Map of life expectancy at birth from Global Education Project.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Absolutely Appalling

It's major news so I don't have to tell you about William Strampel, former dean of the Michigan State Osteopathic Medical College. (For those of you who don't know, osteopathic medicine in the U.S. was once a form of quackery comparable to chiropractic, but they cleaned up their act. Osteopathic medical schools now teach scientific medicine and their graduates -- D.O.s -- are licensed, and practice, just like M.D.s. They like to say they put more emphasis on lifestyle stuff like diet and exercise, but that's really just a branding strategy. Michigan state also has a school that grants the M.D.)

What I have to add is that, if you read the account, obviously Strampel's vile behavior had to be widely known, but he got away with it without consequences for decades. He also obviously knew what Larry Nassar was doing, and apparently even had photographs of it. In the interest of the libel law, I'll pass on drawing any conclusions from that.

I do not understand why academic institutions protect and reward these evil men. It seems to be a pattern. No, I don't see it here, but obviously it's happening in a lot of places. Strampel is 70 years old so it's too late for him to really get what he deserves. 


4 comments:

Justin Cohen said...

I think--based on events like, say, the election of Trump--and I also think, based on the banter I've heard among men in many kitchens I've worked in and at other blue-collar jobs I've had--and also based on the sheer number of rapes and murders that occur in the USA each year--that abuse of females of all ages is endemic to the USA. But what would you expect in a country that was founded--as Art Spiegelman points out-on a genocide? We are a violent, misogynistic country. Not all of us are this way but a hell of a lot of men are.

mojrim said...

Seems more likely that behavior like this is a disease of power and that institutions are designed to provide cover. Remember Dominique Strauss-Kahn? This kinda shit happens everywhere, americans just blow the whistle loud instead of quiet.

Justin Cohen said...

Unrelated comment, apropos of the census kerfuffle: Let's ALL just check the "No" box when asked, "Are you a citizen?"

Wouldn't it be great to declare to the world that, under Trumpasauraus, there are no U.S. citizens?

Gay Boy Bob said...


I do not understand why academic institutions protect and reward these evil men. It seems to be a pattern.

Totally agree, Cervantes.

The irony of all of this is that academic institutions sponsor and promote women's rights and their advocates and then circle the wagons when it's one of their own.

Same thing with the Hollywood crowd. Hollywood rails against sexual harassment for years and then continues to honor Roman Polanski, a convicted child rapist and fugitive from justice, with industry awards and ignores Harvey Weinstein's known abuse for decades.

It's really hard to believe those who complain loudly and then turn around and enable the very behavior they complain about.