When I first read this story, I was appalled. Truly aghast at the extreme behavior of these two
"youngsters"! It was nearly impossible for me to accept such a story. But
accept it I did.
I don't have a daughter but I have two boys myself and I certainly know that if something
untoward had happened to them, I would have been
beside myself. I don't consider myself a violent man but, damn, I know that I probably would have been driven into doing something
untoward
myself.
Then I started thinking about what
section8citizen had said:
Originally posted by section8citizen
Based on what evidence? How are you so sure that what you are being told actually happened?
That's when I stopped
"feeling" and started
"thinking".
section8citizen has a valid argument. He raises an extremely important question.
Originally posted by section8citizen
Again, how do you know that this horrible thing actually happened to the girl? I think it is safe to assume that after 3 days, there is no DNA
evidence. So I have to know what evidence they do have. Since you live in the area, maybe you would know. Are they simply taking the girl's word for
it?
It's a question that caused me to sit back and ponder things. You know, to think about human nature. To consider how
all of us have made rash
decisions based on scant information or, for that matter, misinformation. Such reactions are exactly why we developed a judicial system that weighs
the evidence that is based upon further extensive investigation.
Originally posted by section8citizen
Most of us can not comprehend a 8 or 9 year old being sexually active. The girl is 12. How possible is it that she made it up? What evidence is there?
What indicators are there that a sexual assault took place? Why wait 3 days to report it*?
DNA evidence has excluded countless people who are in prison for rape. False rape accusations are very common in this country. People hear of a
situation like this and automatically accept it as fact. That is human nature. From where I sit, the facts do not add up. Especially.... WHY WAIT 3
DAYS TO REPORT IT??* A lot can happen in 3 days. A kid can scratch themselves up, make a plan, fabricate "evidence", and rehearse the
story.
*bold italics added for emphasis
This is when I started thinking. First, I have to admit, I am still aghast at the very concept that this event might have occurred as reported. If
it is true, it raises countless questions and is the fodder for endless debate regarding our society, parenting, our educational systems, the apparent
loss of morality and ethical systems (i.e. religion) within our society and culture and the effect of technological and traditional media upon
childhood development.
Secondly, I was shocked by my own immediate and
unthinking gut reaction which offered an insight into my own, personal, propensity towards
violence when adequately provoked. I was putting my emotional reaction ahead of my own judgment -- effectively putting my intellectual discernment
on hold.
Finally, I had to question why I was so quick to accept an
initial news report on this incident. When the "media" reported that there were
WMD in Iraq, I took that with a grain of salt and a pound of suspicion. When the "media" reported that terrorists had attacked the WTC on 9/11, I
was still open to the possibility that events that I had witnessed -- live -- on television might not be all that it appeared to be. Yet, I was ready
to
condemn two prepubescent children on the basis of an unsubstantiated news report from the very same media that I would otherwise question at
every turn.
Perhaps the answers lie in the fact that
because children are involved, it is a base human emotional reaction to
"protect" ,"defend" and
exact discipline" when confronted by the very idea that these children....my children....any children might have succumbed to the failings of
society.
They say, as an old adage goes, "it takes an entire village to raise a child". When that child goes astray, then the entire village has failed.
When something as vile as this reported "child gang rape" occurs, it is an indictment of the failure of our entire society.
I will reserve judgment on this matter until more evidence has been admitted for examination. Until that time, I can only ponder how our society is
failing our children -- failing us all.
As a final note or comment, one incident comes to mind when I consider this report. In 1987, a "media circus" surrounded an incident that, upon
initial reports, was equally abhorrent to the sensitivities of a nation -- the case of
Tawana
Brawley. For those not familiar with this case, a 15 year old girl reported that she had been brutally raped and repeatedly humiliated in a
most degrading fashion by a group of men. Tawana Brawley was black. The accused perpetrators were a group of white men. To add insult to injury,
she reported a
racially motivated hate crime that literally angered a nation and served to further divide the country on racial lines.
A Grand Jury investigation proved that Tawana Brawley had fabricated the entire incident. She lied!
Brawley and her mother were issued subpoenas
to appear in front of the grand jury but refused to testify. This may have prompted Brawley and her family to move hastily to Virginia, taking with
them a "defense fund" of $300,000 which had been contributed by well-wishers. There remains an outstanding warrant in New York against the two for
ignoring the subpoena.[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawana_Brawley]SOURCE
In the aftermath of this lie, careers were lost, reputations sullied and an aura of anger and mistrust hung over a divided nation.
[edit on 11/19/2007 by benevolent tyrant]
Again, I apologize! 
