Message to "Gym" Jordan Who Allegedly Enabled Sexual Molestation: Lt. Col. Vindman, Who You Dishonored, Would Have Protected Your (More Than 175) Wrestlers From Being Abused
November 24, 2019
Congressman “Gym” Jordan (R-OH), one of the lead enforcers for the Trump mob. (Gage Skidmore)
By SemDem
Convicted child sex abuser Jerry Sandusky recently sought a lighter prison sentence for his 45-count conviction in 2012. The former Penn State assistant football coach still vehemently declares his innocence to the increasingly-limited number of people who will listen, but while a new trial was denied by a state court, this challenge was allowed, based on changes in sentencing minimums. Unfortunately for Sandusky, and only Sandusky, he was resentenced to the exact same 30-60 year prison term; at 75, with a minimum of 23 years to go, that’s an effective life sentence.
We accept no advertising and are only responsible to our readers.
Maybe Sandusky figured that, with Donald Trump in the Oval Office and Ohio’s Jim Jordan in the House, sexual abuse has been given a pass. Heck, maybe he even thought he could run for Senate and get Trump’s endorsement?
Thankfully, that was not the case. Sandusky walked away in disgrace—and in handcuffs—and hopefully that’s the last we’ll hear of him.
This is not a story about Jerry Sandusky, though watching him on the news really drove home for me how far the GOP has fallen. The Republican Party has become so bereft of morals that they’ve decided to feature a man like Rep. Jordan front and center on their impeachment defense. A former wrestling coach at Ohio State, Jordan is alleged to have allowed 177 student athletes to be violated by now-disgraced school doctor, Richard Strauss. The doctor drugged and raped students, including several underage boys who participated at events on OSU’s campus. One boy was allegedly threatened with a scalpel during the rape. Another time, a professional referee—an adult man—complained that Strauss masturbated in front of him while showering. The referee claims that Jordan replied ”Yeah, that’s Strauss.”
In fact, all reports indicate that chipper response was Jordan’s M.O. for his entire time at Ohio State. Students would complain, and he’d ignore them. Strauss was never reported, fired, or even moved to a position where he’d deal with older patients. He just continued raping the students, and those students allege that Jordan just kept on betraying them. To me, Jordan isn’t just a jacket less ranting lunatic who screams nonsense at witnesses. To me, Jordan is a monster.
Which is why I was so livid this past week when the Ohio Congressman had the utter audacity to attack Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a decorated Army veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart after an IED attack in Iraq. (Unlike certain people, Vindman actually earned his.) LTC Vindman has dedicated his life to this country, and he has stepped forward to risk his career, and now he, and others, see their lives threatened—all to speak out against the crimes that Rudy Guiliani and Trump were committing. Vindman is the definition of a patriot.
Yet Jordan actually had the chutzpah to criticize Vindman for failing to alert the authorities in the “proper” manner. Then he criticized Vindman’s character and judgment. What the hell? It is long past time for people to start putting Jordan in his place. I never wanted to be in a witness chair so badly. I would have politely asked, “Do you really think that you are the person to be asking me this?”
Vindman, of course, made quick work of Jordan, and his performance evaluation move was brilliant. Yet I wonder why this had to be a thing at all. Why isn’t every Democrat and witness not calling Jordan out for being an alleged enabler of a sexual predator? LTC Vindman has already thrown himself in harm’s way for this nation, and if those poor young men in Ohio had confided in someone like him instead of allegedly to Jordan, Vindman would have acted. That’s what adults are supposed to do. The bare minimum, even for a sniveling coward like Jordan, is to bring such allegations to someone less cowardly ... so that they can take action.
Yet Jordan didn’t do that. In fact, he is not only exactly who Republicans want representing them, but is a perfect representation of all of them. Jordan is doing what he’s done his whole life: ignore, and even defend, blatant wrongdoing to help out very bad people whom he’s personally close to.
Witnesses getting attacked shouldn’t think it at all improper to call him out. It’s the GOP’s fault for putting him on the House Intelligence Committee, which he has no business being on. The GOP doesn’t seem to think sexually abusing children is a very big deal. Jordan isn’t even the first wrestling coach turned Republican congressman to be caught up in such a scandal.
Jordan, of course, rules over a comically gerrymandered, 14-county district known as “the Duck.” The Duck skews +14 for the Republicans, but Jordan’s getting hit from all sides. A PAC launched solely to recruit an opponent able to defeat him, and there is a viable challenge in the Ohio courts to fix the gerrymandered districts before the 2020 election. Next, former chair of the Shelby County GOP Chris Gibbs recently announced that he's considering a run as an independent in response to his farm being destroyed by Trump’s trade wars. Multiple Democrats are also vying for the opportunity to replace Jordan.
People in this convoluted district are conservative, but many feel they can be better served by someone who doesn’t have Jordan’s despicable background, nor mimic his buffoonery. If a strong Democrat wins the primary, they could have a real shot—not only would the vote be split with independent voters, but the GOP’s gerrymandered districts, even if they’re allowed to stand through 2020, aren’t working as well as planned. The GOP purposefully carved themselves out the suburbs, but those voters have been leaving the GOP in droves … in no small part because of behavior from Trump and people like Jordan.
No matter your political affiliation, no one wants to be represented by someone who alledgedly stood by and allowed students in his charge to be sexually assaulted. Standing up for young people isn’t just the bare minimum for a politician, but for a human being.
Continue the conversation at the BuzzFlash Nation group on Facebook.
Posted with permission