For nearly 40 years, Scott Cross hid from everybody what he called his “darkest secret.” And in a federal courtroom, the 53-year-old revealed it to the world.
“Coach Hastert sexually abused me in 1979, my senior year in high school,” Cross said at former House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s Wednesday sentencing hearing on bank fraud charges. Full Article
Yes, let’s make it that much easier to bring up charges on someone for something that MAY have happened. After all the proof is gone, let’s just be able to say, “you know what, I just remembered my English teacher sexually abused me when I had to stay after school. I’m not sure of the time frame, but it was sometime between 2001 – 2003”
Here we go again..gee whiz, what took them so long? But we have the SCOTUS Stogner decision, which this article conveniently forgets.
Idiots… They’re Idiots. What part of hush money hastert paid for silence…They’re Idiots.
What those Idiots should “call for” is to make it a felony crime to accept a bribe hush money for silence.
…….oh wait…you mean someone can face charges accepting a bribe hush money.
….call for burgers..call for pizza..call for peace…
Just stop calling for Idiot laws.
Let me take a fairly contrarian position on this…and everyone here can feel free to harshly criticize what I am about to say…in fact, I would appreciate criticism in that I am afraid to say this in a more general forum without being behind a fairly well constructed firewall…the comments below the linked article demonstrate why I feel this way.
Three caveats; 1) I can be entirely wrong in what I am about to say, and tell me so if I am and 2) I probably have a vested interest in this argument being good and 3) times change, I could be right as to 10 or 20 years ago, but not today.
In defense of Dennis Hastert:
This Victim (?) was apparently 17 years old at the time, and the extent of the sexual contact was…he shorts were pulled down and it seems he was only fondled for a moment or two before dashing off…(at least this is what he told the court)
Where’s the Trauma in this? I am not saying that the behavior of Mr. Hastert was acceptable…or that it should not be punished.
c
But we are talking about a high school senior, on a wrestling team…strong enough and old enough…
And to this incident you dedicate your whole life to revolve around?
Now, I am an older guy, but were we just more hardy then? More capable of putting things in their proper perspective? This just seems so…weak willed, so….silly to me that I want to ask this “Victim,” what in the hell is wrong with him?
What has led him to embrace so feverishly this victim-hood…to marry himself to such an insignificant event, to carry this weight like a dark lover for 30 plus years….to me beggars belief and we, as a society, do ourselves a real disservice to reward such wounded silliness.
I suppose if he were younger, much younger…I might get it. However, this self-labeling of oneself as a victim…is harmful to the person doing this self-labeling, though in truth, this labeling of the person is in fact offered as a prize by our society.
You carry these bricks because you want to…your freely chosen burden…
What Hastert did was wrong, marginally, but what society did to this young man Scott Cross that compels himself now to come forward, (and I’m not saying he shouldn’t come forward, let me be clear on this), and present this as ruining his life is…false and sophistry at its worst.
In my opinion.
Much of what we are seeing is that this is just a 1st world problem…largely free of the real trauma that most of the world must cope with.
Again, I am not being an apologist…I just think the perspective on many of these cases is wrong on the individual as well as a societal level.
Best Wishes, James
Let me amend my essay above a little….If this event did in fact ruin Scott Cross’s life…then this ruined life is on him…and society should censure him for being such a foolish traveler on this road of life.
He has every right to be a witness against Mr. Hastert…and to request that he be punished…as he will be.
But to whine and say this ruined his life…No Sir, buddy, you ruined your own life.
(I might add that for some of us this excuse would be good…sadly, society truly is trying to actively ruin our lives)
Best Wishes, James
I signed up for the army at 17. I was only a child, but I was put in a room alone with an important man who fondled me and made me ‘duck walk ‘ around the room in my underwear. several years later, the same thing happened, but this time, this other man penetrated me with his finger. Rape culture? No, they were doctors giving me physicals. I never thought that I should have interpreted these as opportunities to claim my life was ruined and claim victimhood forever. Is it the action that defines the deed or the feelings carried? Society says this is fine though…makes me wonder what is more traumatic though: statutory rape or being forced to have a rape kit done…
Scott Cross…some survive and some don’t and it is a matter of choice. Mr. Cross has chosen to blame his faults and inability to cope with everyday life on an event from his past. He has become a celebrity/poster child and may end up having a new law named after him, a man physically but a child victim psychologically. That child victim mentality of his qualified a new law, because we have to save the children, no matter how long ago it happened. I wish I was weak enough to blame my choices on some event from my past, and perhaps I could get a ridiculous law named after me too. Judgmental and harsh? You bet I am.
I feel you brother, but I am sure he’s being directed by a greasy lawyer to play the victim to the 10th degree, and then sue the hell out of Mr Hestert. It’s always about money we are a society full of godless, creeding sociapaths. They don’t give a fu!×# about children or someone’s metal heath, its just free press, dollar signs and feel like they’re superior is what motives this pandering poticians… traumtize for life my ass..
(what Hestert did was wrong that goes without saying as the cycle needs to stop) to take a postive it just refirms what everyone already knows, poticians are selfserve, Lieing, predators of the lowest form and the corporate media needs to be exposed for supporting these scum Baggs. The end of the Republic is near. I can’t wait
Dennis Hastert’s federal prison sentence ends, but lawsuits still loom
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-dennis-hastert-parole-met-20170817-story.html