Kobe Bryant and R. Kelly

[Sailor X]

It's "Let's merge two topics into one!" day in Sailor X's world! Do you think they did it? Have you seen the tape (in R. Kelly's case) to think so? I don't think Kobe did it (too much conflicting evidence), but I don't know about R. Kelly. And someone needs to explain to me why Kobe is facing a life sentence for a rape that didn't really injure the girl.

[Lady of the Light]

I personally don't think that Kobe is guilty. I haven't seen enough evidence against him to prove otherwise. But this is the first I've heard about a life sentence. Honestly, I think the girl was in fact consentual, but then decided that it would be better to turn against him for the publicity, or perhaps revenge.

The only reason why this case is so popular is because Kobe is a celeb, plain and simple. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of rape trials and investigations out there, some more brutal than this one. I find it rather unfair that this case gets all the attention, just because a star is involved.

[Tiff]

The only reason why this case is so popular is because Kobe is a celeb, plain and simple. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of rape trials and investigations out there, some more brutal than this one. I find it rather unfair that this case gets all the attention, just because a star is involved.

Well, you said exactly what I wanted to.
It's just like the Bill Clinton issue...there are many presidents that have commited adultry, slept and impregnated slaves, and done much more horrid things...but Bill happened to do the wrong thing at the wrong time, and it was this huge deal that he cheated on his wife. My god, that's personal issue, people. It was so ridiculously blown out of proportion.
Things such as sexual assault, rape, and sexual abuse should be left up to those invovled, plain and simple.

[Anthy]

And someone needs to explain to me why Kobe is facing a life sentence for a rape that didn't really injure the girl.

How can rape NOT injure someone? o_O; If he's guilty of rape, then he should rot in jail for the rest of his life. But that's just Anthy's opinion. ^^;
It really irks me, too, that famous people's problems are displayed for all the world to see. It's really not any of our business.

[Tiff]

And someone needs to explain to me why Kobe is facing a life sentence for a rape that didn't really injure the girl.

How can rape NOT injure someone? o_O; If he's guilty of rape, then he should rot in jail for the rest of his life. But that's just Anthy's opinion. ^^;
It really irks me, too, that famous people's problems are displayed for all the world to see. It's really not any of our business.

*glares* Rape injuries a person mentally, emotionally, and physically, Sailor X. For personal reasons, I am HIGHLY offended by that remark.
I agree, Anthy, except on one thing: Those guilty of rape shouldn't rot in jail; rather, they should be forced to undergo slow and painful torture for as long as the victim suffers.

[Anthy]

I agree, Anthy, except on one thing: Those guilty of rape shouldn't rot in jail; rather, they should be forced to undergo slow and painful torture for as long as the victim suffers.

Yes, Tiff... but unfortunately, that's not a very easy punisment to administer. Too bad the judicial system can't do that. I'd be all for it.

[Lady of the Light]

I agree, Anthy, except on one thing: Those guilty of rape shouldn't rot in jail; rather, they should be forced to undergo slow and painful torture for as long as the victim suffers.

Yes, Tiff... but unfortunately, that's not a very easy punisment to administer. Too bad the judicial system can't do that. I'd be all for it.

I agree with both of you on this. Ones who commit crimes should have to suffer the same amount of pain that they delt to their innocent victims. But then we would have to make sure that we caught the right person. Imagine putting a person who had nothing to do with the crime through that torture...All for something they had nothing to do with. That's why we have to make sure that all the investiagtions and trial proceedings must go properly and fairly, so we can catch the ones responsible for the crimes, not the other innocents.
But unfortunately, that does not always happen. The system isn't perfect, but we should strive to make it be, so that the ones that do the crime pay for it, and innocents are left out of it.

[NameGoesHere]

I haven't seen much evidence in either case, so I couldn't form an informed decision on weather or not they are guilty. All I've seen is the endless hours of speculation by the media, and quite frankly it annoys me to no end. Just because someone is famous does not mean that I want to hear jack about their personal lives, or trials for that matter.

But for those that are guilty of rape, the torture idea works for me.

[Sailor X]

And someone needs to explain to me why Kobe is facing a life sentence for a rape that didn't really injure the girl.

