Maureen Dowd, "The Constant Wife": There's No Mystery

As I noted in an earlier blog entry (http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.co.il/2012/06/maureen-dowd-american-horror-story.html), more than a decade ago, one of my children, then 10-years-old, limped home from school. He explained that two older boys had grabbed him and a friend, and had tried, over the course of an hour, to force them to engage in indecent acts. Fortunately, my son had the good sense and courage to refuse, and he was beaten mercilessly. Later, a third child came forward and said that he had been raped by the same older boys. Although the response of the school was initially sympathetic to the victims, within months a different narrative emerged:

• The attackers are also "our kids"
• It happens all the time
• It was a game
• The victims brought it upon themselves
• The victims are liars

Bottom line: I soon found myself in a lonely war with the teachers, the principal and the school board. Even parents of other children attending the school rallied to the support of the attackers.

In her latest New York Times op-ed, "The Constant Wife" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/20/opinion/dowd-the-constant-wife.html), Maureen Dowd describes the testimony of Dottie Sandusky, the wife of Jerry Sandusky:

"She embodies the grim mystery at the center of 'this drama,' as one of her friends sardonically calls it: How could everyone in the community, including those who seemed to represent the highest ideals, like Dottie Sandusky and Joe Paterno, turn a blind eye to Jerry Sandusky’s aberrant and abhorrent behavior toward vulnerable boys?"

Sorry, Maureen, but there's no mystery here. People see what they want to see. People do what's most comfortable for them. And if you choose to do battle with the system, you are certain to finish the conflict scarred for life.