Steubenville rape case goes national

They got off light if you ask me. I'd have given them the max penalty.

 

I pushed for, and got, the story on A1.

In my mind, it has had great buzz on social media, a lot of folks have been talking about it, and I know I didn't expect it would break on a Sunday morning.

Anyone else play it there? Sports front?

Inside? Brief?

We are on the East Coast, but there was not a lot of other hard national news in my mind.

 

News, inside.

We generally do not play up rape cases, no matter how much facebook and twitter time they generate.

 

Later, Richmond's biological father, Nathaniel, also addressed the court and the victim's family, placing some of the blame for his son's actions on his own life troubles and being an absentee father.

"Everyone knows I wasn't there for my son," Nathaniel Richmond said. "I feel responsible for his actions. I feel highly responsible for his actions."


Heck of a quote. Don't often see something like that.

 

Thanks.

 

As sidebar to that quote I read that the husband of family that Richmond was living with is a member of the Steubenville Board of Education.

 

The more I read about this case, the more I think these were kids who never once were told they couldn't do whatever the hell they wanted. The notion that there were standards in life even more important than Big Red football was to Steubenville never burdened their minds.

I'm not saying that to excuse them. They were old enough to be responsible for their actions. But, damn, did every adult in their lives fail them.

 

This - every adult in their lives failed them. The Times article mentioned that the initial party started out at a volunteer coach of Steubenville Football team's house.

You have to wonder how many times this type of thing happens around the country but no one finds out about it. This one became a national story because the girls parents pressed the issue.

 

Adults and the town basing their identity on a powerhouse football team.

Easy to do in a town gone bust. How many other towns do the same thing?

 

Happens more in towns with top flight HS soccer teams.

 

I blame soccer for that.

 

It became a national story because of the photos, the video and the many text messages going around among classmates. Without those, the girl's parents could have held a press conference every day, and most of the community would have blamed the girl and told her to choose better boyfriends next time.