Richmond Rape: “Those boys who did what they did weren’t picturing that girl as a human”
November 2, 2009
by The New Agenda
|Hat tip to Femisex
As The New Agenda’s Amy Siskind wrote in her Daily Beast article It Could Have Been Your Daughter:
Here’s what the Richmond case signifies, plain and simple: Gender-based assault has become an acceptable norm in our country.
The The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting (our emphasis added):
The group of about a dozen boys and young men was already well into 2 gallons of vodka. After they liquored up the girl with brandy, they proposed sex, according to several accounts by friends of those who were there but asked not to be named for fear of retaliation.The girl said no. Some of the men placed her on one of the two red cement benches set alongside the main brick building of the school and said they were going to have sex anyway, according to the accounts.
“They had her down on the bench and the bitch tried to kick ‘Tweak’ (one of the men) in the nuts,” said one young man, who said he had a first-hand account of the attack from Smith but was afraid of being named. “He went off on her, started hitting her, and then it was on. They pulled a train (a gang initiation-style rape, one after the other) on her.”
What ensued was 2 1/2 hours of beatings and raping, at times with a foreign object. The scene attracted onlookers, some calling others over by cell phone, and eventually there were as many as 10 men or boys sexually assaulting the girl while another 20 looked on, laughing and snapping pictures. Teachers and students were searching last week for at least one video that many said was filmed of the attack.
And a local teacher added this (our emphasis added):
That such a girl could be so brutalized speaks more to a pack mentality, stoked by booze and street machismo, than it does to the general character of Richmond High’s youths, Price said.
“Those boys who did what they did weren’t picturing that girl as a human,” she said. “I think you see these kinds of boys at a lot of high schools – so desensitized it was like they saw her as a toy. Boys like that – there aren’t many like them, but they can be so hard. All they needed was something to set them off.”
This young woman was nothing more than an object worthy of violence at the whim of a group of men. This speaks volumes to how our country views the acceptable nature of this attack.
Where are our political leaders to speak out about this atrocity?
I can’t even describe how sick I am over this. This is not a behavior that only shows itself with a limited number young men. How many times have you heard in your life a man describe that a woman he dislikes needs a good F*ck to teach her a lesson. This is a mentality that has invaded many many young minds, male and female. Since this is propagated in our culture through video games, TV, and media it is only a matter of time before men/boys act on it.
This may have been a formal street gang who did this to this girl, but they are not the only men/boys out there who would assault a woman/girl like this. If you can work toward ending this style of street gang violence, the solution will carry over to other social-economic groups as well.
Where the frick is Congressman George Miller? I want to hear from him what he plans on doing so this doesn’t happen ever again in his district!
Women are regularly dehumanized. Have you noticed how often women are referred to in the press as “females” rather than women or girls? Every time I read or hear …”there are 16 females in the U.S. Senate…” or “there were no females in the jury that day…”, I wonder, female what? Female humans? If so, call them women. Or women and girls.
All they needed was something to set them off? Sounds to me like this was premeditated, rationalized, and planned by them in the cold, sober light of day. “Set off.”
These aren’t blobs of nitroglycerine here. These are hard criminals who need to be removed frmo the gene pool with extreme prejudice.
And I sure as hell have seen what men think of women, and I’m not willing to play that “oh but I’m sure your Nigel is different” game, either. I think most women manage to negotiate a life with men by remaining in careful denial. We are less than human in their eyes. Like I said, their one and only life philosophy is “if I get my dick in you, you lose.” If, as a woman, you might conceivably one day agree to have ANYONE’s dick in you, then you are agreeing to be a loser, a volunteer toilet, and you have no business complaining no matter how much sewage they dump down you.
I’m angry, which is why I’m speaking very passionately. But I’m also right, and no one can use my anger to disprove what I say. This is how they think. Period.
And to be honest, after what happened in 2008 and after listening to women excusing foul, disgusting language and using it themselves to describe two dedicated, smart, accomplished public servants, I want to know how many women watched and snapped pictures, too. You’re goddamned right some did — maybe while they were sick inside, but maybe some of the men felt the same.
