jerry Sandusky.  His attorney, Joe Amendola, had what could charitably be called a bad day.  Starting with opening arguments and sinking from there, Joe just doesn't seem up to the title of Best Defense Attorney in Pennsylvania.

Here's a few thoughts about the day.

Amendola opened with typical defense attorney tactics.  In this case, they were complete nonsense.  "If my client did this why did four adults not come forward?" "This case will show that these so called victims have a financial stake in this" Amendola might as well have led with "If my client is a liar, why are his pants not on fire?" (thanks to Tim Baffoe AKA @ten_foot_midget on twitter for that line).

One of the oldest ploys in the book is to blame the victims. In this case, Amendola and by extension Sandusky are blaming the victims "financial stake" as their reason for coming forward.  In the 18 years that I have been investigating child abuse and child sexual abuse, I have heard a riff on this hundreds of times.  It's a pet peeve for myself and anybody who does this work.

Occasionally there are cases in which child abuse and child sexual abuse allegations are made for some gain.  Those cases usually involve custody battles.  In cases where a group of victims comes forward against an authority figure, the chances that they are making up something for any gain, are extremely low.  When kids try to get someone in trouble, they don't say they were sexually abused, the say someone hit me, lied about me, etc.

The key here is that the victims were boys and now are men.  There is no amount of financial recompense that can assuage the stigma of being a male survivor of sexual abuse.  The guilt, fear, and self loathing are abysmal. These men would not be making up facts about being abused sexually if it didn't happen. Period.

Given that all of these victims were recruited through Second Mile, if they wanted to make money, they could write a book about how great Jerry was in saving them.  A lot easier to make money singing the praises of a savior than it is to get money making up false sex allegations.

I'd also like to briefly discuss Sandusky's demeanor.  Today, people mused that he must be the best actor in the world, or he just doesn't get it.

Again, calling on years of experience, my gut says the latter is true.  The experiences that me and my fellow investigators have had clearly show that the hard core abusers, just don't get it.  Sandusky is incapable of believing that what he did was wrong.  His particular paraphelia is such that as long as he "loves" his victims he is never wrong.

Having said all this, a word of caution.  A good first day does not  conviction make. Unfortunately, bad guys go free because of one stupid juror.

I'll continue to add opinions as the trial progresses.  For those who find this whole thing disgusting, welcome to my world.

Chattel Rhymes With Cattle

I stand corrected.  I stand dumbfounded. Due to this debacle The Ultrasound Opportunity Bill , I'm standing up for the rights of women in my state.

In my previous post here , I mentioned that Illinois has a Democratic Governor and State House.  I said that there were no direct assaults on the rights of my wife and daughters.  Well I was wrong.

The Ultrasound Opportunity Bill was brought to the floor of the House by the House Agricultural Committee. Let that sink in for a moment .  Here in Illinois, we don't just treat women like chattel, we treat them like cattle. It passed with votes from Republicans and Democrats and many of the sponsors on the floor are DEMOCRATS and by my count at least two Democratic women co-sponsored.  What the hell?

This outrage cannot stand.  The bill calls for a transvaginal ultrasound be taken 24 hours prior to an abortion, then the pregnant women is offered a chance to view the ultrasound.  If she declines she has to sign a waiver that stays on file at Public Health.  So not only is a woman treated like livestock, but if she refuses to view the grainy computer image of the Area 51 experiment growing in her gut, she goes on a list! Great idea, truly grand.  

Oh and for those playing at home, I have a beautiful wife and two amazing daughters.  I take assaults on their freedoms seriously.  Last year my wife had to have a transvaginal ultrasound for a possible cyst.  She said its very painful and uncomfortable.  There were mutterings of "let me stick a ball bat up your ass to give you an idea", but I digress..

Sponsors like Rep. Joe Lyons (D-Chicago) (D for dumbass, douchebag, dickcheese take your pick) say that its a pro-choice bill.  Heres a tip Joe, if the Illinois Catholic Conference supports legislation regarding abortion ITS NOT PRO CHOICE!  

Conventional wisdom on this is that it will be killed in the House, but with so much bi-partisan support, I'm not so sure of that.  One thing I am sure of, I'm voting pro-women, pro-choice.  If you're a Democrat who supports the war on women, you're on my list too.  I trusted that Democrats would use common sense, common decency, and at least the amount of compassion you'd show a farm animal, guess I was wrong.

