Perspective and Priorities

Today ESPN's award winning "Outside the Lines" documentary series did a piece on swim coaches who sexually abuse their young charges, some victims as young as ten years old.

Before the episode host Bob Ley said, "This report contains material of a sexual nature which some may find disturbing." By the way, I am sure this was worded very carefully by the ESPN legal department and not an off the cuff remark by the host.

I find two things about this statement disturbing:

1. So, what we may find disturbing is the sex but not the assault? I say it is a shame that our culture finds more distress about the sexual aspect of this issue than it does the assault aspect. We have become so dulled to violence that it doesn't even get a mention in the warning. Anyone who wants to comment that it is the whole issue, the full sexual assault issue, not simply the sex that is disturbing then I ask why did the warning only mention the sex and not the assault.


2. We are warned that we may find this disturbing. Shout it from the mountaintops people! In a time and place where sexual assault against youth by people in positions of trust and authority has become everyday, we must be disturbed by this report. I hope everyone who watches this wants to vomit because of the ghastly nature of these crimes.

Our priorities, and those of the ESPN legal department, seem to be more attached to the sexual aspect of the story than the perspective of the assault against young girls, and this needs to stop. Both are horrible, but we seem to have become numbed by the amount of violence we see everyday, it no longer disturbs us, this perspective must change.

Praise needs to go to the young girl in this story, a fifteen year old named Julia, who was able to bring to justice a man who had been assaulting girls for thirty-one years. Julia--you are a brave young woman, God be with you and your family.

Cudos to Bob Ley and the entire "Outside the Lines" staff. This is some of the best documentary and investigative journalism done on television bar none. Please follow this link and watch the report, but beware. The nature of these crimes against women should be disturbing, both for their sexual nature and for the violence against these young girls.