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It's worthwhile taking this refresher course on rape culture in the wake of that maliciously executed New York Times story about the rape of an 11-year-old in Texas. (I can't even think about that story without becoming enraged!) And here is a good follow-up to that first piece: "I don’t understand a culture that punishes women for the slight transgression of, like, forgetting to shave their vagina for a week but then drops their monocles and implies they deserve to be brutally raped if they fall in line and put on some mascara and a skirt."
“These boys have to live with this the rest of their lives.”
Behind bars without any testicles hopefully.
This strikes me as a straw (wo)man argument. Who has blamed the 11 year old for the rape because she was wearing make up? Nobody.
Now, the real social angle to this is of course the racial angle. 11 black teenagers and adults raping a white 11 year old girl. And then celebrating their "conquest" with photos and video. Considering that the rape occurred in rural Texas where there is still a high degree of racial segregation, it would not be surprising that this is not to a degree a racially motivated hate crime. If the transcripts of the video are released they may very well include racial slurs by the assailants against this white girl.
Imagine how the NY Times (and The Awl for that matter) would react if 11 white men raped a black 11 year old girl in rural Texas. It is revealing that the NY TImes fails to mention the race of the assailants and the race of the victim. Does anyone honestly believe that the NY Times would fail to note this aspect of the assault if the races were reversed?
I hope the prosecutor explores the racially motivated hate crime angle to this because racially motivated gang rapes are a hate crime and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.
Just in case you were wondering, your argument about the race of the victim/perps is tha actual strawman.
To clarify…because every rape is a hate crime, really.
Is this a joke post? The link to click on your name and see your other posts isn't working right, and I don't want to tear you a new asshole if this is a strange, subtle joke. My joke meter is off today!
I don't think he's joking, unless all those posts about the persecution of Catholics were a troll too.
Actually, the articles say the victim was Hispanic. I had no idea that they were different races and it didn't even occur to me after the Times piece. Thanks Lockheed for pointing out another angle to this. I also just read this
http://hayladies.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/why-race-matters-in-the-cleveland-rape-case/
and thought it was excellent.
Wont let me edit. The should say "Thanks Lockheed…"
I had not even considered the race of either the girl or her rapists until this comment thread, and I still find it irrelevant. If the race HAD been mentioned, many of the same people would have been outraged that it was mentioned.
Thank you Saythatscool.
The victim turns out was Hispanic, but I don't think that fundamentally changes the issue. Initial news reports stated that the assault was of a white girl for what its worth (and yes I realize that such reporting might have been based on racist assumptions). If there is a racially motivated element to the assault, I think it makes the issue even more socially relevant and sick. Again, evidence may prove otherwise. And it is quite possible that racial tensions between HIspanics and Blacks could be just as bad as racial tensions between whites and blacks in this town. Sadly, that is the world we live in.
I should have stated that indeed all rapes can be seen as a form of hate crime against women. I did not mean to imply otherwise. If there is a racial element to this heinous crime, I believe it makes it even worse. Local media played up this angle (maybe for exploitive purposes) I just think it is interesting that Times was afraid to touch the issue.
Also, it's not in the piece that I linked to but there are reports that other men are being investigated as well for potentially raping this girl and it has been reported that some of those men are not black. But to date, the only people who have been charged are black. So that may make the race of the perpetrators relevant to the story too.
I'm having a hard time expressing myself today.
I'd still like to know why you brought out the tiresome reverse racist trope. I don't even understand what you think "our" hypothetical reaction would be. And quit it with the "quite possibles" and the "may very well bes," they don't bring your speculation any closer to fact.
My hypothetical reaction to this possibly racially motivated gang rape would be "damn, those rapists are also racists", and also "why are we even discussing this from this angle?"
The racial angle to this story exists regardless of the truth due to nature of the town that this occurred in and the nature of race relations in this country. If the black teens turn out to be wrongly accused or railroaded because of racial bias, then that is part of the story and should be covered by the New York Times. Even if the crime was not racially motivated, but the reaction in the town has a racial tinge to it, then that is part of the story.
Watching the reactions of the mothers and grandmothers of the alleged criminals is heartbreaking and I don't say that in any way to disparage the suffering of the victim or her family. It is the kind of thing that can poison a small town.
I never mentioned "reverse racism" I stated that there are allegations that the gang rape had racial undertones and might have been a hate crime. Blacks can and do carry out hate crimes against whites as well as Mexican Americans. The media should discuss this. The media should also discuss the issue if it turns out that whites assumed the crime was racially motivated even if it wasn't.
Gender AND Race are part of this story.
Well then, LockVent, what is it you were actually implying with this whole paragraph?
"Imagine how the NY Times (and The Awl for that matter) would react if 11 white men raped a black 11 year old girl in rural Texas. It is revealing that the NY TImes fails to mention the race of the assailants and the race of the victim. Does anyone honestly believe that the NY Times would fail to note this aspect of the assault if the races were reversed?"
You've imagined the reaction. Share it with us.
And while this story was selective, it wasn't speculative. "If it turns out" is something that gets reported in the future.
Mac McClelland does a nice job eviscerating that times piece here.
http://motherjones.com/rights-stuff/2011/03/new-york-times-texas-rape
Other than that, I have nothing to add other than it's a bit depressing being a man with an 11 year old daughter in a small Texas town now. Well, maybe not depressing…paranoia enducing? Yeah, that's it.