I want to know how many women stopped and watched and enjoyed watching some bitch get hers. We’ve already heard one rapist’s aunt talk about how it wasn’t her dear little darling’s fault. She can flush another female human being down the toilet without a second thought.
the planet can’t roast us off its back soon enough for me some days.
I was born and raised in Richmond and graduated from Richmond High School. My mother still lives one and a half blocks away from the high school We are devasted by the recent gang rape as well as that of a gay woman last December. I have been introduced to another woman from the area and we are organizing a march for peace and to end the violence against women. The march is next Saturday 11/7 and it starts at the high school at 11:00am. I have a copy of the flier on my blog. We could use any help in promoting this march. Thanks.
Puma-SF,
If you send information to our blog address under contact us, we would be happy to post information on the march.
Amy:Thank you so much for your help. Unfotunately, we were contacted by the mayor of Richmond and as of right now the march is on hold. I will update you once I hear more. Thank you again. You help would be invaluable.
http://pumaeyes.wordpress.com/
Seriously, what’s a march going to accomplish?! It’s not going to get rid of the poverty in the area. It’s not going to suddenly make better parents/guardians of whoever is in charge of the idiots who participated or watched this horrible event take place. Worse of all, it’s not going to help the 15-year old victim.
I’m saddened, truly I am, because I’m a father of a beautiful 3 year old little girl. I have visions daily of what she could accomplish in life, where she can go, and what I can provide for her to turn her into an outstanding adult. When something like this happens, it terrifies me of what’s out there and what she might be exposed to one day. This past week I’ve read stats on how many rapes take place in a day, how 1 in 3 women in the military are assaulted by fellow soldiers, and how this poor girl was looking so forward to the dance that she dressed in her best dress and with what little jewelry a 15 year old has only to have it taken from her on top of everything else.
What can be done!? A march won’t prevent this from happening again. In the past year there have been 3 separate gang rapes in the area. December was a lesbian woman who was 28 I think. In April a 16 year old girl who kept it to herself for a while. Now this 15 year girl.
What needs to be done, in my eyes, is to take everyone involved and make examples out of them. The local gang veteranos themselves admit what these kids did was wrong and that they better hope the cops find them first before they do. It doesn’t matter that they were as young as 15 years old. Convict them as adults, give them a long term sentence, and see what a few years in prison being at the bottom of the food chain will do to them! Let’s see if that doesn’t make future idiots think twice about committing such a violent act again!
On a side note. I’m Hispanic and came here from El Salvador when I was 3. Thankfully I had a happy childhood, raised in a happy home, and today I’m a 31 year old man who has never been to jail and is a successful systems analyst with Verizon. Things in El Salvador are bad and sometimes barbaric. I’ve heard of how family members have been victims of such violent acts and nothing is done to the perpetrators. The reason why I bring this up is because reading the stats of Richmond High, the majority of students there are Hispanics who are relatively new to the country. So I think it’s safe to assume that some of them come here with the machismo mentality from their home country and think they can get away with things they would do out there. All the more reason why these jailed kids need to be made examples of to show everyone out there that this behavior will not be tolerated in the United States!
we have to spread that news. The city cannot stop gang rape at a highschool but can stop a march drawing attention to the problem.
David, I’m not sure what a march would accomplish either, but I’m sick and goddamned tired of hearing about things like this whenever they happen to MEN of any color and seeing civil rights leaders and the media descending ont he place and holding rallies and marches, and then hearing about stuff like this and those three women who were slaughtered, and society just moves blithely ahead as if it’s business as usual.
“They shouldn’t have sat under the white kids’ tree” is seen as the heinous nonsense it is, but “she shouldn’t have had a drink” is somehow okay.
Even after that one lunatic separated out the girls in that Amish classroom, and years ago when YET ANOTHER one separated out the women in that Canadian university … barely a peep in the media about how it was a pure, solid hate crime against women.
When that murderous nutcase in Canada slaughtered all those women, do you know what the university’s reaction was? To demand that no one make a politically grounded statement about it! Oh what a shame that all those girls were cut down, but let’s make sure we NEVER ASK POLITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT IT! Would they have DARED to say that if someone had separated out all the black, Hispanic, or Asian students and mowed them down?
The march won’t accomplish much for that one girl now — but goddamn it, I’m SICK AND TIRED OF WATCHING THIS SHIT BE YAWNED OVER.
