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AtheistComic t1_j73k3lm wrote

Sport should bring joy and unity, not exploit and enslave the vulnerable in the shadow of its spotlight.

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batpot t1_j73moh2 wrote

It's disturbing how wide spread this is in the sports world. Oregon track US Gymnastics US Snowboarding

The only silver lining to these revelations is it empowers other women athletes to not have to give in to it.

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MapleHamwich t1_j73ts2t wrote

Fucking gross. No respect for the USA Olympics.

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2greenlimes t1_j73vp9b wrote

Replying to batpot (#1,715,840)

Predators will find ways to be predators…

Elite sports involves a lot of kids/teens being alone with their coaches. Even outside of locker rooms, parents just leave their kids to train for 2-3+ hours with no parental supervision. Just kids and coaches - because coaches, especially successful ones, are respected authority figures.

Unfortunately as well SafeSport is very underfunded and underpowered to do shit. In figure skating there’s been several coaches who SafeSport has banned, only for said coaches to sue SafeSport and get a paltry punishment for their crimes - and since SafeSport is the ultimate authority other than the legal system, the sport’s organizing body can do nothing to overturn either one for a harsher sentence.

The thing I am happy about is that this issue is being brought to light and something will be forced to change in the US. I can only imagine what’s happening in places like Russia and China where parents are straight up banned from some training facilities and some underaged athletes live in dorms year round…

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ogo_pogo t1_j73zxrx wrote

How is this not top priority in our government?

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A0ma t1_j748ky1 wrote

Replying to batpot (#1,716,574)

Yeah, Oregon and Nike were slowly killing their female athletes. Combination of overworking and malnutrition so they would look good on Nike ads.

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heyyyng t1_j74d9r2 wrote

Why am I not surprised?

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PM_ME_SCALIE_ART t1_j74jsur wrote

The US government needs to do a deep dive audit of their sports teams. Another one of these situations so soon after the Nassar and US Gymnastics scandal is unacceptable.

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jubbu t1_j74lpeo wrote

Replying to PM_ME_SCALIE_ART (#1,717,412)

>Unlike most other nations, the United States government does not have a Ministry of Sports and does not fund its Olympic Committee.

I just wanted you to know the US government does not oversee the Olympic committee, it's a private business / "charity"

I don't disagree with you that there should be way more investigation into what is essentially becoming a criminal organization of sexual assault.

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tcbysprinkles t1_j74n4jc wrote

Millennials really did grow up in a world where if they were involved in ANY extracurricular activity, there was a high chance of molestation or sex trafficking.

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ManReay t1_j74os2v wrote

Smash the patriarchy

−10

jw8815 t1_j752spx wrote

Where in the article did it mention trafficking? The article mentions sexual Assault, and coercion but I didn't see anything about trafficking.

Edit: Trafficking is using force or coercion to SELL sex. The coach allegedly SAed the victims there was no mention about actual trafficking. Words matter.

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BiffyMcGillicutty1 t1_j752u3y wrote

Replying to tcbysprinkles (#1,717,607)

I was involved in sports, but my terrible creep-tasting experience was with a substitute teacher at my school. He was “friends” with the boys my age and would use them to approach girls. When you’re 12/13, it seems great when the “cool” sub pulls you out of a boring class to just come talk to him during his open period. You know, because “you really get him” and “aren’t like the other girls”, which are direct quotes from him. Turns out he was subbing in middle school after he had been banned from subbing in the high school and junior high for acting inappropriately toward the female students. Good news, though. He went on to become a police office in the neighboring town.

My point is that creeps always find a way and are drawn to situations where they have power over others. I can’t tell you the number of arrests I’ve seen of church youth leaders. Nowhere is safe. You gotta keep your head on a swivel.

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Chitownitl20 t1_j757q7k wrote

Replying to LimerickJim (#1,717,025)

This. Wherever there are people put in positions of trust in a culture based on exploitation put around children there will be predators. Be it business, religions, sports, scouts, government.

The solution is to build a culture against exploitation, but that’s inherently anti-capitalist, so that’s not happening and it’s just a problem we are willing to accept as a community.

