- Joined
- Jul 12, 2005
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- Location
- Los Angeles, CA
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- Political Leaning
- Centrist
I would hope so. I won't hold my breath on it. But there has to be some level of punishment, and we've seemingly removed the natural check on this. So there has to be something in place. We go crazy with assault charges, but to me assault isn't punching someone in the mouth who deserves it. It's if you viciously beat someone up. We don't make that distinction anymore, but sometimes someone really just deserves to be punched. But without that, then we have unbridled the aggressors while punishing the victims. In such case; we still have to have something in place as punishment or the aggressors. Because of the severity of this case, I'm not opposed to jail time. And I would just hope that maybe they'll learn a thing or two because of it.
Actually, I am of two minds on the issue of jail time here. On one hand, I would like to join in the mob in calling for the heads of the cheerleaders. It is, after all, such an iconic and archetypal victory to see them dethroned in the most dramatic of ways. Plus, these girls were real classic bitches.
As for the two guys, well...how does statutory rape play in for the 17 year old? Not sure I get that. I am also of a mind to give them light sentences even for that because...well...boys will be boys and if she was a willing participant, you know? That's a tough call, too.
But my rational side says if we take these girls who might be horrible examples of kids gone totally down the sadistic path of bullying and teasing, did they actually do anything that would have gotten them in trouble if a disturbed young lady hadn't committed suicide? Are we really able to hold them accountable for the kind of senseless death that, by default, lays the suspicion at the hands of the one who did the killing: the one who committed suicide?
If someone needs to be blamed, blame the parents who weren't listening, the teachers who didn't intervene, the system that allows it...whatever. But don't take these kids who acted like kids and turn them into the animals that products of the justice system usually are.