Steubenville rape trial verdict, and reflections

[Necroplant]

If you don't know about this, awhile ago some stupid football players in Steubenville, Ohio posted online a video showing them bragging about raping a girl, and joking about it, and to be honest - I didn't read most of the details. That was enough for me, and I'm in Canada, so I knew it was pretty shut-and-close. They were found guilty, but one got 1 year in prison and the other got 2 years, and both have to register as sex offenders.

I don't know about other guys, but we were shown a lot of anti-rape and anti-harassment videos in grade school, and on TV as well. I'd say I was well-enough informed, and perhaps that was what went wrong with them: they were never told from a younger age that this is wrong.

Not sure if they're going to serve in juvenile or adult detention, but they got off pretty light I'd say, though not sure how long their offender status will last.

In a slight human way, I did feel minor pity for the images of them crying over their guilty verdict, but I guess that's part of the deal they get, is reflection on what they've done. There was a similar case at York University a few years back where a couple of dudes went on a drunk rape rampage through a residence, inflicting on several girls. They were tearful and remorseful when their verdict was read.

[Ash]

Crying is natural. It doesn't mean you'll be deterred from raping another victim. Also, I'm sure they knew that rape was bad. High school is/should be a stage where you know which actions are considered obvious crimes and which isn't. The average American have a television in their house, or so I think. Who doesn't watch the news?

Just watching cops in the streets or watching criminals should be enough to deter oneself from following the same influence, IMO.

But yeah, they were lucky they got off light. The judge is probably secretly a rapist.

[creedkingsx]

Isn't this the one where the dumbasses recorded raping her and like pissing on her?

[Necroplant]

Isn't this the one where the dumbasses recorded raping her and like pissing on her?

I could name a dozen examples in history of individuals documenting atrocities and publishing it. "Hey, here's our crime and faces, arrest us, please!!!"

I think it was partly high-profile because a lot of rape victims never get justice done. A lot of rape-kits get untested for decades and then reported in the news as a "Oh fuck shit, we forgot to get around to them!"

Not sure where the case was held, but the fact that they were football players probably reduced their sentence.

[Ash]

but the fact that they were football players probably reduced their sentence.

lol wat dude. u srsly think this? do you like football? wat if the judge didn't like football? wat if the 2 guys were baseball players instead of being football players?

[oops_ur_dead]

I don't buy this mentality of rape being caused by mens' ignorance. I think it places too much blame on men (all men, not just rapists), accusing us of being rape-hungry beasts until someone enlightens us that when someone says no, they actually mean no.

Everyone fucking knows rape is bad. And if a person is the kind of person that they don't know that rape is bad, then they're not the kind of person that would listen to someone telling them that, anyway.

[Necroplant]

I don't buy this mentality of rape being caused by mens' ignorance. I think it places too much blame on men (all men, not just rapists), accusing us of being rape-hungry beasts until someone enlightens us that when someone says no, they actually mean no.

Everyone fucking knows rape is bad. And if a person is the kind of person that they don't know that rape is bad, then they're not the kind of person that would listen to someone telling them that, anyway.

I was thinking how best to answer this. Should we round up every schoolboy who sniggers during anti-harassment videos at school? That wouldn't be good, as they have proposed that with people who have autism (so they won't kill children).

Best thing is to keep teaching girls and women to be on their guard.