Rutgers freshman is presumed dead in suicide after roommate broadcast gay sexual encounter online

[MinneapolisMatt]

Source: The Star-Ledger/NJ.com

A Rutgers University freshman appears to have killed himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate broadcast live images of the 18-year-old having a sexual encounter with another man on the internet, according to campus and law enforcement sources.
Tyler Clementi, 18, of Ridgewood, is presumed dead after his car, cell phone and computer were found near the George Washington Bridge last week, law enforcement sources said. His wallet was found on the walkway adjacent to the New York-bound lanes. No body has been found.

Dharun Ravi, 18, of Plainsboro, and Molly Wei, 18, of Princeton, were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy for setting up a camera in a dorm room on Sept. 19 and using it to view and transmit a live sex scene, said Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.

-snip-

Prosecutors said Ravi and Wei set up a camera on Sept. 19 and broadcast live images of Clementi having a "sexual encounter." Ravi is also accused of trying unsuccessfully to broadcast a second sex scene Sept. 21.

Read more: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/hold_new_rutgers_post.html

---

What SICK SICK SICK people to do this to this poor young guy. I hope they ROT. What is this, the 4th or 5th gay youth suicide in last week? :(

[rfranklin]

1. Long jail time...

but they'll probably be let off with a stern talking-to.

[66 dmhlt]

57. In case you meet them face-to-face ...

THIS is what a pair of hate-mongering homophobic bigots look like:



And what sort sick mind decides to set up video equipment to live-stream a roommate in the privacy of their own room?

(H)is Rutgers University roommate, Dharun Ravi, and friend Molly Wei, live-streamed Clementi in a sexual encounter with another male student without his knowledge....

Source:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20018088-504083.html

[TheDebbieDee]

61. Those two faces look like something I threw out in last week's GARBAGE!

[awoke_in_2003]

64. wish it were that easy...

homophobic bigots come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and political persuasions.

[newtothegame]

69. Have they confirmed that it was some kind of "punishment" for being gay?

:shrug:

[druidity33]

141. my question too...

Maybe they thought they were "getting him back" for something he did?

Inexcusable either way, but i wonder about the circumstances that led to this...

:(

[Joe Bacon]

80. They should be expelled

I hope his parents sue both of these monsters for every last penny they have and then some. Frankly, I believe they should both be indicted for manslaughter and locked in a jail cell for a very long time.

[cstanleytech]

95. I do not think any attempt to hold

them accountable for the suicide would ever hold up in a criminal case......now a civil one maybe but even there it has a high risk of being thrown out imo.

[KurtNYC]

144. the other student is alive and able to sue them right out of college

but Ravi promoted the live broadcast in advance. Surely there are felonies here. Ravi and Wei did this multiple times -- they knew what was at stake and they need to do time in prison to prevent them from committing similar crimes and to deter those who would.

edit: typo

[ThomCat]

164. I agree.

Tyler's partner and Tyler's family should sue these two to hell and back until there is no chance they'll ever be able to afford college again after this.

And they make sure criminal charges are pursued as strongly as possible, looking at sex crime laws, anti-bullying laws, privacy laws, any anything else that might have been violated.

If they can get these two on manslaughter, great! If not, they they should still be able to get them on other charges to keep them in prison for a bunch of years.

After all of that, anybody else seeing how these two came out of this should be an idiot to think that it would be fun to pull this shit again. x(

[marions ghost]

183. I doubt that will happen

Everyone thinks the legal system will bring justice. I bet they get off completely.

[The_Commonist]

92. Aw, c'mon, they look like nice kids!

Which makes it even more frightening.

[JI7]

196. most scumbags look like "nice" people

[roguevalley]

128. if either of them were mine, they would need new parents.

I don't understand and never will. God rest that poor boy and comfort his family.

[Evasporque]

145. haayyy I think I have seen some videos of theirs on YouTube...

If it is the same people...They were always making jokes about gay people and doing crude satire...

Were pretty mean and crass with their "humor"...

[Evasporque]

151. I am really sure...they made videos that were hateful to gay folk in the past

I am trying to find the channel...it was a year or so ago and I kept running into hateful mocking videos that were ignorant and homophobic from two very pretty young people. I have to check my ignore list...I am pretty sure with a little digging by police they will come up with a long history of anti-gay rhetoric from these two.

[ThomCat]

157. If you can find any of it, please forward it to the prosecutor's office.

That would be important.

Showing that they specifically had animosity towards gay people would be important in this case. That would mean that the fact that they "caught someone having GAY sex," instead of just "caught someone having sex" would be significant.

That means that their actions would be at least in part motivates by Tyler Clementi being gay, and this might have been a hate crime. :(

[Demoiselle]

169. Apparently they can get a max five year slammer stay for invading the guy's privacy..

If all else fails...I'd be content with that. But I'm hoping the hate crime sticks.

[mtowngman]

178. Five years would work,

I doubt if either of these scumbags would survive it. They should rot.

[City Lights]

152. Thanks for putting faces with names!

I wonder if they're still smiling.

People really sicken me some time. It's a feeling I'm experiencing more often lately.

[dogday]

186. To me this is a hate crime and should be punished to the full

extent of the law.

[TK421]

197. Two turds that should be flushed n/t

[Hestia]

153. This morning on CNN, gentleman saidNJ takes invasion of privacy laws very seriously, so it looks

like there will be aggressive prosecution.

[closeupready]

175. Good.

n/t

[onenote]

2. maximum sentence for invasion of privacy in NJ is 3 to 5 years

although don't expect to see that sentence handed down.

[Pab Sungenis]

16. Not much in the way of criminal charges

although the victim's family might have a wrongful death case.

If, that is, the body is ever found.

[whathehell]

19. If they actually served the three to five years in prison and

then were sued for "wrongful death", I'd feel a SMALL measure of justice prevailed...That and the fact that they will have to live the rest of their miserable lives with the guilt -- presuming they are not COMPLETELY and forever without conscience.

[msanthrope]

22. It's possible the prosecutor lodged these to keep them

in the jurisdiction.

