The Steubenville rape case..

[one_voice]

So much has been written about this. I've read a lot, but haven't said anything. Today while I was driving to the store I was thinking about the case. Going over it in my head.

I have a son. I tried to put myself in the place of those parents. How would I have felt if that was my son. Tears came into my eyes, the horror I would have felt. What did I do wrong. How could MY son have done that. How could I ever look at him. Mixed with the fact that no matter what, I love him. Dear God, the parents of those boys life is total hell now. I feel empathy for them. As a parent, I can feel the pain that they must be feeling. Add to that, as a parent, they are also feeling the pain for the victim.
If you're a parent, you're feeling it too. As a human being you're feeling it.

I don't have sympathy for the rapists, but for the parents I do. All the parents.

I also was thinking about the kids that knew what was happening, and did nothing. What the hell is happening in this country that our children do nothing when something like that is going on? The tweeting/facebooking etc that was going on and no one called 911? Let their parents know what's going on. What the hell made them think it was ok?

Are these the morals we're teaching our children? Are they not in some way blameworthy for what happened?

And finally, the people of Steubenville rallying around the rapists. This, I believe is a from of tribalism. The victim, was from West Virgina, an outsider, not one of them, therefore 'to blame'. Her word against their local boys, who happen to be football players. Disgusting, horrifying. It's just another way to victimize the victim over and over again. I think that's what's happening here.

I do wonder if it would be different if the girl/VICTIM was from Steubenville.

Just some of my thoughts on this.

[tularetom]

1. I hope that you are correct about the parents of the rapists

but I fear that you are wrong.

If the parents were unaware that their kids were affected by the fame they were receiving and the feelings of entitlement that the fame created, they weren't paying attention.

Parents who don't encourage their children to keep their heads on straight are doing them no favors and it seems to me that such parents would be oblivious to what is going on in their children's lives. They may be pissed off that their kids got caught raping a young girl, but I doubt that they feel any empathy for the victim.

[one_voice]

2. If those parents feel that way...

they need to be sharing a cell with their kids.

My kids aren't that old, 27 and 22, has parenting changed that much? :

[talkingmime]

3. I don't think the parents did anything wrong. The kids fucked up and got off easy.

My eldest daughter and I are both fucking pissed about that. They got a slap on the wrist but that poor girl has to live the rest of her life with the humiliation they caused her. That's just not right. The boys are old enough to know they violated her and on top of that they made FUN of violating her. One to two years in daycare isn't a sentence, it's a lunch invitation. I'm royally pissed off about that situation. There's no excuse for rape.

And yes, I know it was just fingers, but that's STILL RAPE!

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. They were convicted and sentenced in the appropriate venue under the law.

Those two boys have fucked up their lives but good.

They have gone from elite jocks to convicted criminals.

They have been sentenced to juvenile prison in Ohio, hardly "daycare."

They are branded as sex offenders.

Their life prospects have shriveled.

Maybe we should hang them, too?

[talkingmime]

7. I still think it is a light sentence. They violated her.

[Comrade Grumpy]

9. Yes, they did, and they are being punished for it.

I'm sure none of us agrees in all cases with sentencing decisions, but in this case, that is what the judge determined.

Me, I think we are insanely punitive in this country, which could help explain why we lead the world in both raw numbers of people behind bars and percentage of population imprisoned. In this case, however, I think the punishment was appropriate.

[talkingmime]

10. I don't. People get 20 years for holding a bag of pot and these kids got off with nothing.

I'm sorry, but a bag of weed isn't even a crime in my book. Violating a woman like they did is a major crime. Our justice system is so fucked up I can't even describe it. They should both be in for at least 20 years. At least. No pussy for two decades. I'm pissed off.

And face it, most people in jail are there for drug offenses. Rape is perhaps the most violent crime next to murder, well, yeah, it is. It isn't a sexual act, it's an act of violence. They'll get out in a year or two and probably do the same damn thing again to some other unfortunate woman. It makes me want to puke.

I have no tolerance for rape. None. There's never an excuse and the "drunk, stoned, and sleepy" thing is the worst of all. There is no excuse. A slap on the wrist is not a deterrent. That's all they got. They fucked up a woman's entire life and aren't paying the price, if there is one. I doubt they care.

The whole situation makes me want to drive to Ohio and punch the fuckers in the face. They're old enough to know better and laughed at what they did. They laughed. I doubt she laughed.

Sorry. Maybe I'm old school or something but that punishment did not fit the crime in any way. They got off easy because of their connections. I'd seriously take them out at the same time with just fists if I had the opportunity, and I'm physically disabled. I've got a damn handicapped placard. I'd still do it if I could. They ruined her life and got off easy. That's just wrong.

[siligut]

4. Maybe tribalism but also siding with the winners

The leaders in the town sided with the rapists until they were forced at act.

[one_voice]

6. It's the football mentality...

my son-a huge football fan-did an excellent paper on how this country worships footfall-the culture of football worship, something like that. He used Penn State as his main example.

I will have to find it, and with his permission I'd like to put it on here. He got an A on the paper.

You can love the sport without all this cult like behavior. It's shameful that we put so much importance on that and not what happens inside a classroom.

[avebury]

8. I don't feel sorry for the parents of the boys.

It seems like there is a well established culture in Steubenville of out of control behavior with members of the football team getting a pass of bad behavior. The authorities need to be going after the adults (including coaches) who have enabled this behavior. Look at how many people (teenagers and adults) who saw or heard what happened that night and not one person stood up and tried to help the girl. Not one person had the courage to say what you are doing is wrong. Parents are either in total denial or are enabling what it taking place there. There were adults who were trying to make the excuse that the kids didn't know what rape is. That is such BS. Authorities need to make an example of Steubenville and go after every last person they can and press charges.