Something else to consider in this situation is the role that the Player's Union will play in this whole situation. Even though the team released him, he can, and probably will, take this to court to challenge it. I don't think his challenge hangs on the decision of the Commissioner as it would defeat the purpose of having a union in the first place.

anyone can be a victim of violence. Even when the perpetrator is smaller and weaker. It is a horrible thing. It doesn't mean the victim is a weak or whatever. Many victims do stay with the abuser and that is something that unless you've been in that situation can not hope to understand. Sometimes part of the abuse is making them believe they deserved it.

SeventeenDayze said:

Something else to consider in this situation is the role that the Player's Union will play in this whole situation. Even though the team released him, he can, and probably will, take this to court to challenge it. I don't think his challenge hangs on the decision of the Commissioner as it would defeat the purpose of having a union in the first place.

what bugs me is that the NFL knew what happned, so how does a video change it? And come on now everything outside the restrooms and guest rooms is videoed in Vegas. They had to know there was a video. Seems that once he was punished that they should not be able to just punish him again. It is not as if they did not know he hit her.

It was not until the public got mad over seeing the punch. I was not too interested in this topic before. I did not know if he hit her or she was on something, but people told me he had knocked her out. And for that 2 games is too little. But now they have made a punishment to appease people not victimised.

Well, it turns out that Ray Rice received preferential treatment from the prosecutor. Less than 1% of the wife-beaters like Rice get pretrial intervention (PTI). Prosecutors both inside and outside the Atlantic County Prosecutor's office are dumbfounded that this wife-beater got PTI.


From http://profootballtalk.nb...treatment/ :

Richard Sparaco, a defense attorney with more than 30 years of experience in Atlantic County, told ESPN that he has never heard of a crime as violent at the crime Rice committed resulting in pre-trial intervention, or PTI.

“I can’t say I’ve ever had a violent crime of this nature accepted into the PTI — in any county,” he said. “With this type of domestic violence and the video that we’ve all seen now, you’d have to say if a prosecutor sees that video, it would be quite surprising to us defense attorneys to see acceptance into the PTI program.”

Sparaco isn’t the only one surprised that Atlantic County prosecutor James P. McClain allowed Rice to have pre-trial intervention.

“I was stunned,” said Donna D’Andrea, a legal advocate for The Women’s Center in Linwood, New Jersey. “I’m outraged . . . I believed PTI was an inappropriate response in this case.”

From http://www.tmz.com/2014/0...ony-abuse/

Multiple prosecutors in the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office have spoken with TMZ -- on condition of anonymity -- and they say it is "virtually unheard of" for their office to allow someone like Ray Rice to avoid felony charges. What's more ... they say it all happened behind closed doors ... behind their backs.

We previously reported ... the grand jury indicted Rice for felony abuse after viewing the elevator video posted on TMZ Sports. Rice's lawyer then petitioned for something called PTI -- Pre-trial Intervention -- which gives first time offenders a break ... reducing the charge to a minor offense.

As one prosecutor said, "If there is violence or even a threat of violence by the perpetrator, prosecutors almost always object to a PTI and judges always follow the prosecutor's wishes" ... meaning the case gets tried as a felony.

Not so with Rice. We're told the case did NOT go to the Domestic Violence Unit ... which is where it should have gone. Instead, it was micromanaged by Jim McClain, the prosecutor who runs the office and his number 2 prosecutor, Diane Ruberton. The Domestic Violence Unit was in the dark.

Another prosecutor said, "Never did I see a case this violent get PTI. It's off the charts abnormal."

The prosecutors say virtually everyone in the office was outraged when the case was closed on May 20. As one prosecutor said, "The video is disgusting. He [Rice] treated her like a pile of s***, human garbage, dragging her out of the elevator."

Another thought: Rice is appealing his suspension on the basis of double jeopardy. He's saying he was punished twice for the same infraction. But that's not exactly true.

The NFL can - and will - argue that Rice was not punished twice. Rather, his initial punishment was increased based upon further evidence. Now, it is total BS if the NFL tries to claim that the video was new evidence, first seen AFTER the initial punishment. And of course, the reason Rice's punishment was expanded was because of the public backlash against Rice and his wife-beating. The NFL wants nothing in the world more than protecting its image.

But be that as it may, they didn't give a new, second punishment to Rice. They merely increased his original sentence.

My two cents.

Ray Rice should definitely be allowed back in the NFL, after he takes some time off and gets his shit together. In America, we give people second and sometimes third chances to redeem themselves (unless it's an Aaron Hernandez situation, which this is not).

As the article says, the NFL is great at getting things right on the second or third try:

http://deadspin.com/panth...1635969659

Following the lead of the Vikings' Adrian Peterson, Panthers DE Greg Hardy will be placed onthe exempt list, which will effectively suspend him indefinitely and with pay as he awaits a jury trial on domestic violence charges.