Also possible you may see a hate crime enhancement.

[whathehell]

29. Good...Let's hope. n/t

[lisa58]

59. I hope so too...

[msanthrope]

68. It looks like a body has been recovered. Let's hope more charges are forthcoming. n/t

[TheMadMonk]

81. Absent solid documented evidence that these two have a homophobic...

...history, there's not a chance. And not much of a chance even then. They'll simply play the young and dumb card. "We just thought it would be a laugh."

[bliss_eternal]

96. solid evidence...?

gee--i'd think that would be invading his space, filming his private encounter and proceeding to place it on the internet. sounds pretty intolerant to me.

i don't need a neon sign, or them shouting,"...we hate gay people" w/a megaphone. their actions seem sufficient, imo.

[AtheistCrusader]

105. For it to be a hate crime

prosecution will have to prove they did it because he was gay. Which is not necessarily the case. Hopefully more evidence will tell the tale.

This could have been your standard dumbass college prank gone totally awry.

If they recorded it, watched it, and THEN placed it on the internet, I would instantly agree with you. Being a live stream, their motives are unclear, and you can bank on a jury seeing it that way as well. (Absent clear evidence of a hate crime)


Edit: Suspect's twitter feed makes what you just suggested much, much more likely. I withdraw the benefit of the doubt.

[bliss_eternal]

107. yes.

...and thanks for the edit. ;)

[bjobotts]

115. But they tried to run the recording a second time too...not live. Civil suit for wrongful death-yes

[KurtNYC]

146. the Twitter chat will supply the details of their reaction / motivation

so far all we have is "...turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay," also
"Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it's happening again,"

edit to add: they promoted and broadcast live sex on the internet, quite possibly to an audience which included minors. They did not even attempt to comply with any of the laws and safeguards around pornography, pimping sexual performance, etc. Let the Feds charge them. That's a slam dunk.

[ThomCat]

158. It's a shame that there isn't a bullying statute that can't get them

for some kind of manslaughter. :(

They KILLED someone! They should have to face that, just invasion of privacy. x(

[pnwmom]

33. That in itself is a crime. n/t

[emilyg]

43. Not enough. So very sad.

[The Doctor.]

3. God I wish someone could have talked to that kid first.

This should NOT have been a life-ending incident

I hope these two find themselves at the end of a wrongful death suit.

[DURHAM D]

4. Ditto on "wrongful death suit".

What shit-heads those two.

[whathehell]

6. Wrongful Death Suit, Yes!!....This is BEYOND Cruel.

WTF is WRONG with people?!!...I know we ask that question ALL the time, but this was SO rotten!..Why do people go OUT of their way to HURT others?

[madmax]

12. +100

[Love Bug]

13. Some people have always gone out of their way to hurt others. We call them sociopaths.

Unfortunately, with cameras in cellphones and the internet, they now have more creative ways to hurt people.

[whathehell]

15. Not to quibble but..

I think that more accurately describes sadists.

Sociopaths have no conscience...But there is no indication that they get pleasure out of hurting others as sadists do...They generally only hurt people if they are "in the way".

[Love Bug]

37. Tomato, tomahto

I don't give a holy rat's ass what fueled their motivation unless it falls into the area of a hate crime. Sociopaths, psychopaths, assholes, yadda, yadda. What counts are their actions, which are reprehensible. The question now is, what is a reasonable consequence and what can be done to discourage similar kinds of actions in the future?

We live in a country that more and more tracks the actions of its citizens through CS cameras everywhere. In many cases this is a good thing because such surveillance does help the police in catching the bad guys. But our government has made clear they reserve the right to wiretap without a warrant and to release the results of that as they see fit (unless it embarrasses the military or the administration -- see Abu Garib).

[whathehell]

50. I get you, Love Bug.

In all honesty, I think I wanted to "do right" by sociopaths!

This should be viewed as a hate crime -- along with whatever else it's transgressive of, invasion of privacy, reckless endangerment, malicious intent, whatever. I am not as pessimistic as some here regarding the sentencing these two will get...I think they will hit these creeps and hit them hard.

It's outrageous on more than one front...On the question of "gall" alone, I can't get it...Who the ef would have the AUDACITY to DO something like this?!

That being as it may, you're right about the "surveillance" thing and the dangers of the internet...I can't help but think of another young victim, that fifteen year old Irish girl, Phoebe Prince, who was harassed so terribly on Facebook that she killed herself.

I don't have kids (thank god in THIS era) and this kind of thing is just so far from my own growing up in the Sixties...I can hardly get my head around it.

I think some new legislation protecting people from this shit will have to be passed.

It's just MUCH too easy to destroy people's lives now.

[marions ghost]

185. yes

the laws as they exist now are not adequate.

[pitohui]

53. no i think you're wrong abt "sadists"

there are "sadists" who are not really bad guys but who do sadism for fun

sociopaths it's all abt them

these folks destroyed a life at a time when the porn industry is in the gutter and what they filmed has virtually no $ value to them...they are just fucking evil...they get no pleasure or benefit from it nor does the victim

at least if a sadist is involved he got a beat-off from it...this is just...it don't make sense, it's pure evil for no benefit or pleasure to ANYONE

[bliss_eternal]

113. uhhhh....

you may want to re-examine your thoughts and definitions, also.

you seem to only relate sadism to people playing with dominatrixes.

FYI--there are sadistic murderers, pedophiles, rapists, stalkers, parents, etc.
there are people who do not have anyone willing to participate in their sadism, and they go out seeking innocent victims to hurt, to satisfy their sick needs.

i'm not even going to touch your comments about pornography.
as those just made my head hurt.

[bliss_eternal]

111. wait...what?

sa·dism   /ˈseɪdɪzəm, ˈsædɪz-/ Show Spelled
Show IPA

–noun
1. Psychiatry . sexual gratification gained through causing pain or degradation to others. Compare masochism.
2. any enjoyment in being cruel.
3. extreme cruelty.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sadism

so·ci·o·path   /ˈsoʊsiəˌpæθ, ˈsoʊʃi-/ Show Spelled
Show IPA

–noun Psychiatry .
a person, as a psychopathic personality, whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sociopath

These are dangerous individuals that enjoy hurting others and can often be described as sadistic.

