I have seen far too many criticisms of people upset with Judge Aquilina’s treatment of Larry Nassar. Interestingly enough, I have seen far too little praise for the brave women that spoke about Nassar’s abuse.
In a society that supports progressive movements such as “Me Too” and "Time's Up", I think this is an atrocious fact. If society can support red carpet celebrities wearing black, then we should be able to support assault victims in the courtroom.
What was she supposed to do? Coddle him? Should she be kinder or more cordial to an arrogant sexual predator?
It’s mind-boggling that people can say the Judge was too harsh on the now-sentenced child molester. The problem here isn’t the sharpness of the judge's tone, nor the ire in her words, but the fact that scrutinizers believe that this monster of a man deserves more respect.
Although Nassar deserves basic humanity and right to a fair trial, he doesn't deserve kindness. He doesn't deserve to be treated as if he is innocent... as if he is repenting for his sins.
In fact, before his trial, Nassar attempted to silence his victims one last time. He wrote Judge Aquilina a letter that stated that hearing his victim’s statements would not be good for his mental health.
Sorry to break it to you Nassar, but molesting a child who trusted you isn’t good for her mental health either.
This sole act of entitlement shows that Nassar has no remorse for his actions. He expects that he can get away with his actions.
He still believes he will be able to outsmart the music.
As he wept while receiving his sentence, I felt a cool sense of relief. Not because I’m assured that he had learned his lesson, but because he would never be able to breathe another free breath again.
Because with a life sentence and the bravery to speak against this man, every single one of his victims turned into a survivor.
And that’s the real story here.