Sunday, March 17, 2013

CNN Fails Miserably On Rape Coverage



This has got to be some sick joke. These two young men were found guilty of a violent, unconscionable act against an innocent girl, and CNN is talking about how this conviction has destroyed the lives of the convicted rapists?

If you watched this clip, you will notice there was zero mention of how the 16 year-old victim has been affected. No mention of the physical trauma that may or may not heal. No mention of the emotional trauma that will last for a long time to come. None. Were this Fox, I would not be surprised, but this is a very poor indictment on CNN, the self-styled "most respected name in news." I for one hope that this conviction helps to bring at least some closure to the victim of this violent act, though only time itself will be able to heal the wounds that can be healed.

There is yet another element that CNN got completely wrong. This conviction did not destroy the lives of the young men found guilty, their own decisions and actions destroyed did that. They made the choice to take advantage of this young girl and they will pay the price for it. They will be branded as sex offenders for the rest of their lives because of what they did. If they do not like that, then tough. Perhaps if they had thought how reprehensible it is to expose a vulnerable person in such a callous manner, they would have vastly better futures ahead of them. It is a true shame they made the choice to tread down such a dark path.

There is no gray area here. Forcing yourself on someone is not morally ambiguous. It is wrong, it has always been wrong, and it will always be wrong. One does not have to be particularly intelligent to understand that, they just have to be decent human beings. What happened to these rapists is their own fault and they have no one else to blame but themselves for their lot. Justice was served and I for one will not be shedding a tear for either of these guys. If any good can come from this, it is that this crime and the verdict may serve as a cautionary tale for other people who hear this story.

So much for CNN being the most respected name in news. This was a sorry excuse for journalism.

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