UPDATE 2/29/2012 some dumbass cracker named Lou Lang added  Amendment 6 to the bill.  This is even more frustrating.  As I read it, the woman shall be informed of the costs of the ultrasound and make arrangements for payment of that fee as well.  Hell ladies you didn't think that pleasure rod stuffed in your naughty bits was free.  You're gonna pay, you bunch of brazen harlots!  Seriously, I would love to meet Mr. Lang, punch him in the sack and tell him to pay me for it. 

If you want to support the push back on the War on Women you can follow @TeamUterati on Twitter, Team Uterati on Facebook and the web site www.teamuterati.com.

Why I'm Voting for Democrats

The Republican War on Women must be stopped.  I'm not just talking about voting for President Obama, I'm talking about every level of government.  If my dog catcher has a tea party sticker on their car I want to run them off the road.  This is how serious I am about this time in America.

Okay, to be fair, women are my life.  I have two daughters aged 11 and 5 who I love more than life itself and a my beautiful and talented wife makes my world go round.  My sister is one of my best friends and Mom, rest her soul was my role model, so you get the picture.

There are those on the left who say patently stupid things like "there's not a nickel's worth of difference" in the two parties.  (Michael whore for relevance Moore)  Others who say that backers of President Obama have sold out their liberal values (Glenn "is my cabana ready" Greenwald). Still others that eschew the argument that small steps to the left are better than no steps at all ( Katrina Vanden Heuvel and Jane Hamsher I'm looking at you).  These puritopians  fail to see that the only person standing between them and a probe in their collective vaginas is President Obama.

The fact that state after state is passing anti-woman laws, the GOP controlled house is outright lying about Planned Parenthood, and even douche bag state assemblymen like this guy : Bob Morris , are attacking the fucking Girl Scouts, doesn't even register with the far left.  They're too worried about indefinite detention, drone strikes and other liberal straw men.

I live in the real world.  While I disagree with the President on some issues, the future of my daughters is way more important to me than the others. I'm more concerned that no one orders a drone strike in my daughter's ladyparts if she chooses to get an abortion.  I want my girls to get free contraception if they want it without having to visit some back alley crack dealer who's running progesterone on the side.

My wife had surgery a few years ago and literally can have no more children without threatening her life. I got the old snip snip, but if that had failed and my wife was pregnant I don't want some fundamentalist asshat like Rick Santorum saying she can't choose to terminate the pregnancy.

I live in Illinois. Right now, we have a Democratic controlled State House and Governor, so there haven't been any direct assaults on the rights of my wife and daughters.  Given that, I stand united with my sisters in other states and their champions in the blogosphere, the Uterati if you will.

If you're so blinded by ideals that you can't see the War on Women is the most important issue in the next election then you might as well move  to Brazil....oh wait.

An Open Letter to the Penn State Football Family

Dear Deluded Asses:

Apologizing for a child rapist and a subsequent cover up does nothing to repair the reputation of Joe Paterno or Penn State.  Your effusive praise of Paterno and Penn State is sickening to anyone who has read the letter of support and Grand Jury report.  This is neither about Paterno’s legacy nor the alma mater.  This is about children, dozens if not hundreds of children who were cruelly used and thrown aside like old socks. 

Sandusky’s crimes are writ large in the grand jury testimony and Paterno’s culpability is there for all to see.  He himself said he wished he had done more.  We know from testimony, that the police weren’t called because Paterno did not want to disrupt the weekend.  Read that again.  No calls were made because it was the FUCKING WEEKEND.  For that alone he should burn in hell. 

Statistics show that 1 in 10 boys report sexual abuse but probably 1 in 6 were abused.  That means of the 382 of you, chances are that 38-50 have been abused.  In the open of the letter you expressed sorrow and pity for the victims.  Your pious mouthings don’t make up for the pain that they suffered. 

Here’s an exercise that I often do when I talk to people about child sexual abuse. 

Close your eyes.  Think back to the first time you had a sexual encounter.  Remember being nervous, maybe sweating a little, fumbling for words and buttons.  Remember maybe you were in the back of your first car or on your parents basement couch.  Okay open your eyes and tell me about it.   Not very easy is it?

Close your eyes again now imagine that you are 10, your encounter scares you, makes you feel sick and alone.  Imagine that you are screaming for help and nobody comes for you.   Now imagine that 10 years have passed.  Open your eyes and tell a professional.

You have no idea what it’s like for me or any DCFS Investigator to interview victims and get them to talk about the most horrific thing that has happened to them.   No idea what it’s like when a victim breaks down because he or she didn’t tell and their little sister was subsequently abused.  No idea how mad it makes you when a 4 year old says she knew she did a good job at oral sex because she would get a chocolate chip cookie as a reward. 

