The Media Should Be Ashamed

I have tried to stay out of this story. It just seemed too obvious that this girl was raped and justice had to be done for her. But it seems there are still way too many people in this country that don't think rape is a serious and vicious crime. And worse yet, a lot of them seem to be working for major media outlets. The graphic above shows what has happened. These media outlets are more worried about the rapists than the girl that was raped.

The media dropped the ball on this. They should have covered it as a crime and punishment story -- a teaching moment for all the men in this country. Instead, they used this opportunity to commiserate with the rapists (criminals). Do they really think women (even underage girls) are little more than play-things for men, and any girl that has too much to drink is fair-game for criminals?

Let me tell you what I think:

* Rape is still a vicious crime, even when perpetrated by teenagers.

* Rape is still a vicious crime, even when perpetrated by star athletes.

* Rape is still a vicious crime, even when perpetrated by so-called "good students".

* A rapist is a sex offender, and should be required to register as such.

* Anyone who has sex with a woman who did not say yes (or if she was too intoxicated to say yes or no) is a rapist.

* Covering up the crime of rape makes a person as guilty as the rapist (and making excuses for a rapist exposes a severe lack of values and judgement).

* I do not feel sorry for the criminals in the Steubenville rape case. By receiving only a sentence of a year or two in a juvenile facility, they got off light. They could have been (and probably should have been) certified as adults and been given long prison sentences. And neither the victim nor the court is responsible for "ruining their lives". They did that all by themselves by committing a violent crime (and rape is always a violent crime).

* I think the media should be ashamed of how they handled this story. Their biased reporting just helps the continuation of this country's "rape culture".