Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Steubenville Ohio rape case

nadroJ

nadroJ

CF Legend
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvUdyNko8LQ&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

So, this just came to my attention. If anybody doesn't know, there's been a case running recently about how a 16 year old girl was drugged and gang-raped around several different parties at Steubenville, Ohio. Photos were taken of her an uploaded onto Instagram (Google it) and there is video footage of the guys talking about raping her (again, Google it).

So this video has just come out. The boys have been sentenced as guilty, but listen to the way everybody talks about it. How it's so tragic that this happened to the boys. How sad for them that their lives are ruined. I'm sorry?! These people are vicious, disgusting rapist pigs. They don't deserve sympathy. They deserve what they got and then some. They did this to themselves because they are horrible, horrible people and need to get what's coming to them.

Sorry for the OUTRAGE but I just could not believe it when I watched this video. I encourage everyone to watch it as well as spread around how disgusted you are with the way this case has been handled by the American media, and how rapists are being framed as victims.

I've copied and pasted the above from a Facebook status I posted earlier, but I thought I'd bring it to CF because I'd like to discuss it more, especially with Americans. I want to know what you think about this, or what your friends and family think about this. The reporters' tone of voice seems intended to evoke empathy for the rapists, and I find this absolutely mind-boggling. But at the same time, they are victims. They're victims of a culture who make rape seem light-hearted and funny. Look at stuff like Family Guy. Constant jokes about rape and sexual harassment. And it does all seem light-hearted, until it manifests itself in something like this and 2 kids go to jail and have their lives ruined because they did something vile. I think the most heartbreaking thing for me is the fact that I seriously do not believe that they feel any guilt for what they've actually done to this girl, but more are ashamed and embarrassed at having something like this go public (even though they publicised it themselves by posting stuff on the Internet).

It's just one totally confusing and sickening piece of media, and I'm interested to hear your thoughts on it.
 
I can't watch the report as I'm at work. I agree that it's a shame that "good people" will commit a heinous crime and ruin their lives.

I don't feel sorry for them, I just feel that it's unfortunate that anybody with a good future would throw it away by committing such a hideous crime. Is that what they meant?

I think it also possibly says a great deal about the perception of "position" or "actions" and how it is often contrary to a personality. These guys could have gone to church each week, helped with fund raisers, volunteered at the old people's homes, always done their home work and were shining examples of social courtesy.

In reality, they are selfish thugs and oafs merely acting in a way that is beneficial to their lives to fit social norms. Our culture is set up to make us see "what's on paper" rather than the truth. Everything is completely superficial and most people are more concerned with "looks" than the truth.

I don't think it's even particularly more prolific in the States than here either.

Hence the reaction? It's like Mickey Mouse being done for drug trafficking - his steamboat a cover for cocaine runs to Columbia.
 
It's basically that the boys were treated as victims (at one point, during a statement, one of them breaks down and cries like the child he is), and the actual victim is mentioned ONCE in a passing comment.
 
For those with no background, Steubenville is a small, rust belt town (community that was large in the steel industry before it all left in the late 70's, my hometown being one of them) that is football obsessed.

It's a town that you don't go to visit, you don't really stay in, and to be honest, I didn't even like passing through. It has drugs, poverty, little in way of ability to escape. The one thing they pride themselves on is football. The Big Red has been good, real good, in football for decades. Because its a small, isolated town, things are kinda kept on the inside, kept quiet, etc etc.

I personally think THAT is worse then the actual act itself. That major players in the community tried to hide the act, keep people quiet, brush it under the rug because the two people being accused were football players.. and they can't have a bad football season!
 
Snoo said:
I personally think THAT is worse then the actual act itself. That major players in the community tried to hide the act, keep people quiet, brush it under the rug because the two people being accused were football players.. and they can't have a bad football season!
Click to expand...

If they were smart they would've realized that was impossible due to all the circulation it got on Social Media. Somehow the pics made it all the way to my news feed thanks to the share button.

Really you can't keep a secret in a high school when all the kids have cell phones and basically have their own nests on Facebook and Twitter, if something gets out everyone knows within a day or two.
 
They posted pics on Instagram themselves, and uploaded a video where they're talking about rape and necrophilia and stuff.
 
Its more like what Snoo said, they tried to keep it hush hush as much as they could and it didnt work thanks to the wonders of the Internet! Ive always felt odd about rape cases on TV since they always make the Raper seem like the victim and the actual victim just an attention seeker. As was pointed out, they start crying like they just realized they made a greivous error of judgement! It kinda helps enforce that odd notion that rape is still somehow those being raped fault...

Like, the kid walked over to the family and said how he never wanted things to be this way, his father was openly begging for mercy for his son, and they are only getting 2 years tops (with only 1 of them getting a single year!). Its just....odd...

Oddly enough, Ive heard of this almost 3-4 months ago as a friend of mine started ranting about it on Facebook (he lives near Steubenville). When it got brought back up by a girl i work with on Friday, I confused it with the one happening in Cincy.
 