I happened onto a segment on CNN regarding this hate crime perpetuated by these boys against this girl. CNN had four male “experts” on to discuss the meaning and implications of the attack. I guess they must have been discussing the implications for the male population or possibly the implications for the male run media cartel. I didn’t figure I needed another male perspective so I left but I have to say the men were squirming and looked troubled. So how is this young girl doing both physically and mentally? And what became of the male animals who assaulted her? I don’t watch MSM so I haven’t heard.
The march is back on for this Saturday. It will give the community and others to a chance to be heard. It will show them that people do care and that people will stand up. If you do nothing than nothing will change.
http://pumaeyes.wordpress.com/
Bes, she’s doing about as well as can be expected I imagine, and unfortunately the males who did this as well as the ones who laughed, snapped pictures, did nothing, and took video still breathe. The same can unfortunately be said of anyone who heard about it and immediately wondered what she must have done to bring it on herself.
I think evaporating anyone who falls into thagt last category would probably solve the entire planet’s overpopulation problem.
Her, “the bitch”, defending herself “set him off.” Otherwise it would have just been sex…obviously.
We have to teach them that this kind of thing is wrong..
eh hem…
Puma-SF,
We will post it tomorrow. Thanks for thinking of us.
I will also be speaking out in the media on this on Sat – info will be in same post. We need to explain to our media what this attacks represents since thus far they can’t seem to crack it!
David,
I really appreciate your perspective as a father. I have a little girl, too and the culture of violence toward women in our country, and really throughout most of the world, is simply terrifying to me.
Lately I have been hearing the voices of fathers in regard to violence against women and I have to say that I am happy for that. It’s only once society actually realizes there is a problem that we can begin to change.
Alison and David, I also appreciate to possibly have an alliance of women and fathers of young girls against such heinous crime. And yes, marches are important. They cannot undo the lifelong damage done to the victim, but it can show that there are people who care and who go out of their way to have such crimes stopped once and for all.
what would a message of the president to the marches do. just like him talking to the students entering school this September. he would know how to let these guys know that rape is not forgivable. After all, he has daughters too. or is he worried about the support from misogynistic rappers for the next election?
Our president needs to show on what side he is on.
to David,
I agree that there is latin machismo. but that is how far i would go. Rapist come in all races, ages, levels of socioeconomic income and education.
I personally know a not Hispanic woman who was gang raped in NY a few decades ago. when I was a working physician in Berlin, Germany, one of my colleges, a female anaesthesiologist was raped by two OBGYN docs during her on call in house duties. the case went to court, was all over the news, the guys got aquitted. although high suspicion that they committed rape, but not enough evidence. it was made into a she said, he said, although colleges in adjacent rooms heard her scream and did not know what to do. all three lost their jobs. she is now working as insurance review person, one of the guys is still a OBGYn doc in a different state. this was about 20 years ago. but I am sure it could happen today whithout any difference in reporting by nowadays media.
we have to pick up a serious and very hard fight.
And you know what happens if they’re acquitted because there isn’t enough evidence? She’s a lying bitch who tried to ruin their lives, and there’s plenty of young men who’d want HER put in jail or killed. For having the temerity to have been raped without proof.
*sigh*
This is such a chilling crime against one so young – it is heart breaking and any decent human being wd be angry beyond words.
I think apart from the 10 barbaric guys who did this, the 20 odd ones that watched too need to be arrested. They have hung around, watching, enjoying and calling more on to it – as if an entertainment show. They are party to the crime – that a crowd approves of it must have made the perpetrators even more abusive. They must have thought if everyone supports this, it is surely ok. So the 20 spectators are guilty as hell and should be brought to book. Because their presence and silent or funfilled encouragement was abettment to crime – that is one of the reasons why it turned so heinous.
Apart from arresting the 10 abusers, I urge the authorities to book a case of abettment to crime against the 20 indirect participants who watched and lent their support to the gang assault of this unfortunate girl. I so feel her pain and helplessness (and also disbelief that no one wd do anything to stop it – wd have taken just one call – it is not cowardice alone, it is the onlookers’ subliminal approval of the crime that they did not call).
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