7 replies to this topic

[Selena]

This first began when hackers, supposedly affiliated with Anonymous, acquired a video captured from a cellphone. It effectively recorded the confessions of the rapists and their associates. As a warning, while this video is just a bunch of people talking, it's all disgusting and horrific.



Basically, the girl was both drunk and drugged, taken by a bunch of teen football players, violated, pissed on, and then eventually dumped in front of her parents' house.

Two of the rapists were just sent to jail. One for just over a year. The other for two years for having taken videos and pictures of the victim. They were tried as juveniles. Conviction article here. And if you really feel like losing faith in humanity, then you can go follow the trend on twitter. This is a good way of putting it:



And do note, the guy in the video doing the most shit-talking was not one of the ones convicted.

After the trial, people on CNN and online commentators lamented how "sad" it was that the boys' lives were ruined, and how their promising football careers were effectively over.

Just...


I...


seriously?

[Twinrova]

After the trial, people on CNN and online commentators lamented how "sad" it was that the boys' lives were ruined, and how their promising football careers were effectively over.

If the boys valued their football careers and their lives so much, maybe they should have thought of that before they fucking raped someone.

[Sir Deimos]

That's it. Street justice.

[JRPomazon]

That's it. Street justice.

I wouldn't be surprised if it came to that. Two of them are locked up for a year but I'd hate to see what was waiting for them when they finally get out.

[Kisseena]

I refuse to watch the video because I know I'm gonna be so pissed.
I feel really bad for that girl, and all of those boys need to get hit with all of the bricks in the world.

They're the ones that got their lives ruined? What about the girl that was raped, peed on, and then just dumped in front of the parent's house? I'm pretty sure her life was ruined. Emotionally scarred for life.
I HATE it when suspects are getting all this "good" attention.
"Oh, they were great football players."
"Oh, he had straight A's!"
No. They should not have any good put on them. They did something BAD. Don't give them the attention they want. This is why other people go and do the same thing so they can have their "good" things shown all over the news.
What about that poor girl? Why doesn't she get any good press? There's people out there saying she deserved it.

Whether or not she was irresponsible and drank too much (but she was drugged, so it doesn't really apply), that is NEVER a reason to go and just RAPE someone. There is NEVER a good reason to go and rape someone.

Why didn't they ALL go to jail? There's proof right there in a VIDEO.

All of these guys are gonna get trashed in the public, whether or not they went to jail. Good. They deserve it.
I hope they all run into a tree. Stop breathing my air. (I'm sorry, potential trees.)

[Toan]

That's it. Street justice.

I wouldn't be surprised if it came to that. Two of them are locked up for a year but I'd hate to see what was waiting for them when they finally get out.

Waiting for them? Nothing's waiting for them. They'll be released, and nothing will be said, because nobody will care or remember at all. A few weeks will pass and nobody will even remember this incident. The media has it down to a fine art, and in no time at all they'll have shepherded us on to the next horrible manufactured disaster we're gawking at to boost their viewer numbers and ad revenue.

The cycle continues. Sandy Hook, who?

[Jasi]

Waiting for them? Nothing's waiting for them. They'll be released, and nothing will be said, because nobody will care or remember at all. A few weeks will pass and nobody will even remember this incident. The media has it down to a fine art, and in no time at all they'll have shepherded us on to the next horrible manufactured disaster we're gawking at to boost their viewer numbers and ad revenue.

The cycle continues. Sandy Hook, who?

I hate to say it, but I think Toan is right on. Lots of people go to jail for a year and it impacts nothing. A year is plenty of time for everyone to forget about it and move on. It's sad.

[Sir Deimos]

Maybe in the court of public opinion. Take solace in the fact that a blemish like that will follow them around when they file applications of any kind. And hopefully would be more than enough to see that they can't lawfully own firearms.

[Egann]

There is but one consolation: rapists are the very bottom of the food chain in prison. They do not want to drop the soap.

But really? Is it sad they ruined their lives? Yes. Do I feel sorry for them? Not in the least. At least they were stupid enough to record it.

[Chikara Nadir]

Two of them are locked up for a year but I'd hate to see what was waiting for them when they finally get out.

I wanted to at least comment to adjust to this - the misconception people have is that both of the kids will be locked up for a year. One of them will have a MINIMUM of a year, the other will be in for at least two years - but both could easily be stuck in prison until their 21st birthdays.

I definitely would have liked to see more of the kids around them get a justice smackdown, but they all plea-bargained themselves into safety.

[Oberon Storm]

I think some people are missing the point with the comments from the media. There is nothing wrong with admitting that it is sad that anyone would throw their life away like this. That is what these boys have done and it is sad. I haven't seen or read anything that suggests anyone in the media feels these boys did not deserve it. Most of the complaints I have seen is that there should have been more individuals charged.

