“Child abuse and neglect offend the basic values of our state.  We have a responsibility to provide safe settings for at-risk children and facilitate permanent placement for children who cannot return home.” – Matt Blunt

This is a subject that is hard for me to write about but when our congressional leaders use such a sensitive subject for their political agenda it pisses me off.  Larry Nassar is a POS and I hope he rots in hell for his atrocities.  My heart goes out to those individuals who have had their lives devastated by this monster.  I do not mean any disrespect to those victims with my following rant and I hope they understand that.  Let the rant begin.

According to news reports, Senator Dianne Feinstein met with seven victims of Larry Nassar’s abuse.  According to InStyle (February 5, 2018) the senator said it was one of the most emotional and disturbing meetings she ever had.  They spoke for over an hour about what had happened to them and how USA Gymnastics, Michigan State University, and the adults charged with protecting them failed at every turn.

Well the senator promised a bill that would protect them. (Note: sexual abuse of a minor is all ready illegal in this country)  The senator kept her word and a bill was passed.

1.  It addresses the patchwork of state reporting laws, making it mandatory for anyone affiliated with any national governing body or amateur sports organization that crosses state lines to report sexual abuse to local and federal law enforcement or social service agencies (all over worked, understaffed and underpaid) within 24 hours.  This requirement would apply to USA Gymnastics and each of the other 46 national governing bodies that oversee a variety of Olympic sports.  It would also apply to college athletics. (InStyle)                                                                                                          (Wow just wow!  You all are geniuses I tells ya.  You have saved our athletes.  God Bless you!  Got a question for you all though.  How about these children?  What did you do for them?In 2013 one in nine girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 experienced sexual abuse or assault. Eighty percent of the perpetrators were a parent, and 47,000 were men and 5,000 were women.Let me enlighten you with these numbers, according to the National Statistics on Child Abuse, in 2015 an estimated 683,000 children (unique) incidents were victims of abuse and neglect. Nearly 700,000 children are abused in the US annually. Children’s Advocacy Centers served more than 311,000 children around the country in 2015. Two-thirds of children served disclosed sexual abuse (205,438). 
2. Clarifies that victims of child sex crimes can recover from their perpetrators statutory damages of up to $150,000 as well as punitive damaged due to the heinous nature of the rime against them.  It further extends the statute of limitations so it doesn’t begin to run until victims realize they’ve been abused. (InStyle)
3. Reforms the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, which established “national governing bodies”, like USA gymnastics.  Congress chartered all of these entities, but the original law did not specify their obligations to ensure that athletes have protections against child abuse, including sexual abuse.  This bill fixes that.  It requires the newly created U.S. Center for Safe Sport to establish strict policies for preventing abuse and procedures to make sure every governing body would be required to implement policies to make sure minor athletes are not alone with adults.  (InStyle)

“Most children who survive into adulthood always have a lingering question that commonly arises as to why there is very little support for the child abuse survivor.” – Patricia Dsouza, When Roses are Crushed

Well golly gee.  All of you in congress should be proud.  Stand up and take a bow!  NOT!!!!!!!  All you managed to do was add more laws that will do absolutely nothing, nada, zilch, to stop anyone hell bent on doing it anyway.  Murder.  I do believe it is against the law but let me tell you geniuses now (you all really do live in your own little world) that law ain’t slowed nobody down.  You all are good at adding laws that existing laws all ready cover but you refuse to give money and manpower to help fight the fight.

So to all the congressional leaders and President Trump, this my plea to you.  Wake up!  These children need protecting too.  No more laws are needed.  We just need to start enforcing the existing laws and agencies to stop it.  There needs to be more funding and manpower added to all the social worker agencies across the U.S..  They also need to be hooked up with mental health providers so that the mental scars can be addressed.  Sooooo, please put your party differences aside and begin acting like adults and address the non-athletes.  They need you.  Please help them. / Signed Statistic

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