We can't stop at conviction of Nasser

Two years ago, the young women of the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team won our hearts with their grace and athleticism. Since then we have heard of the unspeakable horrors these young women were put through by people in positions of trust and authority. Since then, our admiration for them has grown.

While we are all relieved to see Dr. Boshra Nasser receive a deserved sentence for his crimes, questions remain that cry out for answers. Notably, how did Dr. Nasser perpetrate these crimes for so long without being brought to justice? Who else knew these horrendous crimes were being perpetrated? How could those in authority turn a blind eye to this? And most importantly, what do we do to see that these people receive the reckoning they deserve?

Dr. Nasser is now facing the justice he deserves, but we all must not stop there. By their silence, officials of the U.S. Gymnastics Committee and those in power at Michigan State University have indicated their approval of the actions of Dr. Nasser. Their silence is a betrayal of the young women who trusted them to protect them and assure their safety. That trust was betrayed beyond the realm of comprehension.

As Edmund Burke famously pointed out "All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing/" As the father of daughters, I do not stand by and do nothing. I urge the authorities in Michigan and at the federal level to investigate and prosecute all who, by doing nothing, allowed this evil to prevail.

Pete Null

Glendale Heights