You may want to check some psychiatry journals.
As, many sociopathic personalities are also sadistic and derive great pleasure from hurting others.

from:
http://www.deviantcrimes.com/sociopathy.htm

[whathehell]

119. You may want to check out some psychiatry journals

as I said nothing to contradict them...Of course, they CAN overlap, but they do not necessarily....Okay?:banghead:

[bliss_eternal]

122. (sigh)

:eyes:

[whathehell]

123. Yeah.

Me too.:eyes:

[bliss_eternal]

124. here's the thing...

i perceived what you wrote, as seemingly dismissive of how serious sociopathy is (and many sadists). if that was not your intent, ok. but that is why i said what i said.

seeing someone minimize the pain inflicted by sociopaths (who are almost always sadistic) concerned me. when someone seems to make a comment or asseertion, in a way that seems to suggest you are implying you are informed about the subject, (but the information shared seems a tad flawed)...well, that tends to invite corrections. no offense intended.

[whathehell]

125. No, I was in no way dismissing the seriousness of sociopathy

or sadism...I guess I just think it's important that we use words (especially loaded ones like that) correctly so we don't become confused as to their true meaning.

It's like the way some people feel about the word "rape" for instance...They feel if it's overused in a metaphorical sense, it will lose the seriousness of its true definition.

[bliss_eternal]

127. ah, ok....

...that makes total sense, and i do appreciate your explanation. i do apologize that i seem to have made you feel attacked. that wasn't my intent.

i probably watch way more crime documentaries than are healthy. lots of sociopaths and sadists out there, sadly. :(

[whathehell]

130. Well, good...Thanks for explaining

your thoughts so I knew where you were coming from.

I get so tired of the frequent "snark fests" here..and I think they often come from NOT doing what we did.:toast:

[bliss_eternal]

132. i hear you.

sometimes it's difficult to know the difference...or when someone is attempting to discuss versus being a jackass. ;) :hi:

[whathehell]

181. Very true, bliss_eternal..I think it's a problem inherent in using text over the internet

It's hard to communicate "tone" for instance...Using the icons helps, but sometimes they're not appropriate either, so we have to take the time (all of us, me included)to simply ask, sometimes, where the person is really coming from.

Back at ya.:hi:

[fascisthunter]

20. ding!

[bliss_eternal]

110. good point.

(sigh)

[ThomCat]

159. Yes, and they always seem to think it's "just fun,"

and people who cause malicious "fun" never seem to think that they should be liable for the damage or or held responsible for the harm they cause.

:(

[awoke_in_2003]

65. No, it shouldn't...

but do you realize just how cruel young people tend to be? I had a seizure disorder for a few years (went away when I got older). It started in my senior year, just as the second semester began. I had one in class- I never returned. Luckily I had enough credits to graduate, the last semester was fluff.

[KurtNYC]

143. Privacy? How about production of pornography, transmission of

obscenity across state lines, and many other possible charges. Usually when there is a murder they load up the charges but this sounds like they only charged with the weakest of those available. Teens have been charged recently with worse crimes for transmitting images of themselves nude to each other.

[happygoluckytoyou]

5. Dharun Ravi, and Molly Wei, AHHH YOUR PARENTS MUST BE PROUD... MAYBE A CAMERA IN YOUR CELL???

[Dirigo]

8. Why Are These Two Cretins Still In School?

Why are these two criminals still in school? Why haven't they been suspended and drummed off campus to seek their fame and fortune in the GOP somewhere. Certainly, the Dirty Tricks Wing of the Rabid & Rancid Reich could use a couple of slugs like these two.

[Mulehead]

78. Um, because this is America, where the accused are considered innocent

until proven guilty? If these two did what they are accused of, then they must first be found guilty of their crimes in open court. Then, according to the school's student conduct policy, they can be found in violation of that policy and then expelled.

Or, in your (quite understandable) rage, do you want to just 'string 'em up'?

I think the issue here, in addition to the tragedy of this poor young man losing his life at such a young and vulnerable age, is tolerance and human rights--right to privacy, to due process, for GLB&T people to live their lives openly in peace?

Rutgers has the most diverse student population in the U.S. But sadly, if this can happen in such an environment, then we really have a long, long way to go as a people. We're all sick and broken hearted to lose our little brother over this. But please don't let your rage blind you to the need to love.

[KurtNYC]

149. they used the school's WIFI system to commit a # of crimes

related to unlawful production and dissemination of pornography. Ravi's twits admit to that.

[name not needed]

98. They will likely be suspended within the next few days.

Straight from the Student Code of Conduct:

INTERIM SUSPENSION
7. The Senior Dean of Students may suspend a student from the University for an interim period pending disciplinary or criminal proceedings. The interim suspension shall become immediately effective without prior notice whenever the Senior Dean of Students determines there is a reasonable basis to conclude that the continued presence of the student at the University poses a substantial and immediate threat to himself/herself, to others, or to property. For students on the Newark and Camden campuses, the responsibilities of the Senior Dean of Students under this section shall be carried out by the Chancellor or designee.


PROHIBITED CONDUCT
10. Students who engage in the following conduct on University premises, or at University sponsored activities, or at activities involving University recognized organizations may be subject to disciplinary action. Although violations of standards (a) through (t) may result in either expulsion or suspension from the University, lesser sanctions will be considered whenever appropriate. Violations of standards (v) through (aa) may not, standing alone, result in expulsion or suspension from the University, except as specified in Part 11 of this Code.
Separable Offenses
(a) violations of academic integrity.8
(b) forgery, unauthorized alteration or unauthorized use of any University documents or records, or any instrument or form of identification.
(c) intentionally furnishing false information to the University.
(d) intentionally initiating or causing to be initiated any false report, warning or threat of fire, explosion or other emergency.
(e) use of force against any person or property or the threat of such force.
(f) sexual assault or nonconsensual sexual contact.
(g) hazing.9
(h) violation of the University’s Student Life Policy Against Verbal Assault, Defamation and Harassment.
(i) unauthorized entry into, unauthorized use of, or misuse of University property, including computers and data and voice communication networks.11
(j) intentionally or recklessly endangering the welfare of any individual.
(k) intentionally or recklessly interfering with any University activity.12
(l) intentionally or recklessly interfering with any University sponsored activity.12

[closeupready]

18. +1.

n/t

[Amaril]

184. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if they are.