−6

Agitated_Accountant6 t1_j75rdsc wrote

Replying to tcbysprinkles (#1,717,607)

I feel like it’s important to mention that this problem seems to be substantially worse in the US than where I’m from. There have been vases of this, but not on this level as far as I know.. And this probably does relate as someone else mentioned to the fact that Team US is basically a business and not a government run organisation.

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AlanFromRochester t1_j75v3ve wrote

Replying to 2greenlimes (#1,716,227)

also, there a lot of people trying to make it, so the talent doesn't have as much leverage plus it can be a judgment call who makes it. perverts could abuse that discretion and pretend the decision was a subjective assessment of talent

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MoJax25 t1_j75vnvw wrote

Replying to 2greenlimes (#1,716,227)

I just spoke about this with my partner earlier today. I wasn’t anywhere near elite level sports but played multiple sports since around 5 years old until graduating college, and we were often alone with grown men on the coaching staff in locker rooms, during practices or waiting for our parents to pick us up after practice, conditioning, games, PT and very often for away summer sports tournaments with the teams.

My parents were super supportive and one of them was pretty much always able to come to 99% of my games, I never had to wait for hours and hours to get picked up and I was still alone with several different male coaches fairly often. Thankfully, my coaches weren’t creeps and never tried anything but now that I’m an adult, I see how “easy” (and I hate that this is best word I could of) it would’ve been for a coach to be completely inappropriate, predatory and take advantage of the power dynamic.

Glad that the victims are able to speak out and hopefully get justice.

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Ok-Ease7090 t1_j762ri7 wrote

I mean, if you can’t trust young, male, adrenaline junkies to behave themselves who can you trust?

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NotLucasDavenport t1_j766mpo wrote

Replying to SexMusical (#1,719,977)

It’s a common misconception that trafficking has to do with movement. It’s one part of one kind of trafficking but not the only thing. Per the official government website:

Neither U.S. law nor international law requires that a trafficker or victim move across a border for a human trafficking offense to take place.  Trafficking in persons is a crime of exploitation and coercion, and not movement.  Traffickers can use schemes that take victims hundreds of miles away from their homes or exploit them in the same neighborhoods where they were born.

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djpresstone t1_j76c934 wrote

Replying to NotLucasDavenport (#1,720,209)

From childwelfare.gov:

> [Trafficking is] the exploitation of people through force, coercion, threat, and deception and includes human rights abuses such as debt bondage, deprivation of liberty, and lack of control over freedom and labor

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Madler t1_j76gq5m wrote

I was sexually assaulted/r word by an ex Olympian in the snowboard industry, and it was insane to watch the small amount of people who I’d tell just try and brush it off, because the guy “is just a really great guy and has done a lot for snowboarding…”

Snowboarding can be so predatory, and I was on the design side. It wasn’t hard to be completely spat out of that industry that I’ve never been able to go back to design.

No bueno.

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gonewild9676 t1_j76k64u wrote

Replying to lifeofideas (#1,719,501)

There's lots of traveling involved going to meets plus they are together a lot. There's also a power dynamic where the coach is highly respected and there's a line of athletes waiting to use their services and if you don't do everything they say then you'll be replaced.

Plus there's a lot of grooming involved and they start slowly to make it seem normal and then cross boundaries. At that point the athlete assumes that if they complain that they won't be taken seriously and it will be the end of their careers.

It's similar with modeling. It might start with modeling jeans. Then they are told they can make more money modeling swim suits. Then underwear. Then model these panties but cover your breasts with your arms. Now just your hands, and it devolves from there. Then once they have topless pictures they threaten revenge porn and they are trapped.

