life sentence for sodomizing a male

[VelmaD]

I thought this was worth cross-posting from GD:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2754124

Does anyone actually think this guy would have gotten the same life sentence for sodomizing an Hispanic girl? Hell, when was the last time you heard of any woman's rapist getting a life sentence?

And why in hell isn't rape considered a hate crime against women? *sigh*

And on edit: Why the hell didn't someone stop him since "Witnesses testified that he hurled racial insults and shouted "white power" while sodomizing the 17-year-old victim with the plastic pole of a patio umbrella." What the hell were these "witnesses" doing? Just standing there watching?

[Samurai_Writer]

1. While I agree with you, I think the severity of this crime is a factor

This kid was not just sodomized. He was sodomized with a pole from a patio table. He wasn't expected to live, and has had over 20 surgeries, having been in the hospital for over 3 months.

Of course, if it was a girl, the guy probably would not have gotten a life sentence, even if she had the same injuries. I don't really have an answer to your questions, except "Men rule the world, that's why."

As for the witnesses, there were NO adults present, and the other kids there were probably scared of the guy. He was known to be violent. Not excusing them, they could have LEAST called the cops when it was happening, instead of leaving the kid in the yard overnight. That's unreal to me.

I really feel sorry for this kid and his family, being a rape survivor myself. i wasn't injured nearly as severely as him, but I know what he's going to go through emotionally, for the rest of his life.

:cry:

[ThomCat]

2. I agree.

We'd be hearing all about what the victim wore, and whether or not she was flirting with him, and whether or not this was just rough sex that went wrong, etc. And all of this bullshit speculation would be used as "reasonable doubt" as to whether or not this guy is really a psychopath. it would all be used to justify a more lenient sentence.

[ismnotwasm]

3. True,

Something I'm verbalizing more however is that sexual male aggression and homophobia have more than a causal relationship. The young man acted out a horrible rape, and while racism and hate was there, I wonder if by "de-manning" the victim was more than meets the eye here. The more I study rape, (just reading laypersons books)the more I find the male rapist with a unrealistic view of what a "man" is. They need to find their victims inferior, or not human in some manner. In rape culture one of the (many) problems is the expectation of rape. Women expect it to happen whether we know it or not. Men don't, but it still happens. Also, by using a object for the rape the rapist may have been psychologically removing himself from what might be considered a homosexual rape.

No excuses here. I don't believe there is a cure for this kind of behavior, it's a institutionalized social problem. If the man had used his penis for the rape it would have been viewed differently even if extensive damage was caused. And as you point out, if the victim had been female, the usual blame the victim litany would have been trotted out.

I read this essay by Dworkin ever so often (I'm sure you're familiar with it) but it gives me chills every time
http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/dworkin/WarZoneChaptIIIE.html

[melnjones]

4. I'm so glad he got life...

but I think you're right that it would have been less if the victim was a female. What really would have happened is everyone would be asking what the girl was going at a party with so much drug activity at age 17 wearing whatever she was wearing, and why didn't she fight back.

[Katherine Brengle]

5. That's really fucked up.

[MuseRider]

6. I was thinking about you

the other day. You have been gone for awhile or frequenting forums I am not aware of. Good to see you back.