Children don't spring from the womb filled with the kind of homophobic rage one would need to possess to embark on a campaign to humiliate someone or destroy their life. These kids learned to hate to this extent somewhere, and I'm willing to bet their parents had more than a bit of a hand in that.

In fact, the Mommy's & Daddy's are sure to be furiously circling the wagons as we speak in order to protect their "prescious darlings". I'm sure -- in their minds -- they believe their children are just the latest victims of the "gay agenda" and if they hadn't been forced to endure knowing that that young man was gay, then they wouldn't have been pushed to such an act.

People like this make me WISH the rapture would hurry up and get here already so the rest of us can get about the buisness of living in peace and harmony and worrying about shit that really matters.......like the economy.

[marions ghost]

187. The society at large is homophobic

they didn't get programmed by the parents necessarily. Obviously they think there is nothing wrong with torturing a couple of gay guys. That is a societal failing. We do need diversity training.

Would they do this to a straight couple? Probably not as they would identify with them and have more respect for their privacy. Gays are so easily seen as "other"--people you can do anything you want to.

[renate]

7. as someone pointed out in the comments below that story--

Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei will, thanks to the very same Internet that they used to drive this poor young man to suicide, not be able to find good jobs if anybody does a search for their names. GOOD. The more miserable the rest of their mean and nasty lives are, the better.

Poor Tyler... I can't begin to imagine the pain these foul creatures put him through. He looks so sweet in his picture. :cry:

[whathehell]

17. Yes....

Who would hire them?..I mean, hey..Even the KKK has standards!

I DO hope they are charged with a substantial crime..Let's give them a record and THEN a lawsuit for Wrongful Death...Mofos from hell.

[HuckleB]

21. Unfortunately it's probably not that hard to change their names.

[Incitatus]

131. But they will have to use the same SS number on their application

and if they are convicted for this, it will show up on a criminal background check potential employers will find out the whole story.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

172. It's easy. And who would not hire Jeff Stone?

(formerly known as Jeff Gillooly)
http://search.intelius.com/Jeff-Gillooly

Their record might pop up if they are convicted of a felony.

On the other hand, the notoriety may help. BP, Xe, some companies might recruit these two.

:hi:

[pnwmom]

32. Maybe Sarah Palin will give them a job. Or Rush Limbaugh.

Or Christine O'Donnell.

There are plenty of tea-baggers who wouldn't care.

[YankeeLeft7x]

77. Or Scalia at the USSC?

How about Anton Scalia and the Federalist Society or the Independent Women's Forum?

The Federalist Society or the Independent Women's Forum are two right-wing Nazi Organizations, which they fit right in with.

[name not needed]

140. Maybe James O'Keefe will give them a job.

Might as well get the filth this university has churned out all in one place.

[marions ghost]

188. Right

in some circles they will be heroes.

[Cherchez la Femme]

42. Ramen, renate

These things will not stop until the social stigma of being homosexual is lessened, however it'll never completely go away, unfortunately.

One good way to do this is to normalize same-sex relationships -- including EQUAL RIGHTS and MARRIAGE.


...BTW I've been wondering, what exactly IS that pic in your signature? Darned if I can figure it out!

[MH1]

73. Why does everyone think it matters that it was same-sex?

The kid might have felt just as humiliated and betrayed even if it was with a girl.

In any case, it was an extremely cruel thing for those two to do. I just don't think the 'gay' aspect is all that relevant. It would be shitty under any circumstances and no one should think it would be somehow more ok if it was a guy with a girl.

[MadMaddie]

88. It shouldn't be relevant but these two didn't broadcast

her (for the sake of argument) straight girl roommate with a guy doing it. Probably plenty of opportunity to film something like this.

If the guy didn't like having a gay roommate he could have asked for a different one, instead he chose to film him.

It was malicious and it caused a death.

[Divine Discontent]

104. exactly - Ravi made it clear he was doing it in his Tweet b/c the guy was with a GUY, and Ravi's

broadcasting of the crime of invading privacy of sex acts bumps up the 4th degree charge to a 3rd degree case. I also see how, since he mentioned it was because "YAY" his roommate is Gay and doing it in their room with another guy, that the crime is a Hate Crime, because a law was broken BECAUSE the victim was Gay... I think it's provable based on his ignorant Tweets.

Throw the book at 'em... people need to know destroying people's self worth by broadcasting their sex acts, tormenting them at school for being "fill in the blank", or actual battery on someone, will not be tolerated. They should get the 5 years in prison, not sorry, because they found humor in breaking the law and hurting this young man who is now dead.

[True_Blue]

100. Maybe he killed himself because he didn't want to face the hate

from our bigoted society. It's also possible that his parents didn't know he was gay either. Maybe he was afraid they would disown him.

[name not needed]

102. From the sick fuck's twitter:

“Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.”

“I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes, it’s happening again.”

[bliss_eternal]

109. geezus....

:mad: :grr: :cry:

[name not needed]

137. You think that's bad?

There's facebook groups popping up in support of these two sadists. It's fucking disgusting, and I'm ashamed that I have to share a university with these people.

[MH1]

182. Yikes, makes me want to know about the groups and

find out who the members are.

Make sure everyone knows who a few more of the hateful f*wads in this world are.

[name not needed]

190. It's mostly 4chan and kids they went to high school with.

[LanternWaste]

192. You can point to similar and relevant scenarios

"Why does everyone think it matters that it was same-sex?"
It appears to be the only socially stigmatized activity in the story.


