Anyone following the Anon v. Steubenville, Ohio HS rapist story making it's way around today?

Honestly, It was probably both. I was 5.

 

My daughter told me about this yesterday. It really doesn't surprise me at all that a community would choose the futures of their star football team over the life of a single girl. Who was also probably a bitch or a slut. Obviously.


Truth is, if Anonymous hadn't brought attention to this story, it probably would have been successfully buried. So I don't have a shred of regret or fear about what they've done. America is full of buried secrets. I'm not one to think that uncovering them is a bad thing - no one else is going to do it.

Lastly, I hope all the young people involved are arrested and brought to trial and I hope they carry around the stain of what they've done for the rest of their lives. The whole thing is revolting.

 

I'm glad you've all rushed to judgement. Anonymous is a completely unassailable source and can be counted on to get the facts 100% percent right 100% of the time.

Jesus Christ. What a fucking lynch mob most of you are. Yes, Anonymous gave media attention to the story, and it might even have deserved it. But this isn't even the worst rape story I heard in 2012. It isn't even the worst conspiracy theory I heard in 2012. It isn't even the worst conspiracy theory that I heard in that GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.

Can you guys send me a nice postcard from the Land of Snap Judgments?

 

It's hardly a snap judgment, Jazz. Did you watch the video? I don't think there's a lot of dispute that a brutal rape happened. It's what happened afterwards that is in question.

And I never said that Anonymous is an unassailable source, I said they brought attention to the story when it was possible that it might have just gone away. I'm sorry that it's not the worst rape story you've heard this year. But the only thing significant about you having heard about other rape stories is THAT YOU HEARD ABOUT THEM.

 

Jazz, are you seriously discounting this story because it hasn't reached some threshold of depravity with respect to rape? Are you a top five worst rape story guy? Anything less brutal than the fifth most brutal rape and you're like 'whatevs'?

I don't know if there's something wrong with rushing to judge the people in that youtube video. I mean, I said some stupid shit as a kid, but wow. I did about five years in Small Town America, and while it seems a bit of a stretch to have a whole town in on it, I definitely saw football players getting away with shit that the average mortal couldn't. For some folks, the football team was essentially the town. Anything you say about the football team is implicitly extrapolated and applied to the whole town. I find the entire situation described in the OP depressingly plausible. I'm glad Anonymous brought attention to the story, even if it turns out to be nothing.

 

That really pisses me off.

By all means don't rush to judge some 18-year-old little fuck who jokes about fucking a 'dead girl' in the butt. Sorry, I judge him. Judge, judge, judge. Fucking sue me.

 

The point: all 3 of you missed it.

The point is that you've convicted these guys based on the video alone, at least in your heads. You have not verified that the guy in that video is, in fact, talking about the victim. You have not verified that it is not a member of Anonymous posing as one of the perpetrators. You're taking it at face value. Perhaps it is what Anonymous says what it is, but they are perfectly capable of manufacturing evidence where none exists. So until someone verifies for me that the guys in the video are in fact guys that allegedly did this, then I'm not going to decide these guys are guilty. If you're comfortable making that decision, it's on you.

And that's the problem here. These are horrible allegations. But let's be clear - the ONLY evidence that a brutal rape occurred comes solely from social media. I'm not discounting that evidence, I'm simply pointing out that it's the only source at the moment. I've seen no mention of physical evidence - perhaps it exists and I'm not aware of it.

There is a very serious problem with media attention in that it subverts the judicial system. And that is exactly what's happening in this thread - everyone is CERTAIN that these guys did these things when it is very possible that it they did not. And you have no more evidence to prove me wrong with that statement than I do that you're right. That's why courts exist.

But go ahead with your outrage. Sorry to interrupt your media lynching.

 

I've convicted no one, sir, while you've gone ahead and convicted me. So, I know you are and what am I and all that.

You may proceed with your outrage.

 

Did I point you out by name? No. Did I point out anyone by name? No.

Nice assumptions everyone. Ass of u and me. Huzzah.

And I'll proceed with mine in parallel with everyone else's, thanks. I'll remember that my points about overarching problems with society are best left to the theoretical and philosophical than where the actual rubber meets the road. My bad.
--- merged: Jan 5, 2013 at 11:18 AM ---

Oh, I see - I should have all the answers and be able to explain them in small, persuasive words without many adjectives. I'll make sure to do that next time.

Sorry to interrupt your outrage here. Clearly I'm in the wrong because I dared point out that you haven't even heard any of the contrary evidence.

