CNN Pays Touching Tribute To The Rapists Who Attacked A 16-Year-Old Girl

[Trunk Monkay]

[QUOTE=catbarf;39982873]Playing devil's advocate here, what should they talk about? The damage to the victim is already done, so what's wrong with pointing out how despite all their impressive achievements, the two boys are now having their lives justifiably ruined, showing that nobody is untouchable?

CNN has definitely not been fair about this trial but there seems to be a contingent of people who believe that anything describing the perpetrators positively at all is defending them. I disagree, I think you can discuss someone's history and what impact the crime will have on their future without condoning or defending their actions. I've seen plenty of murder stories on TV that basically went '[x] was a good person and a devoted husband with a promising career, then killed someone and now they're fucked'. That isn't defending the murderer, it's just background.

So, CNN trying to make us feel sympathy for the boys having to apologize for rape? Absolutely disgusting. But CNN pointing out that they were good students but their lives are ruined? That, at least, seems justified.[/QUOTE]
I think the issue more lies with CNN making what the 2 did seem more trivial than it actually is. They only received 1 and 2 year sentences, which is insanely lenient considering what they did, and CNN is acting like it's the end of the world that these 2 high school star football players will be jailed for a year.
[b]EDIT:[/B]
Furthermore, they put a heavy emphasis on that alcohol was involved on both sides, apparently. As if because she was blacked out and the 2 were inebriated that their crimes should be forgiven or ignored.

[mobrockers2]

[QUOTE=catbarf;39982914]When's the last time you saw an FBI warning telling you not to copy a movie because it'd make the copyright holder really sad? Teaching someone morals is fine in school, but out in the real world threats and deterrents seem to work much better than appealing to a would-be criminal's sense of compassion. I don't think most rapists rape because they don't realize they're harming the victim, I think it's because they feel they can get away with it.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, no. Punishment is a terrible deterrent. A criminal that doesn't realize what kind of effect his actions will have on his victim isn't going to care about the chance he might get caught either.