"The kid might have felt just as humiliated and betrayed even if it was with a girl."
You can point to similar and relevant scenarios with similar and relevant consequences between an opposite sex couple being filmed? If not, then I think we may safely presume the victim was not emotionally ready at that point in his life to out himself in publicly in front of a potential audience of millions.

[theHandpuppet]

195. Why does it matter? Grab a clue.

That's about the extent of any civil response I can muster at this moment.

[ThomCat]

160. That's right. Any internet search for their names will always find

this story. This will Haunt Them for the rest of their lives.

I bet they will both start using different names. Either nick names, or their middle names if they can in order to avoid showing up in internet searches.

[kestrel91316]

9. Evil little orcs. Republican politicians in training, I suspect.

[Plucketeer]

10. These two are

fetid sludge of humanity.

[foxfeet]

11. Just plain, unadulterated cruelty.

I wish them upon themselves.

[BeyondGeography]

14. Anger-inducing to the point of nausea at these scum

And beyond tragic.

[Imajika]

23. Disgusting...

Throw the book at these two. And yes, make an example of them. Prosecute them to the maximum extent of the law, and then bring civil wrongful death suits.

Just so horrible what these 2 people did to that kid.

[chrisa]

24. What a couple of creepy losers.

Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei: Both sexual predators. Because they chose a different method (humilitation by webcam over the internet) doesn't mean that it's not the same thing. They should be on the RSO registry, imo.

[drmeow]

25. Too bad they can't

be charged as sex offenders and have to register!

[chrisa]

26. Why is their crime not a sexual offense?

That's what I was wondering. If you looked through somebody's window with binoculars, it would be a sex offense, right? I wonder why this is different? :(

[drmeow]

28. Maybe it is

I didn't see that as a charge so assumed that it can't. It may depend on how far the "sexual encounter" went.

[pnwmom]

31. I agree. And only a 5 year maximum. That's awful. n/t

[YankeeLeft7x]

79. Would be Nice

Could it happen?

[ThomCat]

161. I bet they can be forced to register as sex offenders.

They spied on someone else electronically without his permission to watch him having sex.

How can that NOT be a sex crime?

[dddem]

27. Damn.

I certainly don't want to minimize the cruelty of these two idiots, but I have to wonder if this young man would have felt the same level of shame if he had been videotaped with a woman. The fault of this act lies with the two who posted this on the internet, but the blame lies with all of us who do not stand up for the rights of young gay people. They shouldn't have to go through their lives feeling the way we have collectively made them feel, either by blatant criticism or simply silent acceptance of the hate and shame these poor kids encounter.
If I were still a Catholic, I would light a candle for this poor kid. As it is, I will pray that we all work a little harder to bring about equality for all people.
Peace.

[handmade34]

30. Damn. this makes me nauseous

when will the insanity end... it is time to have absolute zero tolerance for hate crimes and discrimination

[Irishonly]

34. Smoking Gun Link

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/dharun-ravi-twitter?page=0

[valerief]

35. The Tea Party must be sooooo proud. nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

36. cruelty seems to be the fad in this country

And it's a fad that's nurtured by snarky teevee, loss of courtesy and repub/corprate inhumanity.

My opinion, anyway.


Hope those two little brats get a heaping mouthful of consequences for their shitty little game.

[ZenKitty]

38. This breaks my heart...

how can anyone be so cruel. :(

[Downwinder]

39. I'm sure they wouldn't mind having their sexual encounter broadcast.

I don't know how to use that sarcasm icon.

[ronnie624]

133. Click on "smilies lookup table" on the "post a message" page.

Click on whichever icon you wish to use. The icon will appear wherever your cursor is set. Easy as pie.

Thus: :hi: Hello, fellow Texan.

[Demoiselle]

40. A year of hard time can be very long indeed.

Or so I am given to understand. Let's hope that these dreadful people get to spend some time in very small spaces with truly nasty characters.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

41. So freakin' sad. :*( There is no justification for this...

stupid, senseless cruelty!! If they were smart enough to get into Rutgers, they were damn well smart enough to know what they were doing, the illegality, and potential consequences.

[HisTomness]

44. Just being honest.

I hope they get the shit kicked out of them before they both jump off the same bridge.

[Raster]

55. You are far too fucking kind. I can think of several things I'd like to...

Gay kids live with this kind of shit on a daily basis--the bullying, the peer abuse and the lack of respect for their lives and their feelings. I sincerely hope both of them rot in hell.

[Drale]

45. I'm not psychologist

but I would think this kind of bull shit bullying would cause more murders then suicides, I know that doesn't seem to be the case but thats just would I think would happen.

[TheMadMonk]

87. Anger -> murder. Public humiliation -> shame -> suicide. /nt

[Drale]

94. but

public humiliation = anger.

[TheMadMonk]

136. Far more likely shame than anger.

Instantaneous anger perhaps, but long disipated before an opportunity for an outlet is likely to present itself.

Shame builds upon itself.

[Drale]

189. I'm just saying

although you cant know until your in that situation, if something that humiliating happened to me I'd probably be out for revenge, but thats just me.

[Clear Blue Sky]

46. Terrible. Throw the book at 'em...

[greiner3]

47. Going to an Ivy League school;

May mean that Ravi and Wei's parents have money. I'm certain what the outcome will be if this is the case.

[Dreamer Tatum]

72. Since when is Rutgers Ivy League?

[Mulehead]

82. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey,

is not a member institution of the so-called Ivy League, unlike it's nearby neighbor Princeton University. Rutgers is a public state university with campuses in Newark, New Brunswick, and Camden, and its tuition is approximately 1/4 that of Princeton's and most of the other Ivies. Rutgers is the most ethnically diverse university in the country, and a typical Rutgers student is the first member of their immigrant or working class family to attend college, although it is a good academic record and test scores that get them accepted into the school, and there are certainly some students who come from well to do backgrounds. Visit http://sexualassault.rutgers.edu/gayandlesbian.htm to learn about what Rutgers does to protect and nurture its GLB&T students, and
http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~biglaru/ to learn more about Rutgers' GLB&T community. I imagine that they will soon have some info on their website about this horrible tragedy, and they would no doubt appreciate your solidarity.