First I've heard about this case but just watched the report and just found it utterly amazing that the boys were being portrayed as the victims throughout. What the actual hell, that's so messed up!
 
I've seen this bounce around on Tumblr a while ago asking people to spread the fact they were trying to cover it up and expose it and it's recently bounced up again in regards to this where they're being played as victims.

So yeah, CNN can **** off.
 
nadroJ said:
They posted pics on Instagram themselves, and uploaded a video where they're talking about rape and necrophilia and stuff.
Click to expand...

^ That's just... horrible.

This story is horrible. The way CNN tried to report the case was too much towards sympathy. I understand that they are somewhat victims but at the same time, they were in the wrong. What they did to that girl was disgusting, and the whole posting pics on Instagram - just horrible.
 
Lottie. said:
nadroJ said:
They posted pics on Instagram themselves, and uploaded a video where they're talking about rape and necrophilia and stuff.
Click to expand...

^ That's just... horrible.

This story is horrible. The way CNN tried to report the case was too much towards sympathy. I understand that they are somewhat victims but at the same time, they were in the wrong. What they did to that girl was disgusting, and the whole posting pics on Instagram - just horrible.
Click to expand...


It's utterly deplorable, sickens me the way news channels twist stories. It happens in this country with footballers I find sometimes. Anyone who is found guilty of rape should be named and shamed for all to see.

This sort of 'victimizing' of the rapists glamorizes said behavior, much like when a gunman is on the loose and how the US networks cover it.
 
Good. There's been reports that people were attacking the victim online too, asking her if she's happy with what she's done and how she's ruined these guys' lives.
 
The American media is the biggest joke there is. Except it's not funny, just sickening.
I don't mean just this though, pretty much since I could think on my own I've hated it.

Very sad, but anyone (at least any American) surprised I question where they've lived!
 
furie said:
I don't feel sorry for them, I just feel that it's unfortunate that anybody with a good future would throw it away by committing such a hideous crime. Is that what they meant?
Click to expand...

I totally agree, I also kind of feel bad for Oscar Pistorius. Don't get me wrong he is a monster, he deserves to be in prison, but it is kind of hard to watch how could a person throw his whole life, his status away in just few moments. Also the same for these two guys...
 
The backlash I've seen to that CNN article has been large and harsh.. especially by those who have even mentioned it. Oooo those girls are in for some **** once it hits the fan.
 
I think what's even more difficult about this case is that it seems to be the women doling out the sympathy? The news reporters: both women, the people attacking the victim via social media: girls. What the hell is wrong with the world? I seriously do not understand how something like rape is so drastically misrepresented and misunderstood in the world, so much so that the rapist gets sympathy the the victim is seem as tarnished and dirty. What.

It's weird because a lot of the sympathy I've read comes from the fact that the rapists are still technically minors, albeit in the bodies of men. People feel sorry for them because they are kids. But then, look at something like the Jamie Bulger case in the UK. The murderers were 10 year old boys. Nobody felt sorry for them, they were seen as evil Satan-spawn. So why in this case is it different? Totally warped.
 
The best bit is seeing people making ridiculous comments around the fact that she was too young to be drinking.

"She's drinking underage; free reign boys!"

Three rules about rape:

1. It's wrong; there are no exceptions.

2. Under no circumstances is it the victim's fault.

3. If you don't agree with 1 and 2, f**k you.
 
While I wholeheartedly agree with what's been said here so far with regards to the gravity of the crime and how despicable and degrading the act of rape is, I also don't take offense to the news coverage in that video clip. To me, the focus on the offenders came off as intended to serve as a warning of sorts about the emotional and legal ramifications of committing a crime like this. I don't really see where they made light of the crime or portrayed the boys as victims of an unfair or unlucky set of circumstances. When they state that the lives of two "promising" young football players were totally ruined, what about that is untrue?

Moreover, the victim has chosen to keep her identity anonymous (and I don't blame her one bit for doing so), so as far as the news story goes, what is there to say about her? Unfortunately, not much. The media can't get any statements or interviews from her, her parents, friends, or other relatives, so there isn't anyone for them to focus their story on. I've no doubt that if this weren't the case, if the victim's name were made public, then that's who the story would be centered around.

Fact is, the two boys committed a terrible crime and deserve every bit of punishment they'll receive for it. And the fact that they took pictures and joked about it with their friends is nothing short of revolting. Altogether, it demonstrates a total lack of compassion and disgusting sense of entitlement and selfishness. But at the end of the day, the victim is not the only person whose life will permanently affected by this event. These two may not suffer the long-term mental and emotional scars, but they will have fallout of their own to deal with as the fact that they are now convicted sex offenders will follow them forever, affecting them in a multitude of ways. Just because they brought it upon themselves doesn't make it any less tragic. When three young people's lives are irreversibly damaged... to me, that's a sad story all the way around.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top