In Steubenville, a 16 year old gang raped at several parties by football team.

[RavynousHunter]

Its called outrage.  No, we don't actually want them taken from their homes, beaten with chains, and ripped apart by animals, but this shit makes people fucking angry, and they're going to let their aggression out here, as opposed to the real world, where it can do far, far more damage.

Do you really expect us to go, "Oh, a girl was gang raped?  Hmm, quite."?  Do you expect us to go all Vulcan and repress the anger that's welled up by things like this?  That's not going to happen, because its human nature to be infuriated by things like this.

[ThunderWulf]

Its called outrage.  No, we don't actually want them taken from their homes, beaten with chains, and ripped apart by animals, but this shit makes people fucking angry, and they're going to let their aggression out here, as opposed to the real world, where it can do far, far more damage.

Do you really expect us to go, "Oh, a girl was gang raped?  Hmm, quite."?  Do you expect us to go all Vulcan and repress the anger that's welled up by things like this?  That's not going to happen, because its human nature to be infuriated by things like this.

Took the words right out of my mouth.  People are pissed off because of a disgusting act, plain and simple.

[ironbite]

You know, simply bringing these people to a court of law and throwing them in prison if they're found guilty is also a sensible option....

Cept Steubenville doesn't want to do that because it might jeopardize their chances at State.  For these people, the high school football team is all they have.  Either because they played on the team, have boys who play on the team, were rejected from the team, what have you.  Hell, one of the boys is the son of the DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR THIS PLACE!  Already there are reports of recursion because of conflicts of interest.  And that's just the tip of the ice berg.  Anon went after these people to expose them for the slime they are.  Frankly, what happened is just the beginning for these people

Ironbite-they might find their football program suspended because of what these jackasses did.

[Thejebusfire]

Fuck their chances at state. Football is not that goddamned important.

[ThunderWulf]

One of them is the kid of the DA?  Goddamn, this could blow up in their faces FAST... and frankly I hope it does.  I don't care if I'm being cynical with this instance.  Fuck 'em.

[Jack Mann]

And now the town's trying to turn it into a case about the evils of social media.

Talk about the town missing the point, especially since it's social media that has exposed the sleazeballs in question.

I think that's exactly why they're upset.

Or here's a concept for y'all: Stop acting like Nancy fucking Grace and let the courts do their goddamned jobs.

This is a behavior that fucks me off to no end. When a bunch of people decide "HEY, LET'S TRY AND CONVICT THEM -BEFORE- THE TRIAL EVEN STARTS, HERP DE DERP!1!"instead of getting the full facts out. I have one thing to say on that end: Melinda Duckett.

If they did do this, I hope that if there is a hell, they get a new layer just for themselves and for other gang rapists. If there isn't a hell, I hope they get put in general pop where one learns that hell truly is other people, and are never allowed to play football ever again. But if they aren't guilty, well, a lot of people are gonna look real stupid for doing this.

As for the town missing the point, I think they do so on purpose. I think they do so because if it did happen, you have a whole small town in denial that their parents breached their responsibility so badly in the name of football.

The football gods do not approve of this behavior at all, nor should anyone else. HOWEVER, that doesn't excuse falling into a trap of sensationalistic media coverage. We're better than that, guys and gals.

To a large extent, I actually agree.  I do worry about internet vigilantism, and it has been turned against the wrong people before.  But the problem is that until people on the internet got involved, the court wasn't doing its job.  Only two of the offenders were charged.  The prosecutor was the mother of one of the defendants. and didn't recuse herself for several weeks after people started complaining about it.  It wasn't until people got involved and started bringing this to media attention that something was done.  Should their guilt be decided through a fair, impartial trial?  Of course.  But first, a fair impartial trial has to happen.

Now that there's massive attention on the case, I'm optimistic that actual justice will be done, and I'm content to let the police and court do their job.  But that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep our eyes on the proceedings.

[dpareja]

Fuck their chances at state. Football is not that goddamned important.

Football is sickeningly important in various parts of the US.

[QueenofHearts]

Cept, Ironbite, I've read the article. While most boys are getting off scott-free at the moment, 2 are being charged. Second, I don't think saying how outraged you are on an internet forum is the answer. Nor is coming up with elaborate ways to torture and kill them. Anonymous has pretty much doxed those involved, including the Sheriff. Call up the sheriff and tell him to press charges. Write a letter to the Ohio Attorney General or the FBI. Repost this story on facebook or a link to it in twitter so others can be made aware of this injustice. Even signing an online petition that will call out those in power would be doing more to change the status quo. If you don't want to do things online, then remember this story and communicate it to others IRL so that it's not brushed under the rug 3 weeks from now.

But acting like an internet tough guy or like a god-damned psychopath isn't the right answer.