[wickerwoman]

120. I went to Rutgers...

and weirdly just yesterday was thinking about how much it sucked living in the dorms there and having to share a room with randomly assigned strangers. Everywhere else in the civilized world, student housing is set up so you still have at least a little private space... it doesn't matter how small the room is as long as you can shut the door and it's yours.

I hope Rutgers (and other universities with shared room accommodations) seriously reexamine the policy in light of this tragedy.

[name not needed]

138. I don't see them changing much.

Hell, they don't even have space for all their residents. There's people stuck in the hotels off Easton Avenue because there isn't enough space in the dorms.

[Akoto]

48. I don't mean to divert attention from this young man, but ...

What about the person he had sex with in the video? Are they a fellow student? I hope they are safe, regardless.

[ThomCat]

162. I was wondering about that other person too.

Apparently nobody knows who that other person is. I hope that other guy is okay.

He must be really upset, to have sex with someone and then find out that the sex was captured and broadcast without your knowledge, and then find out that your partner killed himself over it...

What is that other guy going through right now? :(

I hope has SUPPORTIVE friends and family with him right now, and I hope he is able to maintain his privacy through all of this.

[closeupready]

177. He should also file invasion of privacy lawsuit, and pursue a civil case.

n/t

[renate]

49. currently the top story on the NYT home page

I'm glad the two asswipes' pictures are front and center, but I'm not so sure about Tyler's. He killed himself because of the broadcast to a relatively few people on the Internet, and now millions of people are reading about it. His privacy really should be respected. On the other hand, he looks so sweet and it's important to put a human face on the story. I hope his parents were consulted about whether or not to attach his picture to the article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/nyregion/30suicide.html?hp


edited to add that I'm thrilled that Ravi's and Wei's pictures and names are getting such wide circulation. They may try to change their names when they go looking for jobs but hopefully the pictures will make covering up their past more difficult.

[TexasObserver]

51. This lack of humanity seems far too common among the young.

All of this terrible cyber bullying and actual bullying has become common place. The lack of empathy among the young is frightening.

These two killed the young man with their meanness, and they've destroyed other lives in the process. The past ten years of online acceptance of such bullying have created a world where otherwise decent kids laughingly taunt others whose only crime is being different in some way.

[pitohui]

52. what the fuck is the matter w. people?

why set up something like this when the porn industry is hurting and lots of good people i know, prob. myself among them, need the $ but instead you're gonna film an innocent young man who did not give you permission?

i can't figure it out, if you want to make porn, the industry is in the toilet, it's SO easy to get folks who WANT to be filmed and who WANT to produce...why hurt someone who is struggling and doesn't yet know what he wants to do w. his life?

this is bullshit, i don't understand why you would hurt someone to save you what? fifty bucks? or did they just have it out for this guy?

they stole a life to produce a film worth pennies, this is bullshit

[Name removed]

89. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[whathehell]

134. Are you actually that RUDE?

Or did you just "forget you were talking to an American"?

[davidwparker]

54. So sad.

[msanthrope]

56. Looks like the body has been found----

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/wpix-rutgers-students,0,2786442.story

Sad, and disgusting.

[lisa58]

58. My heart breaks for him and his family...

...this is more than an invasion of privacy.

[Name removed]

60. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[WestSeattle2]

62. That poor kid. What in the hell were the perps thinking? This is

such a tragic story. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Mr. Clementi.

[av8rdave]

63. That poor kid!

I can't even imagine how devastated and humiliated he must have felt. And to even try to fathom what his family is going through...

I am alternately heartbroken and PISSED OFF.

Edited for crappy grammar.

[AsahinaKimi]

66. In response to those who call them "Tea baggers.."

I don't think Teabaggers would except these two into their ranks..
I am sure Teabaggers have a hard enough time with excepting Bobby Jindal. The fact remains, they have both done something that was herrendously criminal, and should pay fully for their crimes.

[anachro1]

150. Nonsense!

Tea Baggers get erections whenever minorities join them in their ugliness.
Then dump them after they no longer need their nonwhite skins.

[AsahinaKimi]

201. I doubt it..

Some of these racists can't even stand to be breathing the air next to these people. Invite them to their functions? I doubt it highly. Check out the photos of crowds in past tea bagger gatherings and show me people of color. You won't find many. Especially Hispanic and Asian!

[anachro1]

205. How welcome do you think

if little Bobbie Pyush Jindal be if he was a democrat?

Once he has outlived his usefulness, he too, will be shipped off to third world countries, just like they have done with Bobby Steele.

[YankeeLeft7x]

67. Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei & Anton Scalia

Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei will probably get a job some day clerking for azzwipe Anton Scalia at the United States Supreme Court. After all, that Ivy League Grad says that the U.S. Constitution does not necessarily protect gay people or guarantee GLBT full rights under the law.

[Guilded Lilly]

70. Put them AWAY. (n/t)

[crim son]

71. I wonder if the young man had been engaged in a heterosexual act,

would he have felt as desperate after finding out about being filmed as he obviously did? What the roommate did was vile, but equally vile is the reaction of the public to same sex coupling. What must the young man have been thinking before throwing himself off the bridge? My heart goes out to his friends and family.

[MH1]

75. Many kids would have.

[crim son]

90. Yeah, you're right of course.

His roommate probably would have recorded the encounter in any case.

[rebecca_herman]

198. I don't know...

I haven't heard of anything similar involving a heterosexual male, and maybe it wouldn't have happened because heterosexual guys are pretty much expected by many people to have lots of sex, but I have read about at least two teenage girls who killed themselves after boys they liked distributed nude photos of them around school.

[AllyCat]

74. What on earth is wrong with people? WTF?

In my wildest dreams, I would not have thought to do this to ANYONE...

[veganlush]

76. Sad.

The claims of homophobia and even racism may be premature though. This may be the result of stupidity and curiosity and really bad judgment on the part of a couple of sheltered rich kids with little knowledge of the outside world... still, punishment is in order..

[salin]

83. Horrific.

Are we raising ghouls?

