The Verdict

So the verdict over in Steubenville is in.  The two high school rapists have been adjudged juveniles and face sitting in juvie hall until the age of twenty one.  They should have been tried as adults in my unhumble unlegal opinion.  But hey, some time is better than no time.  Having to register as sex offenders would be a "nice touch."  I'm waiting to see if that will be part of the sentences.

Random phrases that peeked out at me from the news coverage, very much paraphrased:

"I hope Jane Doe the courageous young woman who came forward will forgive the two boys someday."
It's too early to talk about forgiveness.  Those two boys certainly haven't asked to be forgiven.

"Please don't tell on us.  My great and wonderful and utterly important football career will be ruined."
Maybe you can play football in juvie.

"We should be getting kudos for taking care of you."
Because you got to sleep on a couch.

"She wanted it.  She was staggering around and drapped herself over me as a prop to help her stand up.  I figured sex was a yes."
What ?

"She lies, lies, lies.  We dumped her as a friend after she told us about her sexual encounter with those two boys."
She is better off without you two girls as 'friends'.

"She is a tramp."
And the boys who raped her while she was very intoxicated or passed out are-- what? -- I can't hear you.

"This trial divided the town."
Huh?

"Social media confused the issue.  Those Anonymous people should have just stayed in their basements.  We would have been better off without them."
Yeah.  Without social media, you wouldn't have had to do anything like arrest anyone or investigate a case.  Without Anonymous, things would have been 'football as usual' in Steubenville.

sapphoq n friends salutes Jane Doe the courageous young woman, Sean, Anonymous and other activists who showed up to protest in Steubenville, and survivors of rape everywhere.



http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/17/us-usa-crime-ohio-idUSBRE92E0ZS20130317

https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/steubenville-high-school-football-players-found-guilty-rape-16-year-old-judge-article-1.1291087

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57574728-504083/steubenville-rape-trial-verdict-judge-finds-both-teens-guilty-of-raping-16-year-old-girl/

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/17/justice/ohio-steubenville-case/?hpt=hp_t1

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/17/steubenville-rape-trial-verdict_n_2895541.html?show_comment_id=237711224#comment_237711224

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/17/ohio-rape-case-football-players/1993975/

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/us/teenagers-found-guilty-in-rape-in-steubenville-ohio.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57574728-504083/steubenville-rape-trial-verdict-judge-finds-both-teens-guilty-of-raping-16-year-old-girl/

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/national/midwest/2013/03/
ohio_teens_guilty_of_rape_face_year_plus_in_jail

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/17/justice/ohio-steubenville-case/index.html

Dear Courageous Young Woman, Sean, and Scum

Dear Jane Doe Courageous Young Woman,

I believe you.

And I believe in you.

No one has the right to do what they did to you.  No one.  It does not matter that you were drinking.  They had no right.  Period.

It hurts to lose friends.  It hurts when you are not believed.  It hurts when rumors fly.  [I know because I have been through that too].  Know that the actions of others say much more about them than it does about you.

No matter what happens in the morning, know that you are strong.  Know that you are who you are and no one can take that away from you.  You are honorable.  You have integrity.  You have your own true self.

Much Respect,

sapphoq 



Dear Sean,

Out of the seventeen teens who were sent text messages and photos and vids, you were the only one who replied that this stuff is wrong.  I honor you for that.

sapphoq



unDear "alleged" rapists and other victim-makers and defenders of football teams Scum,

Just because the accused are on a football team, it does not follow that butt-hurt over that is a rational response to the horror of what happened to a teen from West Virginia that night.  I hate that you are butt-hurt over that.  How about reserving some butt-hurt for the "accuser" courageous young woman? 

Here's a question: Would have gotten in such a butt-hurt if the accused were members of the school's ping pong team? Debate Society? Misfits or nobodies who didn't really fit in anywhere?