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Convergecult15 t1_j76pi4i wrote

Replying to h0twired (#1,720,934)

The problem isn’t any specific group or activity, predators are everywhere. Any high level competitive industry that children are in will constantly remind children that there are a dozen kids waiting to take their spot. Acting, sports, private schools, anything that separates children from peers through effort. You need to raise your kids to be confident when dealing with adults, and provide them with the security and support they need at home. Children have no frame of reference for normal adult interactions in these settings, they question and convince themselves that whatever’s happening is normal for what they’re doing because it’s happening to their peers in these environments as well. Be the driving force behind your child’s confidence in addition to their passions, let them know they can talk to you, ask them questions. If your kid is ever an adult outside your presence ask about what happened in an interested way, coach them on how to handle interactions after the fact. “Oh coach just wanted to talk about my form in competition” ok what did he say and how did you respond? “Oh that’s a great way of handling that, you can also try saying xyz next time” normalize them telling you about private conversations with adults so that they’re comfortable coming to you about those moments, don’t interrogate or pry, but make it natural for them to tell you what is said and done to them by others. You can’t protect them at all times, but you need them to trust and be forthright with you.

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Convergecult15 t1_j76pvow wrote

Replying to canttouchmypingas (#1,720,415)

The thing is private companies can’t manage anything either. Efficiency in private industry is a myth of management. Private industry appears more effective because it’s opaque, government record keeping is what informs us of the waste.

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blacklab t1_j76qzwq wrote

Oregon track? Wtf is that all about? Remove it

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greenweezyi t1_j76r1jn wrote

Replying to MoJax25 (#1,719,809)

For real though. I played on the boys golf team in high school and loved every competitive second of it. The teammates and coach all “protected” me in case someone tried picking on me. I was extremely fortunate.

But looking back, my mom essentially sent me into the woods with boys. It could’ve gone very wrong but luckily it was a great time

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Valzar1954 t1_j76syyp wrote

I struggle with these crafted accusations. I believe that the coach inappropriately attempted to establish a relationship with an athlete who was not a minor. Bad if proven and he should be chucked from the sport. It won’t pass muster even in the most left leaning criminal court.

The reset of the accusations like the trafficking and accusation of Sexual Assault by some European coach years ago sounds like the type of offences a lawyer would propose hoping that one of them would stick.

−4

-Khlerik- t1_j76z0nl wrote

Excellent addition to the conversation

−1

kubotalover t1_j778i3b wrote

Where were the parents of these kids. No way am I letting my 15 year old wonder the world alone with 40 yr old dudes

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marigolds6 t1_j77fsj9 wrote

Replying to kubotalover (#1,722,243)

Most federations won’t pay for parents to travel with athletes. If they can’t afford it, then that puts them in the position of denying their kids the opportunities to compete internationally or else letting their children travel in their own.

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Chitownitl20 t1_j77fwqq wrote

Replying to PM_ur_Rump (#1,721,914)

The foundation of capitalism is exploitation. If you don’t understand that you don’t know what capitalism is. Which most Americans don’t know what capitalism is, so that’s just normal.

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Hipsthrough100 t1_j77hjdv wrote

Replying to batpot (#1,715,840)

I have read this story but immediately think how insane it is that the US has, what will like become, the unbeatable winningest snowboarder of all time in Chloe Kim but she has to dodge so much bullshit.

With Trump as president and all his “China Flu” bs, Kim was delivered so much hate with rocket fuel behind it. To think she this close to this as well and is easily the best female snowboarder on the planet, man. There’s countries that couldn’t offer any snowboarder that is better.

I’m Canadian so Mark McMorris is my man but he doesn’t have many years left so I know Chloe Kim will be 10-20 wins over his head by the time she is done. The USA has this massive talent but half the country hates her for not being white and she has to dodge sexual predators. Fk

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PM_ur_Rump t1_j77idzk wrote

Replying to Chitownitl20 (#1,722,628)

I'd say it's more that many humans are exploitive and have found ways to use capitalism to exploit people, just as happens under every system. It's not an necessary part of capitalism. In theory, everyone works and adds to the economy what they can and receives from it in kind. But the world is not perfect, and people love to exploit whatever they can.

I'm personally a communist in theory, but a realist in practice, and see that communism is just as much or more prone to exploitation in practice. It's basically the same idea of "everyone works, everyone thrives" but with a community centered thought process instead of a self centered one.

