By Beth Myncin
Anyone that has turned on a TV or radio has heard about the Ray Rice assault and subsequently his two game suspension. Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the Baltimore Ravens running back recently stating that Rice had taken responsibility for his actions after he admitted that he made a horrible mistake. The question that still remains is what does Rice actually regret? The fact that he hurt someone he loves, or the fact that it was caught on camera for the world to see. As a female, the actions of Rice are not the only things that outrage me, but also the actions of Goodell and Rice’s wife.
Stick with me. I know. How could I possibly be outraged at the woman who was not only injured, but has been left out in the open to judge? What angers me is that she not only took him back but she also defended him.
I don’t care about money and I don’t care about the fact that they have a daughter together. I don’t care about his excuses and I don’t care that he claims that it was a one-time thing. I care that she emotionally slapped all other women in the face by making a statement that it was okay to be hit when she chose to still marry him. I care that she will tell her daughter to be strong and to not accept anything less than the best but she did not follow her own advice. And I care about all of the other little girls who learned the same thing with this. What he did is not okay and she told Goodell that it was by these actions.
Three United States Senators, Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), have also asked the NFL to stiffen the penalty, yet Janay Palmer has stood by his side. Actions speak louder than words and she has made it loud and clear that she is going to tolerate this. Domestic violence is never alright ladies and there is never a reason to tolerate it.
The other enemy in this is Roger Goodell. In his mind, half-heartedly apologizing means that you too can be let off of the hook for assaulting someone. That of course is assuming you play for whatever team he deems worthy of such exceptions. He is “the one” to blame in this debacle besides Rice. He just added to the culture that shows that violence against women is alright. And then he proceeded to defend adding to the culture.
As a female this whole thing disgusts me. Keep your stupid pink football jerseys and show me that you care about me by punishing those guilty for hurting women like me. Women like your mother, your sister, your girlfriend, wife or friends. None of these women would ever deserve it, because violence against women is never okay. Reasonably Goodell should resign over this. As a female I don’t want to continue to support a league that is run by a man that thinks hitting a woman is okay if you give a scripted apology.
The NFL is not becoming a joke league because they are suspending players for what they deem illegal hits. The issue is much larger, much deeper. They are becoming a joke because they had the chance to make a statement on domestic violence and chose to stay quiet.