The Panthers described it at a press conference as Hardy voluntarily "taking a leave of absence," but being on the Exempt/Commissioner's Permission List bars Hardy from taking part in team activities. The move was first reported by Bleacher Report's Jason Cole.

Per North Carolina law, Hardy will receive the jury trial after being convicted by a district judge on counts of assault on a female and communicating threats. Hardy's arrest warrant and testimony at his preliminary trial paint a pretty horrible picture: Hardy is accused of hitting, throwing, and strangling girlfriend Nicole Holder, slamming her into the floor and into an empty bathtub.

She's high profile. Will the media give the same attention to domestic violence as they did with Ray Rice, or will it prove the media and societies ominous relationship with black males? As everyone well knows many feel there was biased coverage of the ray Rice incident. Will the media feel they don't have to focus on this as much because they already have their domestic violence "face'? Will NOW make it a crusade? Only time will tell.

'Modern Family' Star Sarah Hyland

Ex-BF Choked Me

... I Fear For My Life

9/23/2014 3:53 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2014/09/23/sarah-hyland-restraining-order-matthew-prokop-modern-family-choked/#ixzz3EHK7VjMv

SeventeenDayze said:

I notice a pattern that when certain people express certain opinions about certain issues, the thread becomes locked and/or the person is banned for a period of time.

I do think it's possible to talk about a sports figure involved in a news controversy, and find another angle. Acting as if the topic is off limits supposes more than half the threads on the main page are about that topic. If that's not enough for you and you still feel stifled, then wow.

As for Rice, I think it's curious that the two Harbaugh brothers lead teams with players tied to controversies involving criminal accusations. I don't know what to make of that, or if it's fair to suggest there's something going on in their locker rooms that breeds this kind of thing. The other Harbaugh brother's team literally played themselves out of 3 wins in a row due to penalties.

Well, this isn't going to help Roger Goodell any:

http://deadspin.com/law-e...1639340207

A law enforcement official tells AP he mailed a copy of the inside-elevator video showing Ray Rice punching out his then-fiancée to the NFL's security chief, Jeffrey Miller, back in April.

That's a followup to their report two weeks ago that the video had been sent to an "NFL executive." The AP's unnamed law enforcement official says he sent the video anonymously, with a note attached that read "Ray Rice elevator video. You have to see it. It's terrible."

The law enforcement official wasn't authorized to send the video to Miller, and said the NFL never asked him for it, but did so as a professional courtesy to a former law enforcement officer so that the NFL could see the video before deciding upon Rice's punishment. He also provided Miller the number for a burner cellphone and asked for confirmation that the video was received, which he got in the form of a 12 second voicemail from an NFL office number who, we're told, agreed with the note: "You're right. It's terrible."

TD3 said:

Malcolm X said, When you use the definitions of people justifying your abuse or subjugation, all you are doing is having a dog chasing his tail conversation.

Any type of violence: Beating, chocking, hitting, pushing, pinning down, rape, slapping, spiting, and threaten anyone is an assault. Just because a man and a woman are in an emotional and/or sexual relationship shouldn't be a defining factor for treating violent assaults any differently. It shouldn’t make a difference whether physical assaults occur in a car, at home, in public, between friends, family, lovers, married couples, and/or strangers. The only mitigating circumstances that should be considered is the classification of a criminal offense.

The first thing was asked when some saw the Ray Rice tape was, what did she do? This leads me to believe that many of the men on this board share Stephen A. Smith's mind-set… if a woman gets on your nerves or in your face, its within bounds to knock the shit our of her. It’s her fault her man had to go off. All of you Black men on this board; when white folks in this US beat you an inch of your lives, torture, or kill you... They question is always asked. What did you do? When black people are assaulted by the police… the first thing is asked what did we do? What did you do to get yourself beaten, killed or tortured? Why is this? Because black people are equated with being criminals… being naturally violent. Doesn’t make any difference if you are unarmed… walking in the middle of a street, walking home from a store, standing on the side of the road because your car broke down, or driving on the LA 10 erratically.

This is why the classification, the definition of domestic violence must be changed. The word domestic violence, dilutes the serious of the charge, it makes it seems as if this is a private matter. Who gets to define what and why? The Supreme Court ruling 52 years ago, deemed that a married men couldn’t rape their wives: Forced sexual intercourse could only be called rape if the woman wasn’t a man’s wife. Who defined rape as such? Are we saying once a woman is in a relationship here rights under the law or somehow circumvented?

When does hitting someone not become a private issue, when someone is killed?
 It's amazing to me how similar the mind-set of racist people, shadows the same mind-set of sexists men.

====================================

[Edited 9/12/14 7:52am]

Excellent post!

I think there are two topics that people want to discuss... domestic violence and how women are treated as if they may deserve it, especially black women due to negative stereo typing... vs. a black man being treated unfairly.

I do not think Ray Rice was treated unfairly... he needs to lose his job, he is just one argument away from being an Aaron Hernandez... any abuser can kill, if they get angry enough, and the blows he delivers to the woman he supposedly loves shows no holding back on his part.

