Routinely Abused: The nastiness of gymnastics

Gymnastics is an ugly sport.

It's bad enough that many young women gymnasts are mentally and physically abused, many ending up with anorexia, bulimia and depression. It's bad enough that it's sexualized and sexist, male uniforms designed to highlight the arms and shoulders, female uniforms the legs and crotch.

But now it comes to light that the US gymnastics program is as full of sexual abusers as the catholic cult, and those who run the US gymnastics program are just as willing to cover up and protect those who rape young girls.  And considering that gymnastics wants only teenage girls, that "nineteen is too old", it says a lot about the mentalities of those in charge.

Dave Hannigan: Sinister story lies hidden beneath a sport that enthrals America

In October, 1998, USA Gymnastics received a fax regarding a coach named Bill McCabe. Over six pages, Florida gym owner Jan Giunipero outlined a litany of disturbing allegations made against McCabe at nine different facilities and urged that parents and children be made aware of his proclivities. One year later, Dan Dickey, another gym owner, wrote to USA Gymnastics about an incident involving McCabe and a 15-year-old cheerleader and stated that he should be “locked in a cage before someone is raped”. Around that time, McCabe began regularly abusing at least one under-age gymnast in his charge. 

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The baffling failure to act on the information furnished to them about McCabe (on four different occasions by different people), was apparently par for the course with USA Gymnastics when it came to abusive coaches. That is the only conclusion to be drawn from a lengthy and thorough investigation by the Indianapolis Star, the largest newspaper in Indiana where the sport is headquartered. For those who have lived through the Catholic Church and USA and Irish swimming debacles, the narrative is all too depressingly familiar. 

Although USA Gymnastics refused to confirm how many allegations it receives annually, the Indianapolis Star learned the governing body has complaint dossiers on over 50 coaches that it, literally, keeps in a drawer. The newspaper unearthed evidence of four particular cases (including one former national coach of the year) that followed the same troubling pattern. Accusations were allowed to gather dust for years as at least 14 underage gymnasts were abused.

The Dishonourable Kill: Another young woman was murdered for no reason

Another day, another atrocity.  Another young woman was murdered because she chose to live freely and speak for herself instead of being a slave to outdated "tradition".

Why are these murders called "honour killings"?  There is no honour in committing murder, especially when doing it out of your own emotional insecurities and ignorance.

Qandeel Baloch: Pakistan social media celebrity 'killed by brother'

Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch has been killed by her brother in an apparent 'honour killing' in the province of Punjab, police say.

Ms. Baloch, 26, recently caused controversy by posting controversial pictures of herself on social media, including one alongside a Muslim cleric.

Police say she was strangled to death.

Cases of women being killed for 'dishonouring' their family are commonplace in Pakistan.

Qandeel Baloch became a household name for posting bold, sometimes raunchy, photographs, video and comments.

Ms Baloch's parents told The Express Tribune that she was strangled to death on Friday night following an argument with her brother.

They said her body was not discovered until Saturday morning. Her parents have been taken into custody, the Tribune reported.

Why do the media falsely accuse her of "causing controversy"?  Because they are trying to blame her for her own death.  I implicit message is clear: "If she had done what her family told her to do, she would still be alive."

As often happens, the murderer has no honour.  He committed the murder for his own gain, it wasn't even for his "family honour".

Qandeel Baloch’s Brother Drugged And Strangled Her Because "Girls Are Born To Stay At Home"

"I am a drug addict but I was in my senses when I murdered her and I accept it with pride. Now everybody will remember me with honour that I have provided relief to my parents and brothers who were suffering for the last two decades because of her."

Sexist Missteps: Heels demand that a woman wear heels at work, fire her for saying No

A sexist and sociopathic financial company in England refuses to pay a woman her wages because she dared to wear shoes to work that are comfortable and presentable instead of wear high heels that objectify her.

Wearing heels is a choice.  I like wearing them from time to time, but not all the time.  It is painful to wear them longer than a four hour party once a week, never mind nine hours every day at work.

And yet there are knuckle draggers out there who seem to "think" women can still be objectified, and fired or not paid if they reject abuse and double standards.  Nicola Thorp's question is perfectly valid: Would men be required to work all day wearing shoes that are painful, uncomfortable and (in most workplaces) physically unsafe?  If men aren't required to, why are women required to wear them?

London receptionist 'sent home for not wearing heels'

Temp worker Nicola Thorp, 27, from Hackney, arrived at finance company PwC to be told she had to wear shoes with a "2in to 4in heel".

When she refused and complained male colleagues were not asked to do the same, she was sent home without pay.

Outsourcing firm Portico said Ms Thorp had "signed the appearance guidelines" but it would now review them.

The company is now "reviewing their policy", but only after public shaming and the potential of legal and financial damages.  They certainly aren't changing policy because they view women as human beings.

Some Disagree: Mother's Day isn't for everyone

If you have a great mom and you love her, then call her up and tell her. Make it a great Mother's Day for her and for you.  But remember that not everyone has or had the same life as you.  And they're not wrong for feeling differently about their family or about having one.

For a variety of reasons, all of them valid, some women choose not to have children.  Some are concerned about the planet, and havung just one child will increase the population by about 3-5 by 2050.  Some can't afford to have children and make the sacrifice not to bring up any in poverty, even though they want kids.  Some choose not to have any because they want their personal freedom of not having the responsibilty of raising kids - it is NOT "selfish" to not become pregnant, not selfish to not have kids that don't yet exist.  And there are other equally valid reasons, none of which you or anyone has the right to criticize.

Some women cannot have children due to infertility, genetic conditions they don't want to pass on to kids, among other medically valid reasons.  Women are not "barren" or "failures" for not having any children. You are insulting all women when you say they have no value if they don't have kids, you're no better than the republicans in the US who want to deny women bodily autonomy.  Women are complete human beings without ever having children, contrary to what some people "think".

Some people are lousy human beings, they are physical, emotional and sexual abusers.  Just because a woman gave birth to someone does not mean the person owes her anything.  If you are ignorantly demanding that people "forgive and forget" (or worse, tell the victims to "apologize"), please shut up.

Would you tell a woman to "forgive" an ex-husband or ex-boyfriend who used to beat on her or raped her?  Unless you're a complete pile of garbage (e.g. a republican who believes rape doesn't happen), you wouldn't tell a woman to do that.  So why would you tell people to "forgive" when they suffered a childhood of abusive parents?  Being blood related DOES NOT entitle anyone to anything.  It is not "selfish" to protect oneself by cutting all ties with one's blood relations - note that I don't call them "family", because they aren't family.  You have family by choice, not by force.