How can rape NOT injure someone? o_O; If he's guilty of rape, then he should rot in jail for the rest of his life. But that's just Anthy's opinion. ^^;
It really irks me, too, that famous people's problems are displayed for all the world to see. It's really not any of our business.

*glares* Rape injuries a person mentally, emotionally, and physically, Sailor X. For personal reasons, I am HIGHLY offended by that remark.
I agree, Anthy, except on one thing: Those guilty of rape shouldn't rot in jail; rather, they should be forced to undergo slow and painful torture for as long as the victim suffers.

I knew that, having been molested myself. Whenever I say "injure," I mean physical pain only. When I say "hurt," I mean all three. I said "injure," so stop glaring at me! I simply cannot justify putting someone in prison for the rest of their life unless they committed murder, especially when they are young. The thought of that hurts me. That's a whole life wasted. So guess how I feel about the death penalty. I don't want to sound like some heartless bastard, but aside from the forced sexual intercourse part, from what I hear, she got a bruise. A bruise.
Please don't get me wrong. Rape is a crime that hurts me deeply as well. There was only one time it didn't, and that's because it made me laugh. It was on Oh Drama! and it was about a man who had been raped by two women. One sat on him, the other one sat on him. One of the hosts said it had to really hurt, that he was getting... uh... you know... while this was happening. I just went like "...Okieee...," and started laughing.

[Tiff]

I knew that, having been molested myself. Whenever I say "injure," I mean physical pain only. When I say "hurt," I mean all three. I said "injure," so stop glaring at me! I simply cannot justify putting someone in prison for the rest of their life unless they committed murder, especially when they are young. The thought of that hurts me. That's a whole life wasted. So guess how I feel about the death penalty. .*edited for space*.

It doesn't matter if she only got a bruise. When I got sexually assaulted by a close friend, I had no bodily injury done to me other than the sexual assault. But I have been traumatized for quite some time. I normally don't tell people that this has happened to me...but this is hitting me personally, and I don't appreciate what you've said.
NONE of us know what happened. Only the people involved know. Therefore, you have no right to make judgements about this girl.
To me, rapists deserve just a high a sentence as murder, becuase they destroy lives just as horribly.

[yoshmaster5]

I knew that, having been molested myself. Whenever I say "injure," I mean physical pain only. When I say "hurt," I mean all three. I said "injure," so stop glaring at me! I simply cannot justify putting someone in prison for the rest of their life unless they committed murder, especially when they are young. The thought of that hurts me. That's a whole life wasted. So guess how I feel about the death penalty. .*edited for space*.

It doesn't matter if she only got a bruise. When I got sexually assaulted by a close friend, I had no bodily injury done to me other than the sexual assault. But I have been traumatized for quite some time. I normally don't tell people that this has happened to me...but this is hitting me personally, and I don't appreciate what you've said.
NONE of us know what happened. Only the people involved know. Therefore, you have no right to make judgements about this girl.
To me, rapists deserve just a high a sentence as murder, becuase they destroy lives just as horribly.

true Tiff, very true... I think Saturday Night Live gives the best impression of that.
"You know what I hate? I hate going to my husbands RAPE trial!" Maya Rudolph as Kobe Bryant's wife.

but Rapists deserve the same punishment as murderers. VERY TRUE.

[Sailor X]

So you're saying that some rapists should get the death penalty? Urgh.

And what about R. Kelly? No one's said a word about him.

[yoshmaster5]

So you're saying that some rapists should get the death penalty? Urgh.

-_-

no, I mean jail and things like that. like... 10-60 years to life. not Death Penalty.

[Tiff]

So you're saying that some rapists should get the death penalty? Urgh.

And what about R. Kelly? No one's said a word about him.

I said that murderers and rapists should get the same punishment.
Not all murderers get the death penalty. You seem to be fixed on the fact that the death penalty is extremely common.
But I don't believe rapists deserve to live among humanity. I believe they should spend the rest of their miserable lives alone, in prison, and if it happens to be with the death penalty, then so be it.
Sorry for having no sympathy for rapists..I think it's unforgiveable.

[yoshmaster5]

So you're saying that some rapists should get the death penalty? Urgh.

