Not Harsh Enough

[Autumnlicious]

These fellows were part of the small town elite, a form of celebrity.

They were protected at every turn.

Were it not for the outrage of others outside Stupidville... I mean Stuebenville, this would've been neatly swept under the rug.

I'm for paying to relocate the victim to another state entirely and continuing investigations of this rotten little town.

The sentence may not be harsh enough, but it is a start and we can continue pressuring and uncover what other crimes were hidden.

That is a victory in my book.

They're not going to hide away after we've chewed on two of their elite.

---

At 16 and 17, there could be emerging signs of psychosis. They should be evaluated. But if this were two adults who were declared mentally ill, I'd want to give them the chance to be treated and see if they are better suited for society. There are some people who are not fit to reenter society, but I think it's too soon to call for these guys.

I understand your line of thought completely.

Had these been troubled teenagers with a history of mentally ill actions, I'd be 100% in agreement.

However, these teenagers were coddled and supported as the "best" of Steubenville, meaning they had all the resources and power.

Had they really been mentally ill, they'd have shown other warning signs.

No... I don't think they're mentally ill. I think they're encouraged to be criminal by their adult supporters, a form of golden boy who could commit crimes and have it be swept aside for the good of the town.

[Minimalist]

However, these teenagers were coddled and supported as the "best" of Steubenville

A recurring problem in American culture. The idea that "athletes" are somehow special leads far too many of them to think they can do whatever the fuck they want.

[thesummerqueen]

A recurring problem in American culture. The idea that "athletes" are somehow special leads far too many of them to think they can do whatever the fuck they want.

Celebrities too. Anyone we're willing to pay money to see.

"Are you not entertained?"

[Kayenneh]

[Faith No More]

I don't see how poor impulse control could be any kind of defense considering one of the kids was texting about the rape as it was going on. They had ample time to think about and realize the consequences of what they were doing, but as was said before, these kids had a cult of celebrity surrounding them. If it wasn't for an outcry from the outside, these kids would have never seen the inside of a courtroom, and another athlete would have been proven to be above the law. It's despicable and reprehensible.

As far as these kids being young and kids make mistakes, yes, that is true. I could see that as an excuse if they had been caught stealing or cheating on a test. If you haven't figured out that rape is a terrible crime at their age, however, you deserve to suffer the same consequences as an adult.

I think anyone found complicit in trying to cover this crime up should also face legal repercussions.

[Esquilax]

Yeah, whenever I hear people making excuses for these guys based on their youth I just think back to my own teenage years, and those weren't that long ago. I was a teenager for years, and I never raped anybody. Hell, I never got into trouble even once.

Calling rape a mistake of youth not only severely insults young people, it also skips over all the teenagers that manage to get by- possibly with great internal struggle, because apparently it's terribly hard to avoid this- without harming anyone.

[Something completely different]

I find the courts ruling weird.

Here, being convicted of rape means 25 to life. And if one is released, one has to spend the rest of the life under police surveilance.
When confronted with trivial offences such as speeding, drug abuse, vandalising or assault - I understand that being under age may have a effect on the ruling being less seviere.

Yet serious crimes are not the kind of crime which one does without taking the consequences seriously even when under aged.
Murder, rape, arson, etc are not exactly something one would see as trivial crimes and there consequences as acceptable - even as a child.

[LastPoet]

Wait, so I spent my teens trying to get laid and using my charms to conquer girls hearts when I could've just raped them? /sarcasm

I imagine this is a result the jock culture that thrives in the US highschools & colleges. I wonder if those bastards would get so much protection if they were nerds, but then again nerds don't usually do that shit.