Rape in Texas

The small town of Cleveland, Texas (the state we’re not supposed to mess with) may well be a collection of the worst people in the world, a pocket of poverty and ignorance within a state of poverty and ignorance, a remote backwater, a boil on the ass of human civilization.  Or it may be a place a lot like everywhere else.  Despite recent events, I’m backing option B.  This could have happened anywhere.

Worst Place in the World?

Here’s what happened:  A while back, 18 boys and men, ranging in age from about 13 up to 27, persuaded an 11 year old girl to come into a trailer, where they all raped her.

That’s the really bad part, but then the New York Times wrote an article about it, in which they quoted a couple of the locals.  One said she felt sorry for the boys, you know, on account of them having to live with the guilt and shame of this for the rest of their lives.  Another said the girl was just asking for it, dressing like a slut and all.  Feminists are outraged.  Rightfully so, but I would like to make a couple of points.

First, while I hate the Judith Miller employing, WMD lying, pre-election information withholding New York Times as much as anybody, I don’t really blame them for this one.  There is a school of journalism, an old school, which says that you let the quotes write the story, you ask people on the street what they think and you print it.  It’s not the fault of the reporter that people in Cleveland are assholes.

Secondly, I don’t even blame the people they quoted.  It’s a small town and the chance that they personally know or are related to one of the boys is precisely 18 times as great as that of knowing the little girl.

Also, I do understand that the boys will have to live with the guilt and the shame for the rest of their lives – the problem is, they haven’t started yet.  See, in addition to taking turns with the scared and helpless pre-teen, they also took pictures of it, and video.  Aren’t mobile phones great?  See, that’s how they got caught.  Not only don’t they feel any remorse, they are downright pleased with themselves over what they did.

So, yes, it’s a tragedy that these boys will have to live with the guilt and shame for the rest of their lives.  But a few years in jail is the best way for them to begin that life of guilt and shame.  The idea that they will continue to live their lives as if it all was no big deal is totally unacceptable.