Guilty In Steubenville

The equivalent of a guilty verdict, given the overwhelming evidence, shouldn’t be a sign of progress, but in a sense it is. The rape culture was in evidence throughout the trial:

Throughout this trial, the two defendants and a parade of friends who wound up mostly testifying against the defendants expressed little understanding of rape – let alone common decency or respect for women. Despite the conviction, the defendants likely don’t view themselves as rapists, at least not the classic sense of a man hiding in the shadows.

“It wasn’t violent,” explained teammate Evan Westlake when asked why he didn’t stop the two defendants as they abused a non-moving girl that Westlake knew to be highly intoxicated. “I always pictured it as forcing yourself on someone.”

And, as Travis Waldron points out, it’s remarkable in an awful way that the coach still has his job.