As for the lightness of the sentences, I don't know. Nothing says they will not remain locked up for longer. If they get out anytime sooner that their 21st it might have something to do with how young they are now and some hope they can be rehabilitated.

[Selena]

I think some people are missing the point with the comments from the media. There is nothing wrong with admitting that it is sad that anyone would throw their life away like this. That is what these boys have done and it is sad. I haven't seen or read anything that suggests anyone in the media feels these boys did not deserve it.

That would be understandable, but commentators didn't spin it that way. In fact, they made no effort to express sympathy toward the victim - nor did they mention any fault on the boys' part. They didn't say "it's sad how these boys chose to commit this terrible crime and throw their lives away." Just that it was sad that they were going to jail and their lives were ruined. Furthermore, the criminals only really apologized for having shared images of their crime, rather than apologizing for the crime itself. NBC painted the case as a "cautionary tale about not sharing media with the wrong people," or something to that effect. Not a "cautionary tale about RAPING SOMEBODY."

Women in this country are already hesitant to report rape because of the backlash they get - and having major news outlets (primarily CNN and NBC) focus on how the rapists are facing some kind of tragic fate just makes that worse. If the victim had been watching that broadcast, then it would be no surprise if she felt horrible and guilty for having been "responsible" for this. And that's not okay, because victim blaming happens all the time. Lots of rape victims harbor unnecessary guilt for having "made a scene" by reporting their assaults, because that's generally how rape gets handled, and this probably gave them all some nasty flashbacks. It may also dissuade future victims from reporting crimes. If you rape someone, then I don't think you're entitled to much sympathy at all - no matter how promising your future was.

On the plus side, the number of people furious with CNN may force them to apologize. They're getting flooded with angry messages at the moment.

For a brief, shining moment, Fox News actually handled reporting better than the other major networks -- because they, at least, just said flat out that teens were convicted of rape.

Of course, they then broke legal protocol by releasing the name of the victim, so that shining moment faded real quick-like.

[Chikara Nadir]

I'm going to be honest right now. I think that media itself - not CNN or NBC, but every other media source on the internet - is trying to spin this their own way. I frequent CNN daily (mostly because of limited websites that aren't blocked at work if I'm bored before going on shift or during breaks), and never once in any of their articles about the trial have I gotten the impression that they've been giving more weight toward the "poor, sad rapists" than the actual victim.

Yes, they have been pointing out that a 16 year old and 17 year old have lost their chances at living normal lives (which, as CFS already mentioned, is still true fact), but this has always been weighted against discussing the trauma of the victim, and how she and her family are hoping to have an opportunity at moving on and having a normal life. You want my opinion? It's that someone on the internet decided to start clipping the pieces of news stories related to Steubenville that they wanted to bring to attention, while ignoring the fact that plenty of hours more have been dedicated to the other aspects of the news story.

No, I haven't been watching the television side of CNN (or NBC, or wherever), so I haven't seen how much of a focus they've had on either side of the story through television. But I doubt a whole lot of people having a fit on the internet have, either. I don't think there's really a wrong or a right when it comes to this situation and what it's done to everyone involved in the trial; nobody wins.

Now, to move onto the broader topic: Two teenage girls (15 and 16) were dropped into Juvy overnight for threatening the rape victim over Twitter after the trial ended, and the Attorney General will shortly have the Grand Jury looking at all the evidence through texts, videos, and witnesses to see how many other people can be wrangled into having criminal action taken against them. Call me vindictive, but I'm grateful that they're going after the whole herd of teenagers instead of just scapegoating the two boys. We'll just have to see if anything comes of it: 56 witnesses so far, plus 16 more who are outright refusing to cooperate with the police.

[J-Roc]

I don't know why as a society we decided rapists belong in prison. The old method of punishment was much more effective.

Castration.

[Selena]

For the record, this was the original "breaking news" footage. Which is what people are upset about - not online articles.

[Kisseena]

I don't know why as a society we decided rapists belong in prison. The old method of punishment was much more effective.

Castration.

Although I do agree ( ), what can we do with women rapists? They exist, too.
Taking out their internal organs wouldn't really stop them.

[Twinrova]

Sew 'em up.

[Kisseena]

Sew 'em up.

Oh duh. XD

We found our solutions.

[Oberon Storm]

There is a form of femal castration. It is the removal of the clitoris. I don't think the motality rate for the proceedure is good.

[Kisseena]

You can die from getting that removed? D:

GOOD WE DON'T NEED RAPISTS.

[Khallos]

I'm going to be honest right now. I think that media itself - not CNN or NBC, but every other media source on the internet - is trying to spin this their own way. I frequent CNN daily (mostly because of limited websites that aren't blocked at work if I'm bored before going on shift or during breaks), and never once in any of their articles about the trial have I gotten the impression that they've been giving more weight toward the "poor, sad rapists" than the actual victim.