And just so we are clear about this, there is no excuse for sexually assaulting someone-- whether with fingers, a penis, or other-- when they are drunk, on the verge of passing out, passed out, or "dead."  Regardless of what the judge decides tomorrow morning, I despise you.

sapphoq

sapphoq n friends says: Obviously the stuff I write is my own carefully thought-out opinion.  Obviously I have no intentions of defaming anyone.  Obviously if you don't like what I write you don't have to read what I write.
                                        And a big shout out to Anonymous who worked to bring what happened to national attention, to the other human beings who also protested on behalf of the courageous young woman, and to everyone who strove to do the right thing in spite of so much pressure to do otherwise.
    
References:

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/16/17341154-judge-in-steubenville-rape-trial-to-issue-verdict-sunday 

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/judge-set-issue-steubenville-rape-case-verdict-sunday-article-1.1290900

http://www.cbssports.com/general/story/21892772/accuser-in-steubenville-rape-case-cant-remember-assault

http://www.wcvb.com/news/national/Accuser-in-Steubenville-rape-case-testifies/-/9848944/19345254/-/xp5h35z/-/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/16/justice/ohio-steubenville-case/

http://www.wptz.com/news/national/Accuser-in-Steubenville-rape-case-testifies/-/8869978/19345254/-/laifya/-/index.html

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/us/victim-of-alleged-rape-in-steubenville-tells-friend-she-did-not-have-sex-according-to-testimony-679587/

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/03/steubenville-rape-victim-liar-friends-former-friends-claim-during-testimony/

http://www.timesleaderonline.com/page/content.detail/id/545508/Three-witnesses-granted-immunity.html?nav=5010

http://www.timesleaderonline.com/page/content.detail/id/545507/DNA-at-center-of-testimony.html?nav=5010

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Teens-with-immunity-testify-in-Ohio-rape-trial-4359533.php

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/16/teen-witnesses-granted-immunity-testify-about-allegations-in-ohio-hs-football/

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/15/17330245-steubenville-rape-suspects-teammates-testify-they-saw-them-commit-sex-acts?lite

http://abcnews.go.com/US/steubenville-rape-trial-taking-advantage-alleged-victim-texts/story?id=18737131

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/teammate-steubenville-football-players-testifies-taped-sex-act-article-1.1290358?localLinksEnabled=false

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57574617-504083/steubenville-rape-trial-these-kids-didnt-know-what-they-were-seeing-was-rape-says-advocate/

http://www.thenation.com/blog/173370/only-yes-means-yes-what-steubenvilles-rape-trial-reminds-us-about-sexual-consent#

http://www.ktbs.com/news/Teen-eyewitnesses-testify-in-Ohio-rape-trial/-/144844/19331882/-/14wybhh/-/index.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57574563-504083/steubenville-rape-trial-texts-from-witnesses-defendant-describe-alleged-victim-as-dead/

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/14/justice/ohio-steubenville-case/index.html

http://abcnews.go.com/US/steubenville-rape-trial-prosecutor-accuser-drunk-consent/story?id=18720098


The following urls were shortened from Yahoo news pages, which offer [in my opinion]
ridiculously long urls:

http://tinyurl.com/byr2b8b

http://tinyurl.com/bkp4gxr

http://tinyurl.com/9wty5ut

http://tinyurl.com/cz7w7z9

http://tinyurl.com/b3d5wng

http://tinyurl.com/c9oquek  





 

Autistic People Are

Autistic people are people.  Autistic people do not have "special needs."  Autistic people have the same needs that anyone else has.  

Autistic people are people.  Autistic people have a need to love and to be love, just like all people everywhere.
 
Autistic people are people.  Autistic people have a need to be understood, just like all people everywhere.

Autistic people are people.  Autistic people have a right to personal choice, same as everyone else does.

Autistic people are people.  Autistic people have a need to dream and a right to pursue those dreams, just like the neighbors.

Autistic people are people.  Autistic people have a right to take risks, a right to experience both success and failure.  

Autistic people are people.  Autistic people are not labels or statistics.  Autistic people are not problems.  Autistic people are people. 

Civil rights for all civils.  This is 2013.  Autistic people are people and have a right to be here because we are here.  Autistic people are people.  Don't forget it.  Your approval is not wanted, needed, or demanded.  Autistic people are people.  Real people know that.

sapphoq n friends