...WTF.

[keeni84]

Originally posted by lavenderfrost at ...WTF.
Well, there goes my good mood for the day.

NYTimes, the bastion of quality reporting, reported on the gang-rape of an 11 year-old girl in Texas  that's led to charges against 18 high-school boys so far - all well and good so far, right?  Shit like this NEEDS publicity to raise awareness.

Only problem is, they

Comments

[valsadie]

This story has had me shaking with anger for the last couple of days. I can't believe this town is looking at this 11-year=old girl who may have been assaulted by as many as 28 teen boys and men in an abandoned house and trailer and saying she was asking for it. At 11?! 11!? If it's forced sexual contact, it's rape. Period! And OMG, as a friend and I were discussing, who FILMS such a thing?! This is the stuff nightmares are made of. And apparently there's pictures, too. All this has floated among the student bodies of the middle school the girl and one of the boys attends and the high school that four of the boys attend on their cell phones for months.

The NY Times article is an overview because the situation is much worse than reported there. At least the AP version of the story had more balance as far as the quotes were concerned, both the foolish and the sensible:

"Maturity or not I'm pretty sure she knew what she was doing," Robin Smith, 24, a cashier in Cleveland, said as she shopped this week.

...
"She's 11 years old. It

[keeni84]

The entire thing is HORRIFIC. I mean...I can't even. The race of the child shouldn't matter--she's a fucking child. Like WTF...

[valsadie]

Horrific was the only word I could think of to describe this whole thing, too. I just hope this girl gets the help she needs--whatever that could be! She has so much life ahead of her. How do you ever trust anyone ever again after something like this--especially adults?? Horrific. Horrific!

[keeni84]

I don't think she trusted adults or people from the beginning, and of course, they just let her down again. It's really fucked up. I just get so ANGRY reading the ignorant comments of the people in that town. Seriously...WTF...ARG!

[saskia_dx]

It´s terrible right ? I had it posted on my facebook too and then somehow got an comment from a colleage saying that he agrees that the article needs more clearity but that he otherswise "isn´t seeing the point in attacking the NY Times for this ... ".

By the way its nice reading from you again ! I also wanted to apologize for my ignorant,unsensible and offending comments about the happenings on your university, there are no words that excuse my behaviour and I´m deeply sorry for what I´ve done.

[keeni84]

Hey, it's no problem! To be honest, I can be superbly heavy-handed on certain issues, and looking back on a lot of my posts, a bit aggressive, too. Like I said before to someone "we're all learning", myself included. So it's really no problem. :)

NYTimes responds to criticism

[valsadie]

March 11, 2011, 1:58 pm
Gang Rape Story Lacked Balance
By Arthur S. Brisbane, Public Editor's Journal
http://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/gang-rape-story-lacked-balance/?smid=fb-nytimes