Social or Societal Homicide, this is clearly the result of lawmakers laws, and the failure to make laws, because they are afraid of losing their jobs. We see this far too often in sex offense cases, nationally.11-15-2010 Michigan:
The response has been overwhelming -- from parents, students, attorneys, and I fear, victims.
The case of a 14-year-old girl who had sex with an 18-year-old boy from her high school and later called it, alternately, rape or a wish to lose her virginity, has brought front and center the Michigan law that makes it illegal for teenagers to have sex.
That is the law. Repeat: It is illegal for young teenagers to have sex.
Problem is, parents don't teach it. And sometimes, prosecutors don't buy it. And since our entire social culture right now treats sex like grabbing an ice cream cone, we have lost sight of what this is doing to our children.
In a column last week, I called prosecutors cowards for dropping charges against the 18-year-old for having sex with the 14-year-old. The girl killed herself a day before the 18-year-old's court hearing.
After the sex, after going to prosecutors and saying she'd agreed to it, after going on television and saying it was rape -- and after being bullied senselessly (notice how that sounds like "beaten senselessly"?) by her so-called peers at school, she hung herself.
Her brother found her. Her family mourns her. And still, we aren't dealing with the law.
What's definitely true here
Prosecutors are right. They weren't sure what happened, and the 18-year-old no longer could face his accuser. So, no case.
But they are wrong in their lack of zealotry.
Three things are true: Lesser cases have been prosecuted; better investigations have been done, and sometimes, laws change after righteous prosecutors argue that current law no longer is enough.
First, I can find you plenty of guys who have gone to jail on less evidence, although my plea was NOT for jail time in this case, but for a proper hearing and respect for the law. The only way to get teens -- and their parents -- to follow it is to show that the law is real.
Second, investigating the case might have turned up more evidence, more witnesses, more cases.
And third, it is time for bullying to stop in this country. Seriously. How many children have to kill themselves before we stop citing old law and create new?
Fight social homicide
In some of the dozens of letters I got calling for action, parents cited the worst part of this case and what is irreversible: that a child was driven to kill herself. One woman called it social homicide.
This 14-year-old girl was a victim of social homicide.
I challenge not just Wayne County prosecutors, but prosecutors and judges nationwide, to consider fighting for a law against social homicide. Yes, I said it. If we are going to let the Social Network decide how we live, what is news, what is culture, what is right, then let those who die by it get some justice.
If a person is bullied to death, charge the assaulters with a crime. If that is the only way to stop the cruel and inhumane way that some children are being treated, then let's do it.
If we actually take seriously the laws that we have, then perhaps we could curtail teen behavior that some parents are not regulating at all.
Someone should hold accountable those who push someone to die. Those perpetrators who insult and assault and make miserable others who are vulnerable, defenseless and sometimes already sad, may as well have pushed their victims in front of a train.
The damage, sometimes, is no less. ..Source.. ROCHELLE RILEY, DETROIT FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
4 comments:
This is a sad case. It is horrible that teens or anybody can be bullied to such an extreme. However, I have to disagree with the author. More laws is not what we need. What we need is respect for life, and to say over and over again that things get better. For too long we have reveled in being victims. We hear over and over how awful it is to be a victim and how impossible it is to recover. Not true. We each have an inner strength and it needs to be nurtured. We need to hear that nothing is impossible to overcome. We don't need more laws, we can barely function with the laws we have.
One of the really ironic things here is how often we hear about the terrible psychological harm that is done to a victim of a sex crime and the permanent scars that it leaves. These are often cited in arguments for tougher treatment of sex offenders. But I ask now, who did more harm to this young girl, the boy who had sex with her or the people who bullied and harassed her?
Answer: Her mother calling the news reporter, an being forced inot making a false accusation.
It wasn't the truth that caused her to be bullied an harassed - was that she was going to lie.
This is a common cause of our times in which the government is the only one to benefit off others demise.I have seen this in the past where a child gets scared due to getting caught, as any one would do, but who actually benefits from these awful circumstances.Seems like only one person receives money from fines and publicity for "making our world safe." (not).One day people will realize what is happening but the question is, will it be to late?
Post a Comment