People care more about a muthf**ka's paycheck than they do a black woman's safety. F**k Ray Rice and his paycheck. Who cares.... I sure don't! He's not in jail so he should count his blessings.

Funny thing is, if a kid gets in a fight at school, he gets kicked off the team for being a poor respresentative of the school, why should we cut Ray any breaks? The same rule should apply, he is a poor example of a man and should not be a respresentative of any team in the NFL, there are too many other honorable black men that surely can play well and be more than happy to fill that spot.

paintedlady said:

TD3 said:

Malcolm X said, When you use the definitions of people justifying your abuse or subjugation, all you are doing is having a dog chasing his tail conversation.

Any type of violence: Beating, chocking, hitting, pushing, pinning down, rape, slapping, spiting, and threaten anyone is an assault. Just because a man and a woman are in an emotional and/or sexual relationship shouldn't be a defining factor for treating violent assaults any differently. It shouldn’t make a difference whether physical assaults occur in a car, at home, in public, between friends, family, lovers, married couples, and/or strangers. The only mitigating circumstances that should be considered is the classification of a criminal offense.

The first thing was asked when some saw the Ray Rice tape was, what did she do? This leads me to believe that many of the men on this board share Stephen A. Smith's mind-set… if a woman gets on your nerves or in your face, its within bounds to knock the shit our of her. It’s her fault her man had to go off. All of you Black men on this board; when white folks in this US beat you an inch of your lives, torture, or kill you... They question is always asked. What did you do? When black people are assaulted by the police… the first thing is asked what did we do? What did you do to get yourself beaten, killed or tortured? Why is this? Because black people are equated with being criminals… being naturally violent. Doesn’t make any difference if you are unarmed… walking in the middle of a street, walking home from a store, standing on the side of the road because your car broke down, or driving on the LA 10 erratically.

This is why the classification, the definition of domestic violence must be changed. The word domestic violence, dilutes the serious of the charge, it makes it seems as if this is a private matter. Who gets to define what and why? The Supreme Court ruling 52 years ago, deemed that a married men couldn’t rape their wives: Forced sexual intercourse could only be called rape if the woman wasn’t a man’s wife. Who defined rape as such? Are we saying once a woman is in a relationship here rights under the law or somehow circumvented?

When does hitting someone not become a private issue, when someone is killed?
 It's amazing to me how similar the mind-set of racist people, shadows the same mind-set of sexists men.

====================================

[Edited 9/12/14 7:52am]

Excellent post!

I think there are two topics that people want to discuss... domestic violence and how women are treated as if they may deserve it, especially black women due to negative stereo typing... vs. a black man being treated unfairly.

I do not think Ray Rice was treated unfairly... he needs to lose his job, he is just one argument away from being an Aaron Hernandez... any abuser can kill, if they get angry enough, and the blows he delivers to the woman he supposedly loves shows no holding back on his part.

People care more about a muthf**ka's paycheck than they do a black woman's safety. F**k Ray Rice and his paycheck. Who cares.... I sure don't! He's not in jail so he should count his blessings.

Funny thing is, if a kid gets in a fight at school, he gets kicked off the team for being a poor respresentative of the school, why should we cut Ray any breaks? The same rule should apply, he is a poor example of a man and should not be a respresentative of any team in the NFL, there are too many other honorable black men that surely can play well and be more than happy to fill that spot.

Will you marry me?

TD3 said:

This is why the classification, the definition of domestic violence must be changed. The word domestic violence, dilutes the serious of the charge, it makes it seems as if this is a private matter. Who gets to define what and why? The Supreme Court ruling 52 years ago, deemed that a married men couldn’t rape their wives: Forced sexual intercourse could only be called rape if the woman wasn’t a man’s wife. Who defined rape as such? Are we saying once a woman is in a relationship here rights under the law or somehow circumvented?

When does hitting someone not become a private issue, when someone is killed?
 It's amazing to me how similar the mind-set of racist people, shadows the same mind-set of sexists men.

====================================

I don't think calling it a domestic issue, is diluting the seriousness of the issue.

Actually when it's called domestic, that usually entails the situation is more complicated than a random bar brawl or street fight.

They know from here on out if it's domestic whether it's siblings/family/marriage that there is a whole deep level of issues that can arise.

It's one thing for me to step into a street situation where 'a man is attacking a woman he doesn't know' vs me stepping in between a woman being assaulted by her boyfriend/husband/father. Because many people have experienced that the one they are trying to help can turn against them and then protect the person assaulting them.

I've been in that situation, where a female friend was being beaten by her boyfriend. We called the cops then ran out to stop it, by the time the cops got there and they got there quickly he had her protecting him. You can't force someone to press charges. From there out, we spoke to her parents to let them know what was happening. But couldn't do anything from there out.

.

Domestic issues are extremely difficult.