Sick, tired and angry

I've been watching the talking heads tonight, and as usual, it's getting me angry. I am completely sick of court cases manipulating the media before a trial, and I'm sick of our culture that completely buys into it and encourages it. On at least three different news talk programs tonight, the latest details of the infamous rape case in Durham, North Carolina have been the main subject. It's hot news that as a minor, the woman involved brought charges against three men for rape that were later dropped.

I don't know if the woman was raped or not. I don't know if she's bringing false charges against people or not. Other than the particular people involved, no one else does either, and discussing whether or not the woman is a liar or a victim isn't news. It's nothing more than trashy sensationalism worthy of less respect than check out stand tabloids. Whether it's done with sympathy for the complainant or the accused doesn't matter. I'm mad that this is treated as serious news and madder still that we, as a society, make this type of media product a marketable commodity.

Though that subject alone has made my blood pressure rise quite a bit, the discussion over the case has made it even worse. I'm sick that people think that because a woman says she's been raped before means that she was lying. The way that this woman has been discussed in the media, what happened in the Heidl rape case in California, the overall demonization of rape victims in the courts can strongly discourage any woman from pressing charges. It turns my stomach that the possibility of someone thinking, "I will not let this happen again. I will stand up for myself this time," should be proof that a person is a liar. I'm sick that people still think that if a woman isn't a model of prudish propriety that she's somehow getting what she deserved when rape is involved. I think it's stupid to drink to the point where you're impaired to the point of falling down, but stupidity doesn't mean that a woman deserves being raped. A stripper can be raped. A prostitute can be raped. A woman who'll bed almost anybody on her own terms can be raped. Having an admirable lifestyle isn't a prerequisite to be a legitimate crime victim. Neither is having perfect mental health. Suffering from a mental illness doesn't automatically make one a liar or incapable of perceiving reality.

I am sick of people wondering if there is a culture of violence and entitlement in sports. It's not just sports. It's America. I know that crime statistics can be manipulated, but we're a violent nation. It's not athletic competition or the idolization of the athletically gifted that has created the problem. It's just a wonderful showcase to exhibit this uglier side of our culture. We're also an affluent nation, and that changes people's perspectives. The more a person has, the more wants can come to be seen as needs and luxuries as necessities. Just because someone is affluent though doesn't mean that they're a bad person without morals. Being an athlete doesn't mean that one is a violent thug with no self-restraint.

I'm tired of the assumptions everyone is making about this case and every other flashy court case that hits TV. The people who are acting as if everything has been proven one way or another have basically decided that our courts are no longer necessary. All the TV talk has done is make it easy to hate one party or the other. It's polarizing, not clarifying. If the men did rape her, I hope they get what they deserve. If she is leveling false accusations, I hope she gets what she deserves. Until this is worked out in court, and the information is deemed factual or not, it's all hot air.

Work this out in the court room, not my living room. If you're going to call a TV show a news show, give me news, not gossip. It's more than I can hope for, I know. My television does have an off switch, and I do remember how to use it. I think I need to do so more often.

Duke rape case
media