The internet hacking group Anonymous has posted a video showing members of the Steubenville (OH) High School football team laughing and joking about the rape of a sixteen year old girl by members of their team, and apparently individuals appearing in the video. And Anonymous has posted a threat to “those responsible” and school officials who supposedly protected some of the suspected culprits. Let me be clear Anonymous is threatening people who were not present and had nothing to do with the rape.
The rape occurred August 22, 2012. The girl was drugged, sexually assaulted and transported by the group of football players from party to party where she was photographed and raped repeatedly. Two members of the football team were charged with rape of a minor. But rumors persisted that many more teen boys were involved.
We post the video here with the warning: This video contains extremely crude language. And you are advised that if you have a problem with the efforts by Anonymous to promote this vigilante justice, then you shouldn’t watch this video.
The problem with Anonymous is their efforts indict, at least in public opinion, almost every kid on the Steubenville High School football team whether they were involved in the rape or not. Anonymous and others who engage in vigilantism have made themselves Judge, Jury, and possibly Executioner. They are fomenting a mob-mentality that in the end can only be bad.
4-7-12 March for Justice for Trayvon Martin
One need look no further than the Trayvon Martin case to see the ill effects of what a mob frenzy will do. I wrote a blog called “Trayvon Martin’s Killer Should be Punished, Right?” on March 28, 2012; a tongue-in-cheek effort to point out how the mob mentality drove police and local prosecuting attorneys to reverse their initial, and seemingly correct, decision not to bring murder charges to the teen’s killer George Zimmerman. As I wrote in my blog “Trayvon Martin beat his Killer” and as has become apparent through released photographs and doctor’s testimony since the frenzy that caused the arrest there is more than a little evidence to verify Zimmerman’s claim that he shot Martin in order to protect his own life.
George Zimmerman
I don’t know if Zimmerman is guilty or not, but I think NOT is far more likely. And since I took the heat for my earlier blogs questioning the mob indictment of this poor little man, Zimmerman, I won’t feel the least bit of problem proclaiming “I told you so” when his trial results in his acquittal.
I don’t know if more kids were involved in the Steubenville rape. I don’t know if the primary trash talkers in the video aren’t the two individuals who were charged in the case. I don’t like the laughing being done in the video by several other KIDS. I can’t emphasize enough I’m disgusted by the behavior of those in the video and I believe anyone who was present, eye witness to and cheering on the rape of the girl needs to face criminal prosecution. But regarding those in the video I know laughing is not against the law. Nor is being stupid. At least, it’s not currently against the law. The wave of ugly political correctness that covered this country like a blanket in the 1990s never fully went away. So laws forbidding laughing at crude humor may be just around the corner.
I’m sure Anonymous feels fully justified and righteous in trying to expose the guilty in this horrible crime perpetrated against a young girl. And I sincerely hope those responsible face justice. But I also pray innocents are not swept up in the wave Anonymous is trying to generate. I fear they will be. Just like before.
Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.
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2 Comments
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M Schuett blah blah blah 
I just finally read your post after hearing about this on the news Mike, this might be the straw that breaks this camel’s back. This is so much more than a political statement,so much more than a blog post. This is so much bullshit, Mike. Go back and read every entry that says “16 year old girl” and insert your daughter’s full name. Then tell me that you’ve never heard of good Samaritan laws….and I don’t care if that state, city, whatever, doesn’t HAVE one . Do I think vigilante justice is right, in general terms? Of course not. But when there are videos and tweets…when a girl (insert your daughter’s name here) is drugged, raped and taken from party to party while her life is ruined and frankly as good as taken from her, by the high school HEROES, you’d better believe someone needs to pay…and if the local authorities choose to turn a blind eye, it should be removed from their heads.
I’m not sure we can be friends after this.
Really disturbed by your last comment. Because I wasn’t passing judgement in this blog. As I seldom do. I was raising a question. Your passion for this subject exceeds my knowledge of it. I don’t pretend to know a lot about the Steubenville case. I know a lot more about the Martin case. Nonetheless, I ask, as I did in the blog, can you say with certainty that the kids in the video are guilty of rape and assault? I think not. Yet these kids, despite their obvious stupidity and insensitivity will be labelled as rapists. Is that fair?