Um..it's still rape.
Is anyone else disturbed by the tone of the media coverage about Mary Kay Letourneau's release?
As you may recall, Letourneau was a then-34-year-old teacher who had sex with her then-13-year-old student, ultimately producing two daughters, who are now 5 and 7.
Amid speculation about whether she will "re-unite" with her victim, to "resume their relationship" and other such babble, I am struck by the disconnect between the nature of the crime (clearly statutory rape) and the public and media response.
As Tracy Johnson so stunningly understates it in her Seattle Post-Intelligencer article today:
What do you think, readers? Why the difference in treatment? Is it gender alone? The fact that they have children together?
Email or comments appreciated, as I'm perplexed.
As you may recall, Letourneau was a then-34-year-old teacher who had sex with her then-13-year-old student, ultimately producing two daughters, who are now 5 and 7.
Amid speculation about whether she will "re-unite" with her victim, to "resume their relationship" and other such babble, I am struck by the disconnect between the nature of the crime (clearly statutory rape) and the public and media response.
As Tracy Johnson so stunningly understates it in her Seattle Post-Intelligencer article today:
It was a crime that sparked widespread debate about a possible double standard for a sex offender who some said wouldn't have garnered any sympathy if she were a man and the victim were an adolescent girl.A possible double standard? I think had Letourneau been a man, someone would have tried to kill him, prior to or during imprisonment. Not to mention the idea of "resuming a relationship" would spark a riot.
What do you think, readers? Why the difference in treatment? Is it gender alone? The fact that they have children together?
Email or comments appreciated, as I'm perplexed.
posted by The Malcontent at 11:35 AM
1 Comments:
It's gender alone. If a man was released from prison and immediately tried to resume a relationship with a girl he'd raped when she was a 6th grader, the man would be put back in prison. Feminists would riot in the streets. Instead, because she's a woman, she's getting a free ride to victimize this kid again (yes, I know he's 21 now).
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