By Justin Spiro
spirojus@GMail.com
January 31, 2016
A candidate for President is on the verge of the GOP nomination based entirely on a platform of “Political correctness sucks and everyone but me also sucks.” I find myself in a weird place, a fierce social liberal simultaneously exhausted by the tireless efforts of misguided social justice warriors enforcing their idea of what is offensive. People need to stop being so offended by everything, especially when the object of their ire is limited to the written or spoken word.
But boy, did Mitch Albom ever make an ass out of himself today.
This morning, Albom made his regular appearance on The Sports Reporters, a longstanding Sunday program on ESPN. The panel’s conversation turned to the $950,000 financial settlement between Florida State University and a former student who sued the school after alleging rape against former FSU quarterback Jameis Winston. Albom took this opportunity to impart guidance on the alleged rape victim.
“I’d feel a lot happier about this if the woman took that money and gave it to charity and said ‘(money) is not what this was about,
“I always am suspect when people end up saying ‘well, I’m going to take (the money.)”
In a clip lasting mere seconds, it is impressive how idiotic Albom manages to be. Let’s break this very short quote down into sections.
“I’d feel a lot happier about this if…”
Stop right there. Why does Mitch Albom need to feel happy about anything? He is discussing a financial settlement between a university and a former student who alleged, with pretty convincing evidence I’d argue, that she was raped. How condescending is Albom to think the issue has anything to do with how happy the result makes him? A $950,000 settlement for a school with an endowment pushing $700 million is like an average Joe getting a parking ticket in Birmingham because they parked illegally in front of Bella Piatti. Is Albom that rattled by this outcome?
“…took that money and gave it to charity and said (money) is not what this was about”
Albom is giving financial advice to an alleged victim of rape. This woman’s life was torn apart in every practical sense, and the extent of her psychological trauma is immeasurable. I encourage others to look at the facts of this situation, as I am not going to re-hash all of the reasons I find her story credible. That has been done elsewhere. But whether she was a victim of rape or not, there is certainly sufficient cause to believe her.
(And who is “Condescending Baggins” to tell ANYONE else how to spend their money? This is a guy with homes in multiple states including one on the ocean in Malibu, California. The nerve ….)
If my daughter had to leave the school she grew up loving because the institution was trying to cover for her rapist, I am sure I’d want more than $950,000 on sheer principle. Instead of it going to charity, perhaps this poor woman can put that money toward receiving an education that Florida State made it impossible for her to gain in Tallahassee. Or maybe it can buy a really good shrink to help her cope with the trauma of being RAPED.
Frankly, what she does with the money is not my business. And it is certainly no business of Mitch Albom’s.
If she wants to spend the money on True Religion jeans, Cartier sunglasses and David Yurman jewelry it’s NONE OF OUR DAMN BUSINESS.
Does Albom think all successful litigants should donate their money (less attorney fees) to charity or is this just limited to potential victims of sexual assault?
Although, perhaps Albom is angling to have the alleged victim donate her $950,000 to his charity work. We all know his kindness can be bought. (Matthew Stafford, anyone?)
“I always am suspect when people end up saying ‘well, I’m going to take (the money.)”
And we’ve hit rock bottom. Albom is saying here that any victim of a crime receiving financial restitution must donate the funds to charity, or they are not believable. There is simply no other way to interpret that sentence.
If I am driving down Woodward and a drunk driver plows into my car, confining me to a wheelchair for life, do I have to donate the financial settlement I receive to Mothers Against Drunk Driving? And if I don’t, does Albom believe I wasn’t really in a car accident?
I was stunned when I heard that Josh Mansour, a colleague of Albom’s at the Detroit Free Press, was publicly going after his employer’s top gun.
Mitch Albom just had the gall on ESPN to tell Jameis Winston’s sexual assault victim how to spend her settlement money. Remarkable.
— Josh Mansour (@joshmansour) January 31, 2016
Albom said if Jameis Winston’s victim didnt give the money to charity, he’d be skeptical. This woman’s had to deal with skepticism for years
— Josh Mansour (@joshmansour) January 31, 2016
When a victim receives a settlement for sex assault it should be ok to do whatever they want with it. Don’t take women’s choice away again.
— Josh Mansour (@joshmansour) January 31, 2016
Winston’s accuser couldn’t get a fair investigation, was dragged through the mud, threatened, gets a settlement, but better use it your way?
— Josh Mansour (@joshmansour) January 31, 2016
The fact we constantly need to remind people to talk about sexual assault victims with sensitivity is one reason many don’t come forward.
— Josh Mansour (@joshmansour) January 31, 2016
I might have to withdraw my criticism of Mansour for his silence on the Drew Sharp saga. Clearly this maverick has no qualms about going after the big boys at his own newspaper.
I am all for a tempering of political correctness, but the line is drawn when you start telling alleged rape victims how to spend their settlements. This is especially true when you suggest any alleged victims failing to donate their settlements to charity are probably lying.
Although this shameful performance appeared on ESPN’s turf, you have to wonder again what is going on at the Freep. Their two top dogs are Mitch Albom and Drew Sharp.
Might be time to get off that high horse with the Rick Snyder investigation.