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TheBaltimoron t1_j77mzqx wrote

Are grown women ever responsible for the decisions they make?

−5

ItsAlwaysSmokyInReno t1_j77n1ca wrote

Replying to Chitownitl20 (#1,722,628)

I mean it’s ironic when you clearly don’t know what capitalism is. Capitalism has its faults, just like communism…

But what you’re describing is the economic system of mercantilism and colonialism. Which Americans don’t realize for some reason capitalism replaced in the 19th century

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Chitownitl20 t1_j77nrxr wrote

Replying to ItsAlwaysSmokyInReno (#1,723,064)

Communism is a theoretical concept of what comes after socialism. Nobody knows exactly what that looks like but we have a general idea of what it can look like.

We know exactly what capitalism is because it’s the current system.

Mercantilism is late stage feudalism. As fascism is late stage capitalism.

You 100% don’t know what capitalism. You can’t have capitalism without exploitation. It simply doesn’t work without exploitation. Not all socioeconomic political systems require exploitation.

−6

ItsAlwaysSmokyInReno t1_j77oo9t wrote

Replying to Chitownitl20 (#1,723,097)

That’s just wrong at a basic level. Have you ever taken a course on macroeconomics?

Socialism is a vague term that has no meaning and everyone applies it to what they want. Communists all called their countries socialist, and you’re naive as fuck if you think communism hasn’t been tried

capitalism, real capitalism in the vein of Adam Smith; is anti-exploitative and urges equality of opportunity. Like he said “the measure of a society’s wealth isn’t the gold in a kings vault but the prosperity and well being of its people”

Communism, like fascism, is inherently authoritarian by nature.

Anyone advocating to replace our failed economic system with an even worse one is naive at best and an arrogant idiot at worst.

Social democracy is the way to go. Capitalist free markets with socialist government services. But you’ll probably make a comment all the lines of “that’s why we call you a succ dem hehe” right?

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Chitownitl20 t1_j77q8ni wrote

Replying to Kill_Frosty (#1,723,195)

Exploitation requires imbalance of power. Because we don’t recognize personal property and we have a capitalist legal system, most public property and 100% of personal property is legally categorized as private property.

All property is categorized into private or public property in capitalist legal system. We don’t recognize personal property rights, you go to work at a public company you don’t automatically have equal rights with every worker there over the profits of your labor. The capitalist has legal rights over that.

So you have to use your labor to profit, to be exploited, while the capitalist doesn’t have to work a day in his life gets to hire someone to negotiate against you from a position of privileged ownership under threat of starvation.

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rytram99 t1_j77qqw8 wrote

This is why the internet is toxic. We should reserve judgment for when the fact-finding is done and a proper investigation has been completed.

At this point, they are just allegations. Justice is not judging or condemning someone before their guilt can be proven. This is why we have law, to prevent mob rule where the only thing necessary is an allegation that stirs the emotions of the masses. In this age, anyone can say anything and they can even get friends to support those claims. It happens all the time, even at the very top. in fact, it is one of the strongest political tactics that is often used to remove troublesome people from the equation. Because it requires no proof, once the allegations are made the damage is already done.

I am not saying he didn't do it, and I am certainly not saying he did. I am saying we need to leave the judgment to the law. then we can make our judgments when it is done.

−1

Kill_Frosty t1_j77qv45 wrote

Replying to Chitownitl20 (#1,723,247)

Why are you repeating this over and over? Yes I know the system is fucked up if you aren’t at the top.

My point however is that this problem exists regardless of system. The assertion that us growing up in this system leads to sexual abuse is asinine and stupid af. This is of course because this has happened in every form of society and government ever. Why? Because humans will ALWAYS form power groups, always.

Edit: OP is a libertarian. All makes sense

0

rytram99 t1_j77ri8o wrote

Replying to claito_nord (#1,720,031)

Nothing i have read actually substantiates this accusation other than they were abused in multiple locations such as at events. they weren't traded around and sold for sex or anything like that. so i would conclude that Trafficking is just for impact to stir people up more.