[Initech]

84. My faith in humanity is slowly dwindling with every incident like this I read about.

[bigmonkey]

116. The reason it's news is that it's so far from normal human behavior.

One could consider that the story confirms that most people have good instincts, and find the actions these two took horrifying and way outside the norm.

[Nye Bevan]

85. I sincerely hope Ravi and Wei get the maximum possible sentence (nt)

[Jefferson23]

86. OMG, what a horrible nightmare for the young man. To threaten someone

like this, the invasion of privacy, unspeakable act!

[LiberalAndProud]

91. My heart hurts. So tragic. So wrong.

[NBachers]

93. Hey Molly and Dharun- Do the Honorable Thing

Another wallet and a purse need to be found on the walkway adjacent to the New York-bound lanes.

[happygoluckytoyou]

97. MOLLY AND DHARUN.... i can see the future...you have a movie career in SHAWSHANK TWO..

[Beacool]

167. Let's not go there.

Two other families do not need to mourn the death of their children, one is bad enough.

Although, these two idiots just ruined their futures and should be severely punished for their cruel and careless act.

x(

[Codeine]

210. Unfortunately, I don't think they have ruined their futures.

A few tearful apologies and short prison sentences, then they'll have their records expunged and it'll be like nothing ever happened.

[Zenlitened]

193. Yup. - n/t

[Danmel]

99. No one has any boundaries anymore

What would make kids think it was ok to do this?
Posting and publishing everything they do, every random insignificant thought ,
every photo, narcissistic self absorbed blogs- nothing is private, nothing is personal , no detail too embarrassing or lurid to not put on your facebook page or you tube account or Twitter feed. It is a sickness. My heart goes out to that poor young man and his family.
Maybe a little shame isn't a bad thing.

[bliss_eternal]

108. well, let's see...

...maybe the fact that every off the wall, vile, disgusting, pornographic clip posted is deemed worthy of attention, by going viral--makes them think it's their ticket to instant celebrity. how many people have been catapulted to mega fame status because their sex tape went public?

i completely agree, that it's vulgar, an invasian of privacy, intolerant and disturbing.
every thought need not be expressed (on-line via one's blog, facebook or twitter). every moment need not be lived publicly. but no one is telling the generation engaging in this behavior, any of that. nor are we sending them that message, by ignoring the crap they put on-line. instead, they get ridiculous amounts of attention for doing that which is dysfunctional and exploitative.

[complain jane]

101. How horribly sad :(

He looks so sweet. I hope those two scumbags get what they deserve and that this haunts them for the rest of their ridiculous lives.

[ButterflyBlood]

103. Those charges aren't enough, should go for manslaughter

n/t

[Fearless]

106. Anyone want to talk about DADT now? How about ENDA? How about marriage?

This is why they're important. This is the only reason. To give our children reason to think they've got someone looking out for them, that they don't have to fucking kill themselves.

[Zenlitened]

194. All too true. There is a direct line between this tragedy and institutionalized anti-gay bigotry.

[skygazer]

112. This story made me cry

What a waste of a promising young life. Heartbreaking. :cry:

[bliss_eternal]

114. you weren't alone, in that.

:(

[ZenKitty]

117. I can't sleep. I know this isn't about...

me...but I'm just so torn up about this and have to express my feelings. Cannot get out of my head what Tyler must have been going through. WTF where Dharun and Molly thinking? How could they not realize the hurt they were unleashing? So so very sad. :(

[Drunken Irishman]

118. Here's his Twitter feed...

He's deleted his account, but Gawker found the Tweets about it:



http://gawker.com/5651050/how-a-college-kid-livestreamed-his-roommate-having-gay-sex-possibly-causing-a-suicide

[naaman fletcher]

121. I think you are missing the point..

The real issue is not what SOB filmed this. The real thing is that society is such that the victims shame was so great. The real crime is that what this young man (the victim) did was considered such a big deal to begin with.

[Lindsey]

126. Horrible, horrible situation. There's an unbelievable video out

now w/Anderson Cooper interviewing an Assistant Attorney General in (I think) Michigan. This nutcase is completely harassing the President of the student body at one of the colleges because he's gay. I've never seen anything like it. And to think this guy is an Assistant Attorney General really makes it scary. If you can, try to youtube it. In today's climate, it is perfectly fine to be homophobic. And I believe we have the extreme christian right to thank. All in the name of Jesus. It's too heartbreaking for words.

[COLGATE4]

156. The AG's office in Michigan has been taken over by extreme

right-wingers for several years now. Hard to believe what's it's like now compared to a few years prior when Jennifer Granholm was AG. Now it's just a cesspit of Rethugs.

[naaman fletcher]

170. Yes I saw it,

made me sick to my stomach.

[avaistheone1]

129. Tyler's poor family.

They must be overwhelmed with grief and sadness with the loss of their son, and shocked at the stupidity and cruelness of these two students.

[6000eliot]

135. Mother fucking scumbags!

What reason could they possibly have for invading this kids privacy this way? They should be publicly humiliated in some horrible way in retaliation.

[TexasObserver]

139. K&R.

[pinboy3niner]

142. K&R #101

[Danmel]

147. We need to all seriously re-think what we make public

If it is acceptable for a major party candidate for Governor of New York to send out emails with hard core bestiality porn, why should recording a roommate's private moments be off limits???
Setting limits& rules doesn't make you a prude, it makes you civilized.

[LeftinOH]

148. "Roommate asked for the room till midnight..." Not to defend Ravi's actions, BUT

did anyone here ever get "sexpelled" from their dorm room while in college? I never did it to any roommate, but I experienced it enough. It is aggravating -to say the least, sometimes even disruptive; consider that both Sept 19th and Sept 21st were both school nights. It was/is crude and disrespectful to expect a roommate to be out of the room for a sexcapade (of any kind).

I can understand Ravi's actions if resulting from genuine aggravation. Yes, his juvenile choice to broadcast the sexcapade was wrong, but specifically homophobic? Maybe not.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

155. The twitter says he asked......

...not demanded.