And what about R. Kelly? No one's said a word about him.

I said that murderers and rapists should get the same punishment.
Not all murderers get the death penalty. You seem to be fixed on the fact that the death penalty is extremely common.
But I don't believe rapists deserve to live among humanity. I believe they should spend the rest of their miserable lives alone, in prison, and if it happens to be with the death penalty, then so be it.
Sorry for having no sympathy for rapists..I think it's unforgiveable.

*agrees*

[Jed-kun]

And someone needs to explain to me why Kobe is facing a life sentence for a rape that didn't really injure the girl.

Personally I think that convicted rapist's should be castraited... but that's just me . I think that R. Kelly did it, I mean, there's video (a friend of mine acctually watched it :: shudder :: ). I heard that it was pretty discusting at some points, but that was kinda consentual to my understanding. I don't know if Koby did it, but I do wish that the reporters would stop talking like the girls side of the story is fact rather thatn "one side of the story"! It's "inocent until proven guilty" not 'Inocent until it can become a great lifetime movie of the week"! (There's my two cents).

[Akarui Kibuno]

My own two cents:

I agree with the opinion saying "Why the hell putting it that much in the media or on TV when it's about one's privacy ?"

Meaning, anyone having committed a crime should be punished, but we don't need to see it all over the media, newspapers, and other things like that.

As for "injury" or "bruise" or things like that, I think rape is far more complicated than something that can be divided into "physical injury", "mind injury" and so on. It's a mix up of things. I'm happy I didn't go through such a terrible event, but what when the person assaulting you is a friend ? Your mind gets hurt cause it's a friend, the body gets hurt cause it's an assault. When it's a father over a daughter (a poor friend lived through that... such a sad story that I can't tell completely).

Some things can destroy you. Rape is one. Sometimes you can be or physically or psychologically hurt: rape is a twist of both, and this is why, in my opinion, it should be so punished. As punished as murder... because rape is the murder of a soul, the murder of one's pride, of one's "integrity" (if this word can be used, my apologies if it cannot, anyone correct it if there's a better word).

[Tiff]

I agree with the opinion saying "Why the hell putting it that much in the media or on TV when it's about one's privacy ?"

I'm happy I didn't go through such a terrible event, but what when the person assaulting you is a friend ? Your mind gets hurt cause it's a friend, the body gets hurt cause it's an assault. When it's a father over a daughter (a poor friend lived through that... such a sad story that I can't tell completely).

Some things can destroy you. Rape is one. Sometimes you can be or physically or psychologically hurt: rape is a twist of both, and this is why, in my opinion, it should be so punished. As punished as murder... because rape is the murder of a soul, the murder of one's pride, of one's "integrity" (if this word can be used, my apologies if it cannot, anyone correct it if there's a better word). *edited for space*

*nods* that was my opinion ^_^ *beams*
and yes, when it's a friend, it's a whole different story. It's just as traumatic as any other rape, but...the way your mind is traumatized is completely different. If it's someone you know, someone you've trusted, then your entire outlook on life becomes warped. You completely lose faith in humanity. You don't want to go outside, you don't want to talk to anybody. You completely lose trust in everything you trusted before.

That's why hearing the comment about "she had no physical injury" pissed me off. Badly.

[Jed-kun]

I have to adress a couple things real quick...
1) The reason that trials are public is that it's an extra measure to make sure that a fair trial goes on, famous people just get screwed by it 'cause it's now "big news" rather than a safty precation for them.

2) No one's mentioned this yet so I thought that I should. Even though I despise rapists (especially child molesters) I can find pitty for them. Most child molesters/rapists were molested/raped as children themselves and didn't get help. Later in life these represed memories either internalize and ruin themselves and there relationships or externalize and they become rapists themselves. It's a very sick-sad cycle.

[Anthy]

You're correct with all your words, Akarui. ^^ I think you got it best.

Rape is a shredding of a person's decency and self-esteem. It's horribly brutal.

And R. Kelly had sex with an underage partner, therefore, the girl is unable to give consent. This is illegal. End of story.

I have no sympathy for molesters or rapists just because they were molested when they were young. Just because shit happens to you, it doesn't mean you're allowed to fuck up other people's lives.