User blog:UnderAPineapple/Power, Priviledge, and Justice

So, I just recovered from having the flu this weekend. Expect Johor's first episode to be complete this weekend or so. I've spent my time, like some others out there, viewing the testimony of some of the women who were sexually abused by former doctor and frontrunner for the "Most Hated Man in America" award for 2018, Larry Nassar. I'm not talking about that right now. I want to talk about something I saw hours ago and what really bothers me about this. This is of former Glee star and convicted sex offender, Mark Salling.

If you haven't heard of him, I'll give you a brief description of him. Mark Salling was an actor on a television show called Glee (also known as my sister's favorite show). He played a character named Noah "Puck" Puckerman; there's not much else I know about him being a part of the show aside from him having some stupid Mohawk and being an apparent "heartthrob" to a lot of teenage girls (not much of an accomplishment). In 2015, a few months after Glee was cancelled, the FBI raided Mark's house and found thousands of child pornographic material on his computers, phones, etc. Needless to say, they cuffed him and charged him with possessing illegal material. I believe the FBI was notified when this coward decided to show his girlfriend pictures on his phone, and his then-girlfriend notified authorities. At the time, he was also facing a sexual assault charge from a previous girlfriend who says Mark raped her in January 2013. A year went by (technically two), and then Mark plead guilty to possession of child porn. He was expected to serve between four to seven years behind bars (he avoided 20-40 years due to the guilty plea), but nine hours ago, Mark killed himself. His sentence was to be handed down in March. So this shithead never served one day of his sentence.

Reactions to the news breaking out have been mixed. Some celebrate him committing suicide because he's a child predator, whilst some bombard social media with "RIP Mark Salling" and "so sad to hear about this" - basically sympathizing with Mark Salling. I don't like either argument for the most part. I can partially understand why people are happy he's dead, being that he is a scumbag and that he won't be able to do anything to another child again, but I don't believe in celebrating his death. After all, he avoided prison time and took the easy way out, which makes him more of a coward. That being said however, I CANNOT  understand why so many people are sorry for this bastard.

Let me give you a quick rundown on what I've learned from this. Mark Salling was found to have possessed images and videos of children as young as 2 being physically and sexually abused. It was also said that he paid for some of these abusive images, promoting child abuse and child neglect (credit to Crime Watch Daily). This isn't a matter of him claiming he's innocent, he PLEAD GUILTY! And despite all of this, along with the fact that he killed himself before he was to be sentenced, you want to put on Twitter and on other social media platforms, "#RipMark" or "So sorry, my fellow gleeks, rest in peace Mark", and basically defend a pedophile?! You gotta be fucking kidding me.

Don't get me misunderstood here, I genuinely feel sorry for his family. I'm sure his parents, grandparents, cousins, siblings, etc. are grieving over the loss of their son/grandson/brother/cousin just like if he was a normal person. I can even understand (in some cases) best friends mourning the loss of people like Mark. But I cannot possibly understand the reason why so many people (strangers for that matter), are sympathizing with him and wanting him to "rest easy".

Some of the most ridiculous Twitter posts about this situation:

"I love how everyone is focusing on the end of his life & the chargers (*charges) he was facing, forgetting the fact that he was a talented actor & an amazing singer. I only saw him on Glee & that's how I'll remember him. My heart is broken. #RipMark"

Just because someone was a good actor and singer, doesn't mean they are a good person. Keep in mind that Mark plead guilty to this. He admitted to doing all of the disgusting shit he's done. There's no coercion into this, and that is proven. Nobody would ruin their reputation and lie about committing a crime they never actually committed when the crime is as serious as possessing child porn. In addition, wasn't Larry Nassar respected in his occupational field as well? Just because he was a medical professional (key word: was), doesn't mean he is a good person. Similar to Mark Salling, Larry plead guilty to crimes against children, and there is no bouncing back from that. Of course we're focusing on the charges against him because they matter more than some stupid-ass television show aimed at teenagers. A child's life is more important than supporting a convicted sex offender, and it matters more, at least to me, to make sure that children aren't abused as preferred to some sex offender having his reputation destroyed.

"Mark has never touch (*touched) one single child. Yes, he was a pedophile, but he was more than that. He was a friend to others, a child from parents... he was loved as Noah Puckerman. Respect those who feel sad about his dead (*death). He didn't deserve to die but help..."

I personally don't give a shit if he didn't touch a child or not. He is a pedophile - he's someone who has preyed upon children and there is no way I, or anyone else should respect that. I respect his family and his friends, and I pray for them, but I do not pray for Mark. I hope he rots in hell, and really hope whoever wrote this comment, can grow up and gain the wisdom he/she so desperately needs. If you abuse or promote the abuse of a child, I will never forgive you.

"I'm so sorry for Mark Salling. I'm sorry for the ones saying that he was a pedophile when that's a serious mental illness, and he admitted his guilt and asked for help with the terrible actions he took (*committed) and that probably let him to suicide. Pls (*Please) think before you speak."

How about think before you browse? He IS a pedophile, and for the record, there is no possibility, in my mind at least, that you can cure a pedophile. I'm usually a supportive person. I couldn't care less about your race, gender, identity, sexual orientation because none of those things define who you are. But if you are a convicted child predator (and he is by definition), that sticks with you, and there's no forgiveness from me or the majority of other people if you abuse someone defenseless. It shows the adjectives and adverbs that define you: cowardly, dangerous, and disgusting. I would also like to know when he "asked for help", because I'm sure it wasn't before he was arrested. I'm sure he only "asked for help" as a way to avoid getting his ass beaten in jail.

"Mark Salling was a man with many demons. He made mistakes that can never be made up for. But that does not mean rejoicing in his death. His character and life touched many, including me, more positive than negative. I'm sorry this was his only way of feeling peace."

Of course. Let's totally disregard the fact that Mark committed suicide next to a Little League field, where a child could've easily found his dead body (bet you didn't know that, did ya?), to avoid prison time for possessing tens of thousands of images of children. You're going to say that he is someone who impacted you in a positive way? He is a convicted predator who was happy with watching children be abused by even worse adults. If this is what children look up to nowadays, I am ashamed to be a part of the human race.

All in all, Suicide is horrible and I do not celebrate the suicide of Mark Salling, no matter how much I hate him. But in the same breath, he is a grown man, and he is a coward. Child abuse is an epidemic that continues to spread not only in the United States, but internationally. It cripples the confidence of many beautiful and innocent children who have the burden of knowing that they were taken advantage of by people who used them for their own gratification, and it often leads to the children committing suicide. I'm sending my thoughts to anyone who Mark preyed upon online, and I hope that this is the year that victims/survivors get a voice. As for Mark Salling, I hope he burns in hell.