Thoughts on Steubenville
I was watching the defendents allocute at the Steubenville rape trial today, and I couldn't help notice the difference betwee the two defendants, Trent Mays and Ma'lik Richardson. Trent Mays didn't mention he was sorry about the rape once, just he was sorry "those pictures were taken" - the non-apology apology that so many people think suffices in the face of shitty behavior. Ma'lik seemed genuinely sad - parts knowing his future is destroyed, the pain he caused the victim, and what seemed to be remorse for giving into the pack mentality that happened that night.
I've been watching a lot of "Daria" re-runs lately. It's taken me back to high school - which was not an entirely pleasant experience. Cardinal Newman was an odd an experience - it was not a large school, so while the divisions between the cliques were there, everyone still knew each other and you couldn't really hide or retreat from other cliques. This could be both good and bad, but for me, mostly bad. I sublimated a lot of what I was, and it took a long time of find my own identity.
Newman wasn't the level of jockocracy that some schools were, but there was still those perks being given to the football team that were subsequently jammed down everyone's elses throats. I couldn't have given two shits about pep rallies or football games, but since everyone knew everyone there was still that "Hey, you're going to game, right?" mentality, and of course, I did. We all did.
We were the herd and the football team were the hyenas. I don't recall much about them, a fairly bland lot (although I'm sure they excelled later at life, blah blah blah), but there was one in particular... The story was that he was beating his girlfriend. No one did anything. Including yours truly. Why? I imagine the experience was similar to what happened in Steubenville before Anonymous got involved (and damn, how awesome is Anonymous?)... You don't rock the boat and you definately don't get in the way of a group of students the administration has decided to elevate above you (I know there's a difference between the Nuremburg Rallies and pep rallies - I'm heard pressed to come up with a real difference, other than Jew-hating).
I'm glad these guys are getting what's coming to them, but it doesn't address the predatory and hive-mind natures inherent in high school. For every one of these little atrocities, another 100 goes unpunished. It sucks, and the only answer is fundamentally change American society, so you know, good luck with that. I feel a little bad for Ma'lik - he had been conditioned to see everything he did as good, as if he were the little kid from the Twilight Zone, but there's remorse there. The other kid - raised a monster, defiant when he gave his statement to the judge, and only started to break down after Ma'lik gave his statement.
He probably realized he just missed his chance to appear human before the judge.
Fuck that guy.
I've been watching a lot of "Daria" re-runs lately. It's taken me back to high school - which was not an entirely pleasant experience. Cardinal Newman was an odd an experience - it was not a large school, so while the divisions between the cliques were there, everyone still knew each other and you couldn't really hide or retreat from other cliques. This could be both good and bad, but for me, mostly bad. I sublimated a lot of what I was, and it took a long time of find my own identity.
Newman wasn't the level of jockocracy that some schools were, but there was still those perks being given to the football team that were subsequently jammed down everyone's elses throats. I couldn't have given two shits about pep rallies or football games, but since everyone knew everyone there was still that "Hey, you're going to game, right?" mentality, and of course, I did. We all did.
We were the herd and the football team were the hyenas. I don't recall much about them, a fairly bland lot (although I'm sure they excelled later at life, blah blah blah), but there was one in particular... The story was that he was beating his girlfriend. No one did anything. Including yours truly. Why? I imagine the experience was similar to what happened in Steubenville before Anonymous got involved (and damn, how awesome is Anonymous?)... You don't rock the boat and you definately don't get in the way of a group of students the administration has decided to elevate above you (I know there's a difference between the Nuremburg Rallies and pep rallies - I'm heard pressed to come up with a real difference, other than Jew-hating).
I'm glad these guys are getting what's coming to them, but it doesn't address the predatory and hive-mind natures inherent in high school. For every one of these little atrocities, another 100 goes unpunished. It sucks, and the only answer is fundamentally change American society, so you know, good luck with that. I feel a little bad for Ma'lik - he had been conditioned to see everything he did as good, as if he were the little kid from the Twilight Zone, but there's remorse there. The other kid - raised a monster, defiant when he gave his statement to the judge, and only started to break down after Ma'lik gave his statement.
He probably realized he just missed his chance to appear human before the judge.
Fuck that guy.