Elmo Muppeteer Kevin Clash resigns from Sesame Street

[aaronmojo]

I still don't comprehend why you and that other guy are actually in sympathy with the accusers to begin with: they each have inconsistencies with their stories, they each pretty much lied about their ages to begin with, they each act like Kevin's resignation is a major accomplishment for them (one even saying it's the "stepping stone he needed" for his own career), one of them claims it took all these years for the trauma to sink in (W T F), etc. If there's truth to these stories or not, it seems clear to a lot of us that these guys are basically looking to extort money from Kevin and try to boost their own careers in the process... and yet, you two are sympathizing with them... I don't get it.

I'm not sympathizing with anyone - all I'm saying is that everyone here is quick to defend Kevin Clash and tear down his accusers, when in the first place, Clash admitted there was contact between him and the first guy, so there was some truth to that story (and it appears the guy was paid off to go away); second, Clash has quit his hugely successful and lucrative career at Sesame Street (whether of his own volition or whether Sesame said "quit or you're fired"); third, knowing victims of abuse personally, it is extremely hard to be the first victim to come out. Once someone else blazes that trail, it's far easier from an emotional standpoint to say "hey, this happened to me, too."

This whole situation is terrible. I'm not talking about forgiveness or anything - it's not my place to forgive any of the people involved here since they didn't do anything to me - but I will say it's easy to say "forgive and forget" when you aren't the one who was personally involved.

From my standpoint, as an emotionally well-adjusted grown man who has careers as a freelance puppeteer and illustrator, Kevin Clash was one of my personal heroes - especially after seeing Being Elmo - and, well, now he's not. He's had quite a career but I don't have the admiration for him that I did before. Maybe I will at some point. I dunno. Like I said - this whole situation is terrible.

Kevin Clash was in a position where he needed to be above reproach, and unfortunately it looks like he wasn't.

 

[inturnaround]

All I can say is, it's easy to forgive someone when they're sorry. For me, forgiveness is for people who don't deserve it. Who needs it more than them?

With respect, by definition, people who don't deserve forgiveness don't deserve forgiveness. And if they don't deserve it, I really don't care what they need.

But it's not my place to forgive anything. I wasn't harmed.

It's just, real talk here, guys...this is exactly the kind of thing that happened with Michael Jackson fans. People were blinded to his shortcomings because they felt they grew up with them or knew him and knew they couldn't possibly do anything so bad...or, if he did, it had to be the fault of the people who put him in that situation. Blaming everyone but him.

And the more accusers there are, the less and less likely it is in my eyes that there nothing there.

 

[CensoredAlso]

With respect, by definition, people who don't deserve forgiveness don't deserve forgiveness. And if they don't deserve it, I really don't care what they need.

Like I said, that's a morality debate; a much larger issue. I respectfully agree to disagree. Forgiveness means nothing when we only give it to those who are sorry. That's a comparatively easy thing to do.

In any case, again, forgiveness does not mean not holding someone accountable.

 

[Hubert]

See, when I'm talking about "accountable," I'm talking about it being something different than "responsible." Holding someone responsible, in my mind, means that you feel they should still pay the consequences (which I believe they should). Holding someone accountable, in my opinion, isn't that, but rather responsible in your heart. Maybe accountable isn't the correct word for it, but you get the idea there.

 

[dwayne1115]

I would think that it would be easier to forgive someone then to forget what they have done. I could sit here and say I Forgive you all day long...but me forgeting what has been done is something completely different.

 

[Hubert]

Exactly. Forgiving and forgetting are not the same thing. When you forgive, you don't completely dismiss the event(s) like they never happened.

 

[MelissaY1]

I don't think you can forgive someone until and unless they acknowledge they did something wrong.

Even then, forgiveness is something freely given and not something anyone can expect from everyone. I'm a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles whose main quarterback is Michael Vick. Some people have forgiven him, some people haven't. That's the way the world works.

Michael Vick is a perfect example. I know he did his jail time, etc. but I'm sorry he killed innocent dogs, and he should not be playing football making millions of dollars. He's a horrific person. And that wasn't an "accident" like a drunk driver, he was knowngly training those dogs, doing harm to them. He should be die in a fire.

 

[dwayne1115]

He has not had the greatest time since comeing out of jail, I think they may have benched him, because of the losses of the team,

 

[CensoredAlso]

Michael Vick is a perfect example. I know he did his jail time, etc. but I'm sorry he killed innocent dogs, and he should not be playing football making millions of dollars. He's a horrific person. And that wasn't an "accident" like a drunk driver, he was knowngly training those dogs, doing harm to them. He should be die in a fire.

You're not a bad person; you shouldn't think bad thoughts about others. You're better than that. That's all I'm saying.

 

[MelissaY1]

He has not had the greatest time since comeing out of jail, I think they may have benched him, because of the losses of the team,

Good! lol