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ItsAlwaysSmokyInReno t1_j77sll4 wrote

Replying to Chitownitl20 (#1,723,312)

Yup we’ve never had capitalism or communism in their purest ideological forms. Because that’s how reality works, you have to account for good and bad actors existing and create a system that promotes transparency and democracy. Extremist left and right economic systems both discourage that form of political system

Both sides of you extremists, communists on the left and fascists on the right, are equally as misinformed, destructive, and arrogant in your ignorance.

On the right the fascists have become mainstream so they’re the concerning priority. But all these kids post-2016 who have graduated shitty high schools thinking they should be communist and never being able to afford college education to learn better (thanks to Republicans) like you is a real concern for the future

Try to actually state your economic plans, instead of just making substance less snarky quips. It’s high school behavior and it’s time to grow up

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Chitownitl20 t1_j77u9zx wrote

Replying to Kill_Frosty (#1,723,280)

I’m a social democrat, which is a traditional leftwing libertarian.

Human nature is to defy our natural instinctual thoughts and instead use logical reasoning. It’s what separates us from animals.

Exploitation is naturally animal instinct. It requires power imbalances.

It’s a wild state. We are not doomed to it.

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Arntor1184 t1_j77x3rf wrote

Replying to 2greenlimes (#1,716,227)

Any time you have dedicated and passionate people so close to their dreams it’s also easy to leverage them. It’s why you see this so much in high end corporate gigs, schools, and video gaming as well as sports. If you take someone to an inch of their goal then say “well idk, maybe I need something out of this” you have a ton of leverage to facilitate abuse.

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Capital-Timely t1_j77xpkd wrote

Replying to jw8815 (#1,718,481)

Definition of trafficking isn’t just about selling sex or movement, it’s about controlling and exploiting someone for sex something of value, in this case I’m guessing it’s the Ir status in the olympics.

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michaelkbecker t1_j781wxw wrote

Serious question please don’t down vote kill me. When these crimes happened so long ago how are they proven? What I mean is the accused in the article now have their names and reputations ruined despite what evidence there is. How are these situations handled?

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ItsAlwaysSmokyInReno t1_j786x4y wrote

Replying to Chitownitl20 (#1,723,531)

When you’re trying to win other readers over to your ideology, it’s a debate

Idgaf what you think, I give a fuck what ideas the readers of this convo come away from it with. And it seems I’ve succeeding in stopping your ignorance from spreading any further today

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ItsAlwaysSmokyInReno t1_j7876do wrote

Replying to Chitownitl20 (#1,723,461)

It’s funny how I know you’re lying, since I attended a top-10 ranked public school and only learned the very surface-level definitions that can easily be confused like you guys have then.

It wasn’t until college, and not just college but college focused on macroeconomic systems, that I learned what I just shared with you.

Take a class, it might help you understand better than I can

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ItsAlwaysSmokyInReno t1_j78yzaq wrote

Replying to Chitownitl20 (#1,724,631)

You’re failing to use reading comprehension to actually read my comment properly. That’s how I know you’re education failed you at every level. But let me break down what just happened for you

-you claimed that my detailed comment was only “what you’d learn in high school”

-I explained that in one of americas best high schools, you don’t learn all that, you learn a very surface level definition of all these things. Thus I know you’re lying when you say your high school in America taught you any of that

-I then explained that I learned this while getting my degree in college

-you somehow got confused and keep falling back on “yOuRe BrAgGiNg AbOuT a HiGh ScHoOl!” And still not comprehending what was actually said to you

Unless you happened to go to one of 8 specific schools in this country, you did not learn any of that in high school, and you talking out of your ass when you say “ThAtS hIgH sChOoL lEvEl StUfF!”

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Chitownitl20 t1_j78znoh wrote

Replying to ItsAlwaysSmokyInReno (#1,725,371)

No I’m not saying you learned anything in high school. Your ignorance is reminiscent of high school level ignorance. It would make sense that you’re about to go To this top 8 school.

And you should be proud of getting in! Good for you! It’s worth celebrating!

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