Sympathy for the Perpetrators? by blogger Ashley from Bradley University

As many of you may know, the rape case in Steubenville, OH has garnered a lot of attention over the past few months. The other day, two high school football players were found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl. While everyone in general was outraged by this incident, even more outrage has risen over the sympathy and “victimization” of the rapists by media outlets. Now media outlets are all “those poor young men’s lives are changed forever” and similar phrases. Let’s talk about the real victim, let’s talk about how her life is changed forever by this entire thing- from what happened at that party that night in August to the trial to the judge’s sentencing to the recent threats she’s received after the boys received their verdict. As usual, the media gives more focus to the perpetrators of crimes rather than the victims and what they experienced.

 If the two boys involved in this case weren’t high schoolers (or even college students for that matter), people may not be as sympathetic towards them. They’re also athletes without criminal records, but they may not have a criminal record because they’re privileged in their small town. In America, we put a lot of pride into our sports, and sports teams continually receive special treatment that other students do not receive (e.g., missing class for games). It is continually frustrating to hear how coaches, parents, and other authority figures protect their athletes over what is right. The 16-year-old girl who had to go through all of this humiliation and pain was raped, and there were many witnesses to what was happening that night. When someone is under the influence, especially if they are drunk, they cannot consent to any sexual activity. It was clear that this girl was intoxicated that night, and she was taken advantage of very greatly. It is unfortunate that none of the witnesses tried to help her, that they were all too intoxicated to realize that something was very wrong with the sight before their eyes or their inner morals were just nonexistent.

So what are we left to do? We continue the good fight for the rights and protection of victims. We continue to fight for better education and preventative measures that try to teach people not to act on their evil intentions more than teaching potential victims how to protect themselves. It’s good to teach people how to protect themselves, but that shouldn’t be the only form of “preventative measures”. We should not have to live in fear as we walk through life.

The Unappreciated by Harold Washington College Blogger Juan

And days go by so I worry. I worry that her days are bitter and full of torment. The way our interaction began still thrills me. My family knew about her yet I have not spoken to her in years. Since her mother was always close to my family I knew of her since the early times of my life. She could have been considered a model yet pursuing that kind of lifestyle was not within her. We began to talk back in those January days; those kind of days the cold makes you wish were already gone. She had filled a hole that was still fresh and recent yet she did not know any of this.  For her part, the feeling of excitement and thrill  that came over  as we spoke made her feel guilty. In the day we spoke time froze and we laughed and felt feelings of joy and satisfaction. She knew I knew of her unfortunate circumstances. Not being appreciated was something she was used to. But still, she had that magic to her. The kind of essence that would make a well-centered man fly 2000 miles only to hear her speak personally.  But her man didn't appreciate her one bit. Perhaps it's the fact he has taken care of her emotional state since dealing with a personal situation that stayed with her even when the giver has been long gone, and now she cant do much but remember him bitterly as the burning sensations come and go randomly. I know dudes.

Dudes that take care of their girlfriends and believe they have a certain power over the lives of their loved ones. Dudes that give up on them because the feeling that made him interested in her is no longer present. But she's still a human with feelings not a mere object for use. And I just sit here. 800 miles away. Thinking about her unfortunate situation and reminiscing on the fact that maybe I was that dude at some point in my life. Maybe I unappreciated the lives of those who were willing to give it all for me. And I feel bad and experience one of those "I wish I had a time machine" moments. I crave wholeheartedly for their forgiveness as no woman deserves to be treated any less than how a queen is treated daily until the day she passes the crown and lays permanently.