Let's cut their fucking balls off! Fuck yeah!

 

No, you didn't point me out by name, but only an dullard would read your response in the context of the three posts that you were responding to, one of which was mine, and not assume that you were talking to me.

To recap: You said "The point: all 3 of you missed it." and then you went on to elucidate what "the point" was. You dug this hole, stop acting like what you wrote didn't mean what it meant. I get it. We're all assholes for daring to side with a gang rape victim prior to a conviction (even if the situation might be such that a conviction would never happen, regardless of guilt) while you're a fucking saint for pretending to care about due process. Mea culpa.

 

The young man in the video has already been identified as an 18-year-old former member of the high school baseball team currently on scholarship at OSU. What do you call an anti-conspiracy theory based on a alleged conspiracy theory?

 

Which makes him guilty of being a boor. And if that's a crime, I'm the first to get strung up.

I wasn't talking to you. Assumption. Again. There were other posts that I read. So take the fucking chip off your shoulder, Bodkin. In case you are feeling like a dullard today for some reason I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT YOU. Sorry that you assumed that I was when I wasn't. I was talking about those who have rushed to judgement in earlier posts. As I thought I clearly stated. But if you're absolutely convinced of their guilt, then I retract my apology, such as it is.

Baraka_Guru, what's my point in all this? In pointing out that the attention has now swung this 180 degrees from what might be a vast conspiracy (which I still have trouble believing is true, although I'll acknowledge that it might be) to absolute internet outrage that will make it very difficult for these guys to get a fair trial. If they're guilty, I'm the first to say that they deserve to be punished. The point that I'm trying to make that you all seem to be missing is that you've only heard the portion of the evidence that was presented in such a way as to make you feel the emotions that you're feeling. The worst of the worst was presented, and you've all bought it hook, line and sinker. It's entire possible that what you've seen is exactly the way it went down, but it's also entirely plausible that what you think happened didn't. The evidence that Anonymous has presented is circumstantial at best since they themselves have acknowledged that witness are needed to bear it out.

So, again, if you're the ones calling for these guys to be punished immediately, you're rushing to judgement. At least I'm willing to listen to a counter-argument before making up my mind. I don't see many people in this thread (Borla being the obvious exception) making that kind of explicit statement. What I do see is a lot of folks ready for the punishment phase of the trial to get underway, rights of the accused be damned.

And this is what happens when you try to take the middle of the road - you get run over by a truck.

For the record, I'm calling out anyone who's already made up their mind. If that's you, I'll continue to be your "bad guy". Because there are obvious sentiments in this thread that anyone that dares suggest that maybe all the assumptions aren't 100% true is someone who is pro-rape. There's a whole lot of "how DARE you!!!" going on here when the only thing that I've done is point out that there's another side of the story. It's good that IF there is a conspiracy that it's coming to light, but it's certainly not a foregone conclusion that it exists.

What also seems to bear mentioning is that the wheels of justice were turning before Anonymous got involved and that they continue to turn.

 

Sure they are innocent until proven guilty. But the Anonymous 'prosecution' team is much better at telling their side of the facts than the city prosecutor. Especially if she (the prosecutor) is part of the cover up. Anonymous has made allegations that don't look very good about what the prosecutor did (and what the BCI or local media should have found), and now she has the right to clear things up or try and explain why things aren't as bad as they look. The Steubenville Files | LocalLeaks

From a legal stand-point it might be a very tough case to prove. Did the girl have a rape kit done? Were any medical reports made? Does she remember any of it since she was drugged? The 5th amendment protects a lot of the people at the parties from saying much, even if they would rat out their friends. And what would the consequences of that be? Is there any proof of the drug? Everyone in the small town probably knows who she is, but she would still have to testify and get cross examined in court. And it can take years for this type of thing to get to trial probably. And then what punishment would these guys get? Community service? A few weeks in juvie?

 

No one has asked for them to be punished immediately, Jazz, that i can tell. And if boorish is the word that you use to describe what that asshole is talking about and you self-describe as boorish, too. Then, I don't really know what to say to that.

 

What is lost in all of this is the fact that rape victims are the step-child of the criminal justice system. Most rapes never get reported, only a very small number ever get prosecuted, and the victims face numerous legal hurdles, not to mention the feeling of humiliation, along the way

Any efforts to bring attention to the vile act of rape, particularly of a minor, is a good thing, IMO.