This seems the way it's being spun even here; saw several things today often with an emphasis that the boys were apologetic to their team but omitting the fact they also actually apologised to the victim and her family (which I believe they did in clips from the trial - I might have been too tired and imagined it). It's the society and culture that we often laud so highly that really is highlighted once again by this trial - media that is twisted as ever and a philosophy amongst the young that encourages it. This is a rape case that has only been brought to light because of the celebrity nature of the offenders, such crimes are blanketed by the obscurity of the rapists normally.

[Egann]

There is a form of femal castration. It is the removal of the clitoris. I don't think the motality rate for the proceedure is good.

Uhh. Not castration. That's female circumcision, something I wish didn't exist. And yeah, Kiss, mortality rates can be high because places that do this don't exactly have proper sanitation. And it's likely to be done on a squirming twelve year old girl by her grandmother.

My list of fates worse than rape is short. Female circumcision is easily one of them.

Edited by Egann, 19 March 2013 - 11:05 PM.

[arunma]

Just something I like to say whenever there's any sort of public outrage about any sort of crime...

Please remember that we believe in the concept that someone is innocent until proven guilty. Yeah, these guys are already convicted, but I also saw on the news that charges are being pursued against others who may have been involved, and besides that you can take what I say retroactively. Whenever anyone gets killed, raped, whatever, I hear people crying out for victims rights and more expediency in prosecutions. Keep in mind that it's supposed to be really hard to convict anyone of anything. The idea is that it's better to acquit guilty people than convict innocent people. OK, these two guys got convicted, so now the prison system should have free reign to do whatever to them. But the next time something like this happens (and mind you, it will), I hope people don't start suggesting that the justice system make the job easier on prosecutors by limiting defendants' rights.

Sorry, I'm not really responding to what anyone here said. It's just that I remember reading about this story months ago when it first came out, and I distinctly recall a lot of people on TV suggesting a (proverbial) hanging before the trial. I reiterate: it should be really hard to convict people of crimes.

As for the people already convicted...give 'em a bar of self-dropping soap.

[Oberon Storm]

There is a form of femal castration. It is the removal of the clitoris. I don't think the motality rate for the proceedure is good.

Uhh. Not castration. That's female circumcision, something I wish didn't exist. And yeah, Kiss, mortality rates can be high because places that do this don't exactly have proper sanitation. And it's likely to be done on a squirming twelve year old girl by her grandmother.

My list of fates worse than rape is short. Female circumcision is easily one of them.

I was taught it was castration, but really... Does it matter?

Proper sanitation also isn't the only problem. This is the removal of a tight bundle of nerves. And when I says tight I mean tighter than other clusters because it's more that that little ball. Those nerves spread out like tree roots.

[arunma]

Although I do agree ( ), what can we do with women rapists? They exist, too.
Taking out their internal organs wouldn't really stop them.

Heh, I appreciate your considering the female rapists given that on this issue the justice system is heavily biased in favor of women. Not that I'm some big defender of "men's rights," just defendent's rights in general. I will say though that this is a minor detail. I'm willing to bet a few bucks that if you exclude pedophiles and hot female high school teachers, the number of women rapists is probably really small.

As for the hot female high school teachers boning their underage male students, no one really thinks that's rape.
(That's sort of a joke, but if anyone honestly disagrees it might make for a good side-thread).

[Kisseena]

Although I do agree ( ), what can we do with women rapists? They exist, too.
Taking out their internal organs wouldn't really stop them.

Heh, I appreciate your considering the female rapists given that on this issue the justice system is heavily biased in favor of women. Not that I'm some big defender of "men's rights," just defendent's rights in general. I will say though that this is a minor detail. I'm willing to bet a few bucks that if you exclude pedophiles and hot female high school teachers, the number of women rapists is probably really small.

As for the hot female high school teachers boning their underage male students, no one really thinks that's rape.
(That's sort of a joke, but if anyone honestly disagrees it might make for a good side-thread).

If the guy willingly did it, then she's just stupid.
And gross.

[JRPomazon]

Well, it looks like the trial isn't over yet. Looks like one of them is going for an appeal:

http://sourcefednews...o-mental-state/

[arunma]

If the guy willingly did it, then she's just stupid.
And gross.

Yeah in pretty much every case I've heard the guy does it willingly. And the older female teacher is hot.

Gross? It's many things, but not that. When I was in school this was every guy's fantasy.

[Oberon Storm]

My english teach. High school. Senior year. Blonde. Gorgeous. Late 20's. Huge rack. Recently divorced. I admit it may have been wishful think, but all of us guys in the class got this sense that she was very lonely.

I remember about a year after graduation I was working overnight shift in a gas station. One night she got out of a car that pulled up. Damn near topless. Obvioulsy drunk. Flirty as hell.

I'll stop now.

[Crimson Lego]

Have you guys heard of or about Sarah Jones?



Basically what Arunma was talking about: http://www.huffingto..._n_2551993.html