On Friday morning, Randall Margraves was taken down by court bailiffs as he tried to attack Larry Nassar, who abused three of his daughters while he was still the doctor for Team USA’s gymnastics team. He did so after pleading with the judge to give him just one minute with Nassar, and of course she could not grant him that request.
It was a very emotional scene, especially as Margraves was being subdued by officers for his attack.
[VIDEO] A father of three daughters who were abused by Larry Nassar went after Nassar in the courtroom this morning. pic.twitter.com/K0teFySSxQ
— Outside the Lines (@OTLonESPN) February 2, 2018
Afterward, Gabby Douglas and her mother, Natalie Hawkins, were approached by TMZ Sports about the incident. Both of them condemned Margraves for his actions, preaching peace and saying he was setting a poor example.
Douglas said we shouldn’t repay “evil with evil,” and her mother said “we have enough violence in the world — enough is enough.”
“My daughter was one of the [victims]. I don’t care how angry you are, the important thing is to maintain your emotions,” Hawkins said … “It’s a bad example for the kids.”
It’s easy to understand why Margraves wasn’t interested in maintaining his emotions. It would be hard for any father to face someone who abused his daughters and not want to lash out like he did — or much worse.
At the same time, what Douglas and her mother had to say is extremely salient, and it’s one we respect.