You  have no idea what it’s like to sit with parents after doing a Victim Sensitive Interview and having the parents both men and women turning into sobbing, inconsolable messes because they blame themselves for not having known or seen the signs.  There are no words that suffice, the silence seems like an eternity and in the end all you can offer is Kleenex and the name of a good therapist.

Clearly Penn State's Football family has hubris that knows no bounds.  I dare you to sit with me or any of my DCFS colleagues and talk to these children and parents.  I guarantee that if you had you would never sign this arrogant treatise on the glory that is Penn State.

A Progressive Father's Thoughts on the Plan B Decision

I find the recent caterwauling about Health and Human Services Plan B decision by the professional left somewhat amusing. It ranges from legitimate concern about the decision to the extreme left suggesting that President Obama has completely abandoned women.

In the interests of fairness, I must inform you that I am a father of two girls, ages 11 and 5. My wife and I have always given our girls frank and honest information about sexuality. They call body parts by their correct names. The fact that my 5 year old struggled with her V sounds for a long time so it was pagina, not vagina, notwithstanding.

My 11 year is starting puberty (yay me) and because we have been open and honest, if something happened and she required Plan B, I'm confident she would come to her mother or I for help. I should also note the boy in question might meet with Plan DOA, I'm progressive, but not that progressive.

As to the broader decision, I understand the people who are upset. The science is sound, the pill is at least as safe as regular birth control. I think the overall decision is flawed. I wish that Secretary Sebelius had simply said, "there are moral and legal issues regarding this contraceptive for use by children." She should have made it over the counter for adults and perhaps girls as young as 15 or 16. Other first world countries have age limits of 15 or 16 for similar meds.

Another point that most people have missed. Around the country, pharmacists are mandated reporters of child abuse. If a minor comes to them for morning after contraception, they must make a report to authorities. Again if an 11 or 12 year old needs this medication, someone needs to check into it. In most states its a crime for children to have sex with anyone, even if the partner is also a child. I think this is why a 15 or 16 year old age limit is appropriate. The pharmacists could still be reporting to authorities about younger children, but the older teens would be able to deal with their behavior in an anonymous way.

When it comes to government decisions that affect women's health, I'm no authority, but I don't think President Obama should be characterized as anti-woman. People like Katha Pollitt and Joan Walsh are out of their minds if they think he and his administation are abandoning women.

Those who are most shrill on the issue should remember that for the last 2 years the GOP controlled House and GOP state governments everywhere are actively trying to force their way into the uterus and are treating women as brood mares and chattel.

By comparison it seems to me that the Plan B decision, well not the best decision ever, is not the first volley in an Obama lead war on the pagina.

Eye of Newt, Tale of Batshit

Recently, Newt Gingrich decided to take the fight to those good for nothing layabouts and wastrels mooching off the public dime. I'm speaking of course about poverty stricken 9 year olds. Taking their lives of luxury for granted what with their free lunch and book fee waivers. Those little bastards are getting by wayyyyy to easy.

Don't worry though, Old Man Gingrich has a plan. You see, these little ingrates just need to pick up a mop and clean toilets. To be fair, Newt isn't blaming these hobbit sized louts. Its not their fault they're freeloading an education at PS10, its their PARENTS fault, because they too are lazy good for nothing criminals who don't work 'cept for stealing from hard working 'Merican's like Newt.

Here's the problem with that. Census research that has been widely quoted around the net shows that 3 out 4 children living in poverty have at least one parent working. Half of children living in poverty have parents working full time jobs. 25% have a parent working at least a part time job. The great irony in Gingrich's theory is that if the kids go to work as janitors, they most likely will be putting their own mom or dad out of work.

Newt's assertions that kids in poor neighborhoods have no roll models is just flat out wrong. I grew up in poverty. My parents made $20000 a year between them until I was in college. They were hard working people, they weren't criminals. They taught me and my sister a work ethic that has led us both to great jobs in Social Work and Education.

In turn my sister and I work with people in poverty every day. There are some people who don't work, but for the most part the people I have dealt with are working 2 or 3 jobs to get out of poverty.

This is the fundamental flaw in Gingrich's ideas and largely the ideas of the GOP. They think that poor people choose to be poor. Nobody chooses that. They complain about the left killing the American dream, but they take no time to find out that the people living in poverty dream of getting out, dream of doing better and dream of their children in college and good jobs.

If they took the time ask a poor person if they would take a 75 K a year job, I doubt they'd say no, I'd much rather clean toilets at the school.