The issue for many is a clear-cut case of abuse while others seem to hope it was a one-time incident. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall told CBS Morning News he wasn’t sure of all the facts until he saw the video. A Wall Street Journal report said, “Goodell backed off his investigation … after hearing Palmer’s side of the story. Reportedly, she told the commissioner that she had hit Rice and felt partially responsible.”

While the FBI and NFL investigate, Rice has made a public apology. Ray Rice’s contract with the Baltimore Ravens on September 8, 2014, following the release of an additional video of the incident was suspended. Rice successfully appealed his indefinite suspension by the NFL in federal court. “The legal victory has done little to pave the way toward a return to the playing field — Rice is still an unsigned free agent,” notes Todd William, founder and CEO of Reputation Rhino, an online public relations company in New York City.

As a shocked public views the elevator scene, there are radio and television commentators saying that Rice, not his wife, is the real victim here.

WHAT?!

Slate.com reported Fox’s Tamara Holder as saying “I think it’s interesting …that the police are coming out … and not paying attention to the fact that there is a family here …That there were decisions to be made behind closed doors. That also … Miss Palmer … played a role in it.”

Oh pullease.

Slate.com also reported that A.J. Delgado, a National Review writer said on a radio show: “Some might even say, watching that video, that Ray Rice is the bigger victim of domestic violence here.”

The National Family Violence Survey (NFVS) found nearly equal rates of assault between men and women but warns “Collecting various types of counts from men and women does not yield an accurate understanding of battering and serious injury occurring from intimate partner violence.” Focusing on the strict number of pushes and swats “does not measure control, coercion, or the motives for conflict tactics; it also leaves out sexual assault and violence by ex-spouses or partners and does not determine who initiated the violence.”

On a recent episode of Slate’s The Gist, former prosecutor noted, “Many victims of domestic violence use violence against their abuser to either fight back, retaliate, protect themselves, sometimes in anticipation of violence when they know what’s coming because of a certain look … They immediately start getting into a defensive mode and actually use violence themselves.”

Many sports stars have been in the spotlight for spousal abuse, but many of the punishments imposed by the court have been light. “The increased attention to domestic violence by the media and increased awareness about the issue generally is likely to lead to increased punishments,” notes Eric Gonchar, a well-known New York attorney.

For instance, the Phillies’ Brett Myers pitched in Boston shortly after being charged with assaulting his wife. The charges were dropped. The New York Times quoted Ruth Glenn, the interim executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as saying, “The … leagues had better be paying attention. They need to demonstrate to society that there is zero tolerance against domestic violence. Changing culture takes a while. But you have to start somewhere.”

The post Inside the Ray Rice Domestic Violence Scandal appeared first on Award-Winning Writer and Graphic Designer.

This morning in South Africa, after the six-month trial of Oscar Pistorius, Judge Thokozile Masipa found the defendant guilty of culpable homicide in the shooting death of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp. Yesterday, we heard the verdict that he was found not guilty of murder. Today, the judge let the killer leave the court on bail in the custody of his uncle.

This is wrong on so many levels.

Judge Masipa even said the paralympic gold medalist, nicknamed Blade Runner, had not acted reasonably. She said, “I am of the view that the accused acted too hastily and used excessive force.”

Ya think?

His defense has always been that he thought he was shooting an intruder. The judge said instead of picking up a gun, “all the accused had to do was pick up the phone and ring security, or run to the balcony and call for help.” She also called him “a bad witness who was more worried about the impact his answers might cause than the answers themselves.” But she also said that despite his lack of truthfulness, that was not a clear indicator of guilt. C’mon.

So, just like O.J. Simpson, Pistorius seems to be shimmying through a murder conviction based on legal technicalities. I wonder what kind of sentence Pistorius will get for culpable homicide, which is equivalent to manslaughter in the U.S. We won’t know until the sentencing hearing on Oct. 13. Until then, he’s free to go wreak havoc. This is a man with many whoopsies: He “mistakenly” shot a gun in a crowded restaurant, a witness said he saw an enraged Pistorius fire a gun through a car’s sunroof and another charge was possession of illegal ammunition.

Read more…

The post Oscar Pistorius Update: Sentenced to 5 Years for Killing Reeva Steenkamp BUT might serve only 10 months appeared first on Award-Winning Writer and Graphic Designer.

Excerpt:

Twitter has been buzzing so loudly on the subject of men hurting women. Even though a video surfaced months ago, nobody can get over seeing NFL star Ray Rice punch his then-fiancee Janay Palmer (who is now his wife!!) in an elevator, knock her unconscious and then drag her out with all the care you’d give to a stinky bag of trash. I’m glad to see the NFL has been feeling the public outrage over Rice’s little slap on the wrist — he’d only received a two-day suspension.

Tell me, why the hell does it take so much to get everyone’s attention?

The good news is Rice suffered a consequence — he was cut from the Baltimore Ravens, which means he won’t be getting his hands on the $4 million he could’ve earned this year. Palmer still married him, though. And not only that, she DEFENDED HIM over his dismissal from the team: “To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his ass off for all his life just to gain ratings is horrific,” she said, implying that it was wrong for the NFL to turn on her Ray-Ray just because of public pressure.

Hello?!

She also wrote, “If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you’ve succeeded on so many levels.”

No, the idea was to embarrass him. To take things away from him for assaulting you.

Her reaction speaks volumes about the domestic abuse cycle. “Just know we will continue to grow,” Palmer added, “and show the world what real love is.” That is so twisted and sad I have to change the subject.

So the NFL in its great sensitivity had originally scheduled Rihanna to sing for Thursday Night Football. The league changed its mind when the public threw venom at it for being so clueless about domestic violence. The irony is almost laughable, if it weren’t so tragic. Rihanna made the papers in 2009 when then-boyfriend Chris Brown pummeled her gorgeous face. And afterward, she, too, went back to her abuser. Where is Brown now? He just pleaded guilty on Sept. 2 to assault for fracturing the nose of a fan who tried to get in a photo with him. Brown was sentenced to time served, two days in jail. Are you kidding me?

Women, wake up! Stay away from men like Ray Rice and Chris Brown — men who abuse women.

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