I've had roommates that would ask well in advance and others that actually went ahead and started banging away when I was trying to sleep.

The real problem is nowadays we have become a "busting balls" society where any and every prank is put out on the net for everyone to see.

[ThomCat]

163. You can understand his actions?

How?

When you are sharing a room, you both understand that there are times that the other person may want the room alone and need some privacy. You accommodate each other.

Nothing in a room sharing agreement allows for spying on each other with remote video surveillance, or broadcasting anything over the internet.

:wtf:

[Raster]

171. You can understand? Can you really?

[Occulus]

199. "It was/is crude and disrespectful to expect a roommate to be out of the room"

"I can understand Ravi's actions"

You are a horrible, horrible person.

[LeftinOH]

202. ".... if resulting from genuine aggravation"; please read the rest of the sentence-

and no, I'm not horrible. I do believe, however, that a shared room (as in a college dorm) is never truly private -and anything you do in there is only "private" in half of the room- which means there is no true privacy. Someone who wants a private space all his/her own should get (and pay for) a single room.

Once, a roommate's skanky sexual conquest stole stuff from our room (my stuff included); another roommate regularly smoked weed (which could have meant serious trouble for me, just for being there, had he/we been caught); another brought his GF over while they went at it just 5 feet away from me. I never brought anyone into a shared room, because I never considered the room to be my own private space -even when the roommate wasn't there. Recording what the roommate was doing was wrong, but it may have been Ravi's (wrong-headed) way of 'getting back' at the roommate for expecing Ravi to vacate (until midnight!).

Oh, and I'm gay myself. :hi:

[U4ikLefty]

208. You're gay, yet your energy went to defending the motives of the pigs

who did this.

BTW, if you can't see the homophobia in the tweets then you are blind.

[activa8tr]

203. Sorry, but yes, many roommates have "arrangements" for private..

time with their lovers, and many roommates agree to that. It's very common. It isn't as if a student can ONLY study in his own dorm room during the semester, especially with laptops, books, etc. all being "portable". Some kids study at the library, some at a study lounge, or even in an empty classroom in the evening.

I cannot understand Ravi's actions AT ALL!!! IF he were aggravated by being asked to leave the room for a few hours, he is an adult and he could calmly voice his objection. No justification at all for any person to "get back at" their roommate in such a cruel way.

I don't know where you come up with your defense for this vicious and cowardly invasion of someone's privacy, nor how you choose to ignore and/or give him a pass on the sadistic aspect of it, given the homophobic and bullying world we live in.

[LeftinOH]

204. I am not defending Ravi or giving him a "pass".. just offering a possible explanation-

Crude pranks are common in college, and sometimes they are hurtful (or even illegal). This one resulted in shame and suicide; Ravi may have only expected it to result in a 'cease fire' or even a change of dorm rooms. Direct confrontation is something many college-age kids don't have much experience with. It is extremely doubtful that Ravi intended the situation to end this way.

He made a terrible decision, a prank -possibly tinged with revenge or aggravation- which went way over the line. I am not defending Ravi at all, neither am I joining the stampede of utter condemnation. Ravi made a dreadful choice in this situation -and so did his roommate. Everyone loses.

[LanternWaste]

207. The subtle stampede of milquetoast.

"I'm not joining the stampede of utter condemnation...."

Rather instead, beginning the ineffectual stampede of a herd of milquetoast, but still making just as many presumptions ("extremely doubtful", "possibly tinged...", "may have only expected") as everyone else.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other...

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

206. Congratulations. You crossed the MEH.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoralEventHorizon

[Odin2005]

154. Sick, sick people!

:grr:

[Beacool]

165. This is so sad.

It's been all over the news (I live in NJ). What a despicable thing to do to anyone, whether the young man was engaged in homosexual or heterosexual sex is beside the point. Everyone is entitled to privacy within the confines of his bedroom.

What kind of rotten people secretly videotape a friend having sex???

It is very disheartening to see the increasing coarsening of America. From reality shows to "sexting", we have become a nation that caters to the lowest common denominator.

I hope that these two creeps are expelled from Rutgers and also get some jail time. A person is dead thanks to their cruel prank.

My condolences to Tyler's family, such a senseless loss......

:-(

[The Uncola]

166. Honestly..

.. sometimes some people's inhumanity to other people, absolutely leaves me wondering if they are a different species altogether. May these two get prosecuted and sent to prison, for an extended length of time, where they belong.

[bdamomma]

168. how cruel to do that to another individual.

[OneBlueSky]

173. when I read this in this morning's paper, I was sick to my stomach . . .

this surveillance society we've created apparently means to some that it's okay to peep on anyone at any time doing anything whatsoever . . . and, of course, broadcast it on the net . . . what a horrible way to learn the lesson that it's NOT okay, never has been and never will be . . .

I'm sure these "kids" will deny any intent to do physical harm, but that doesn't excuse their horrific actions in the least . . . maybe a maximum jail term will send a message to others who might contemplate doing something equally mean and stupid . . .

god, there are times when I hate humans (and what we're capable of) . . .

[woo me with science]

174. Oh my god.

That poor kid.

[closeupready]

176. And of course, neither Dharun nor Molly have apologized, have they?

?

[Love Bug]

179. Their lawyer probably told them not to

because an apology would be like admitting guilt, thereby compromising their case.

[closeupready]

180. True. Nonetheless, if they are guilty and they apologized pre-trial, I'd be impressed with that.

It would not bring Tyler back, but I'd be inclined to consider that as honest remorse. (Of course, there is a chance they are innocent, but as I said, if they are indeed guilty.)

[Blasphemer]

191. Sad and disturbing

Even if such an act did not result in a suicide, it is reprehensible to seek to humiliate another person using a private moment, sexual or not. This kind of thing could happen to anyone and the resulting video or image could ruin a person's life. It's extremely disturbing but it's an unfortunate consequence of our current technological advances. I hope these two perpetrators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and I hope other victims of privacy invasion vigorously pursue their attackers.

[knixphan]

200. Hear, hear.

[Blandocyte]

209. speechless