...WTF.
Originally posted by lavenderfrost at ...WTF.
I'm sure many of you have heard about this already, but oh, good God.
NYTimes, the bastion of quality reporting, reported on the gang-rape of an 11 year-old girl in Texas that's led to charges against 18 high-school boys so far - all well and good so far, right? Shit like this NEEDS publicity to raise awareness.
Only problem is, they repeated - without refutation or critical commentary - the claims that the girl brought the rape on herself because of the way she was dressed.
Choice Quotes (No cut b/c everyone needs to see this - DEAL.):
“It’s just destroyed our community,” said Sheila Harrison, 48, a hospital worker who says she knows several of the defendants. “These boys have to live with this the rest of their lives.” As opposed to the victim, who's gonna bounce back lickety-fucking-split, right?
Residents in the neighborhood where the abandoned trailer stands - known as the Quarters - said the victim had been visiting various friends there for months. They said she dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s. She would hang out with teenage boys at a playground, some said. TOTALLY BEGGING FOR IT.
THIS IS RAPE CULTURE, PEOPLE.
Now, what's being said and done in this community is bad enough, but the NY Times should be fucking ashamed of themselves right now.
( Here's how to contact NYT: )
Some additional links:
The New York Times' 'Apology', in which they say the story 'lacked balance', when in fact, objectivity can be gained in this story without needing the slightest bit of 'balance'. There is photographic and video evidence of this nightmare. There doesn't need to be an 'innocent until proven guilty' mentality when guilt has already been proved; if the sympathetic focus is not with the victim, I think you're doing it wrong, and you can, with the greatest respect, take your balance and shove it.
The Careless Language of Sexual Violence, an article in response to the New York Times', dealing with how pervasive these victim-blaming, rape-culture attitudes can be and how the language of reporting sexual assault should be more carefully looked at. Also includes the titles of some books I'm going to be reading the minute I get the chance.
I'm sure many of you have heard about this already, but oh, good God.
NYTimes, the bastion of quality reporting, reported on the gang-rape of an 11 year-old girl in Texas that's led to charges against 18 high-school boys so far - all well and good so far, right? Shit like this NEEDS publicity to raise awareness.
Only problem is, they repeated - without refutation or critical commentary - the claims that the girl brought the rape on herself because of the way she was dressed.
Choice Quotes (No cut b/c everyone needs to see this - DEAL.):
“It’s just destroyed our community,” said Sheila Harrison, 48, a hospital worker who says she knows several of the defendants. “These boys have to live with this the rest of their lives.” As opposed to the victim, who's gonna bounce back lickety-fucking-split, right?
Residents in the neighborhood where the abandoned trailer stands - known as the Quarters - said the victim had been visiting various friends there for months. They said she dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s. She would hang out with teenage boys at a playground, some said. TOTALLY BEGGING FOR IT.
THIS IS RAPE CULTURE, PEOPLE.
Now, what's being said and done in this community is bad enough, but the NY Times should be fucking ashamed of themselves right now.
( Here's how to contact NYT: )
Some additional links:
The New York Times' 'Apology', in which they say the story 'lacked balance', when in fact, objectivity can be gained in this story without needing the slightest bit of 'balance'. There is photographic and video evidence of this nightmare. There doesn't need to be an 'innocent until proven guilty' mentality when guilt has already been proved; if the sympathetic focus is not with the victim, I think you're doing it wrong, and you can, with the greatest respect, take your balance and shove it.
The Careless Language of Sexual Violence, an article in response to the New York Times', dealing with how pervasive these victim-blaming, rape-culture attitudes can be and how the language of reporting sexual assault should be more carefully looked at. Also includes the titles of some books I'm going to be reading the minute I get the chance.