[Lt. Fred]

The problem being, of course, that it appears that many people who were criminally involved will in fact not be charged. It's not 'prejudging' to demand that people who have confessed to crimes already be charged with said crimes, particularly in a rape case. After all, very few rape cases make it to court and almost no rape charges are lies. It's unacceptable for a prosecutor to undercharge in a rape case, particularly where there is a stack of evidence, particularly where the community appears to be on the rapists' side, particularly such an aggravated and horrific crime. Every effort should be made to encourage other women to come forwards. While not abandoning the presumption of innocence*, it should be made very clear to a rape victim that they're being believed, that the prosecutor has their back and that therefore everything that can be done to bring the perpetrators to justice will be done.

In the absence of responsible behaviour on the part of the  prosecutor, people are taking the law into their own hands. They're not saying that they should face punishment without the right to a trial, we're saying that they're probably guilty, will never face a trial and mild extra-judicial punishment is better than scott-free. Now, we might not agree, but the fault is entirely the prosecutors. Where law fails, vigilantism takes over.

* I think this is a grey area. In my view, some standard rules should be modified in rape cases, because they are so emotionally damaging, ect (which is, of course, what is happening). Theoretically, the defendant has a right to face the accused; probably not in a rape case. Cross-examination is often used in a manner just skirting the edges of probity (dress, previous sex life) in order to label the defendant a slut; this should be prohibited immediately, though I admit it is thorny. Not to mention the inhuman process of making a rape victim relive their attack. I understand that courts have been grappling with this for a while now and good for them (so no names, video testimony and so on) but I think more could be done. The danger of accidentally imprisoning innocent people is serious, of course.


TLDR: Basically, I'm saying be nice to rape victims; it's complicated, sure, but prosecutors should support their brave decision to go public.

[Her3tiK]

Its called outrage.  No, we don't actually want them taken from their homes, beaten with chains, and ripped apart by animals...

Yeah... totally not with anybody on this one... >_>

[gomer21xx]

Cept, Ironbite, I've read the article. While most boys are getting off scott-free at the moment, 2 are being charged. Second, I don't think saying how outraged you are on an internet forum is the answer. Nor is coming up with elaborate ways to torture and kill them. Anonymous has pretty much doxed those involved, including the Sheriff. Call up the sheriff and tell him to press charges. Write a letter to the Ohio Attorney General or the FBI. Repost this story on facebook or a link to it in twitter so others can be made aware of this injustice. Even signing an online petition that will call out those in power would be doing more to change the status quo. If you don't want to do things online, then remember this story and communicate it to others IRL so that it's not brushed under the rug 3 weeks from now.

But acting like an internet tough guy or like a god-damned psychopath isn't the right answer.

And, this being the Internet, we all post this on every social media site we can while still venting our anger and frustration at how the courts dropped the ball (BOY, is that putting it lightly) in this case over here.  Just because we're venting our anger and frustration here (granted, some of us are very angry, to put it mildly), doesn't mean we're not also spreading the word.

Show of hands, how many of you posting in this thread have also at least posted it on a social media site? *raises hand*

[kefkaownsall]

Reblogged on Tumblr

[Distind]

I'm still trying to grasp what could be wrong in someone's head to make this a possible thing to do. Or at the very least why if it was a thing to do, how you could possibly be dumb enough to advertise the action.

I lost a few friends in college over my rather adamant point that fucking a passed out girl is rape regardless of the relationship between you, and that if she won't bring charges I'll just break your jaw and consider it even. Found out a few days after that particular conversation that one of the people I'd been talking to had something of habit of it with his old girlfriend. He spent the next few years ensuring that I didn't see him before he saw me. Worst part of it to me, she never seemed to have a problem with it, and yeah, I did bring it up.

[kefkaownsall]

Yeah sadly many guys don't know/care that if the person is incapable of saying no, it means no

[Her3tiK]

Cept, Ironbite, I've read the article. While most boys are getting off scott-free at the moment, 2 are being charged. Second, I don't think saying how outraged you are on an internet forum is the answer. Nor is coming up with elaborate ways to torture and kill them. Anonymous has pretty much doxed those involved, including the Sheriff. Call up the sheriff and tell him to press charges. Write a letter to the Ohio Attorney General or the FBI. Repost this story on facebook or a link to it in twitter so others can be made aware of this injustice. Even signing an online petition that will call out those in power would be doing more to change the status quo. If you don't want to do things online, then remember this story and communicate it to others IRL so that it's not brushed under the rug 3 weeks from now.

But acting like an internet tough guy or like a god-damned psychopath isn't the right answer.

Show of hands, how many of you posting in this thread have also at least posted it on a social media site? *raises hand*

Different article, but yes.