Stuebenville High School Rape

[EmiOfBrie]

a) no, people shouldn't censor themselves just in case some random person is offended
b) the point, as it were, was that a thread about people making utterly crass jokes about rape probably is not the place for a joke about rape.
c) something can be deemed offensive by a majority of the people somewhere. I that is the case, it is probably not a good idea to bring it up. ( for example, it's probably not a good idea to post an anti-gun thread on a pro-gun forum)

It's like I said before: I'm all for free speech, but be prepared to face the societal consequences of such...

The First Amendment only says the GOVERNMENT can't punish you for your speech. Says nothing about the individuals that make up society.

[protege]

I've read blog posts about people who live/have lived there and what a shit hole it is, and how the high school football team is the only "worthwhile" thing there.

Sadly, many former mill towns are like that. Not far from me, is Clairton, PA. Once a prosperous town, it fell on hard times when the mills closed. Now a third-class city, there's pretty much nothing there. Other than the coke works and a few bars, there's not much in the way of economic activity. Most of the "downtown" is falling apart or boarded up. Remnants of the housing built for mill workers..are largely abandoned. What does Clairton have? Their high school football team, which has won another championship. A team, which has seen people shot at games, at school...and even in the neighborhood. Dangerous enough...that not even the cops are safe

[RedRoseSpiral]

Sadly, many former mill towns are like that. Not far from me, is Clairton, PA. Once a prosperous town, it fell on hard times when the mills closed. Now a third-class city, there's pretty much nothing there. Other than the coke works and a few bars, there's not much in the way of economic activity. Most of the "downtown" is falling apart or boarded up. Remnants of the housing built for mill workers..are largely abandoned. What does Clairton have? Their high school football team, which has won another championship. A team, which has seen people shot at games, at school...and even in the neighborhood. Dangerous enough...that not even the cops are safe

Hearing things likes this makes me glad I've never lived in a small town. I live outside of St. Louis and have never felt truly unsafe even when statistically we're the most dangerous city blah blah blah (note: How the divide up the city warps the stats. They include East St. Louis in Ill. but not St. Louis County. Many parts of St. Louis County have been deemed high on the safe list).

[Jetfire]

I've read blog posts about people who live/have lived there and what a shit hole it is, and how the high school football team is the only "worthwhile" thing there.

If the town won't clean itself up, then maybe it's time for the State/County to do so. Which could include banning said football team from the inter-school play until this is investigated and resolved, or similar punishments. A sportsteam is only worthwhile while it has other teams to compete against after all.

[protege]

Hearing things likes this makes me glad I've never lived in a small town.

Depends on the town and the people who live there. Some of the towns in the Mon Valley aren't all that bad--New Eagle, Monongahela, and Charleroi (PA) seem to be doing OK. Storefronts are full, people are busy, and buildings are in good repair.

[lordlundar]

Depends on the town and the people who live there. Some of the towns in the Mon Valley aren't all that bad--New Eagle, Monongahela, and Charleroi (PA) seem to be doing OK. Storefronts are full, people are busy, and buildings are in good repair.

It's because they have a stable external income and are a part of the community as opposed to latching on to a small part. Places like Stubenville on the other hand lost their external income long ago and can't comprehend another method so they count desperately on their high school athletes making it big so if it happens the "star player" will say where they came from and it's supposed to attract business.

In short, the places you mentioned adjusted to the changing times. Places like Stuebeville want the clock to be rewound to the 1950's when this shit was glossed over.

[Racket_Man]

Hearing things likes this makes me glad I've never lived in a small town. I live outside of St. Louis and have never felt truly unsafe even when statistically we're the most dangerous city blah blah blah (note: How the divide up the city warps the stats. They include East St. Louis in Ill. but not St. Louis County. Many parts of St. Louis County have been deemed high on the safe list).

I grew up in the south side of St. Louis. GREAT neighborhood as in nice and safe up until the early 1990's. Now it rivals the north side of St. Louis in drivebys and crime. My old neighborhood just went to hell.

There were always towns in the county that were not-so-nice from way back when. and with the White FLight gopng further and further south north and west, the inner county has become the "slum" .

I remember a time not that long ago when the "suburbs" stopped at O'Fallon/Lake St. Louis. the last time I made the trip to Columbia, the developement stopped at Warrenton (halfway between St. Louis and Columbia. Heck even Columbia has expanded waaayyyy larger and is no longer a "sleepy" midsized college town.

I now live in a smallish upper mid-western town that still kinda has that small town feel but with large town problems as those from several large metro area come here and bring those "large town problems" with them.

[wolfie]

If the town won't clean itself up, then maybe it's time for the State/County to do so. Which could include banning said football team from the inter-school play until this is investigated and resolved, or similar punishments. A sportsteam is only worthwhile while it has other teams to compete against after all.

The State/County would only have jurisdiction in such a case if they ran the league. Of course, there would be the danger that a "critical mass" of teams in the league would have the same mentality as the banned team, respond to the ban with a "fuck you, we don't take that kind of shit" attitude, quit the league and start their own - inviting the team banned by the old league to join the new one.

[protege]

Quick update here... The trial for the assholes has started.

[Aethian]

Well the town wanted to hide it and make it go away...now they have media from lots of places covering it. If only they had just done their jobs...

[protege]

When the trial story started earlier this week, the Post-Gazette's message boards got bombarded from people in Steubenville whining about how there wasn't a coverup, and that it made the town look bad

[Greenday]

When the trial story started earlier this week, the Post-Gazette's message boards got bombarded from people in Steubenville whining about how there wasn't a coverup, and that it made the town look bad

El oh fucking el.

What a bunch of douches.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

Oh, looks like the justice system is finally doing its job.

Guilty verdict.

You've got to love it though, when a LAWYER argues that "If a girl (person) doesn't outright SAY no, it's not rape" which completely undermines what society has been trying to drill into people's heads recently. "Don't just look for lack of a no, look for an affirmative YES."

Oh, wait no... you have to hate it and be disgusted by it. I got confused.

[RedRoseSpiral]

This is a start, not a win.

All of the 'adults' (I still maintain that these two should have been tried as adults instead of juveniles) in the case need to be tried as well. These attacks happened in their homes and they need to be held accountable for what was going on as well.

[protege]

It's a start, but by no means a win.

Sure, those pricks will get jail time. They'll serve their time, and eventually, life will return to normal for them. Outside of having to register as a predator though. But, they won't have to deal with the emotional issues, the mental problems, and other things that will always be a part of that girl's life. Her world got knocked on its ass, and she'll never be the same afterwards