As if the U.S. Justice system was not already filled with one example after another where lawbreakers have been allowed to flaunt the law to their advantage, along comes another high-profile case where another professional athlete literally knocks out his wife in an elevator, and is now allowed to essentially walk away from his actions unscathed.
Back in 2014, then Baltimore Ravens running back, Ray Rice was caught on casino security video fighting with his wife. Although there was no sound, the images of what he did is clear.
A short spat, then, bam! A left hook across the face knocks her out cold. He then drags her partially out of the elevator like a rag doll where a casino attendant meets them.
The Baltimore Ravens terminated his contract and the National Football League suspended him indefinitely, only to have the latter overturned by another of our corrupt federal judges.
Now, a little over a year later, and with some “pretrial intervention,” Mr. Rice’s third degree felony charges have been dismissed. He’s a new man, having never had to actually serve any significant jail time for his brutality.
Rice told the Baltimore Sun in February, in response to the question, “Do you think any positives can stem from your domestic violence incident and the fallout from that night?”
There’s definitely going to be a lot of good that comes out of this. It’s an unfortunate situation for me and my wife. It’s unfortunate. There’s people that go through domestic violence on all different levels. We truly know we had one bad night, but I always preach that one bad decision and your dream can turn into a nightmare. We truly lived it, but now the way to come clean with it is to own it and try to help now. There’s no reason that no one should have to go through what me and my wife been through, no one. I take full responsibility for my actions. We take this as a whole, as a family and say, ‘How can we help others? How can we prevent this?’ Truly, it’s just talking. It’s all a general conversation is, getting to know your partner and understanding what’s right and what’s wrong. There are certain things that are just unacceptable and obviously domestic violence, a man on a woman, there’s just no place in society for it.
Please note, there is no personal confession of wrongdoing, a breaking of the law, or simply abuse of his wife. Instead, it was “unfortunate,” “one bad night,” and “I take full responsibility for my actions.” Really?
Who was the really “unfortunate” one in this whole ordeal, Mr. Rice? You, or your wife, as she laid crumpled in the corner of the elevator? Who really had the “bad night” that evening, as you drug her out of the elevator and she laid sprawled out on the casino floor? And just what have you done to really take responsibility, especially when your sorry butt belongs in jail?
Later when Ray is asked how Janay, his wife, is doing, his attention was not really upon her condition, but his own.
“Me and Janay is doing good. My daughter and everybody it’s kind of fitting to be able to spend Valentine’s Day and kind of recall the year because that’s 365 days of thinking about this weight on our shoulders.”
And just what did she recall, Ray, while laying face down on the floor? Did she even know she was alive? Was she aware that there was a good possibility that she would not live to see the next Valentine’s Day? After all, with the vicious punch you laid on her, your intent was what? Make her feel cupid’s arrow?
Roll the calendar ahead to today and Ray tells us, “This year has gone by really fast. It’s been a year since the incident. Once May comes, I’ll be moving into my new house and I’ll sort of feel like a free man by then. You’re back to a fresh slate. One thing I learned is to be patient and stay ready.”
Again, he cannot admit that what he did was wrong. It was an “incident.” No, Ray, it was a crime, and you should have been prosecuted like the criminal that you are!
Nevertheless, his final words are prophetic to anyone who has been abused by a spouse, particularly women. Because if the abused do not learn from the beating they took and are not ready to leave the abusive situation, then one may rest assured that that wife or girlfriend will not be around much longer in this life.
Today’s decision was not about truth and justice, but about lying and expedience; and if the day comes where we read of Janay Rice’s demise at the hands of her husband, then not only should Ray face his equal demise, Judge Michael A. Donio should be sentenced to life in prison as an accomplice.
But, we know none of that will ever happen, except for the good possibility of Mrs. Rice’s demise.
No, Ray will go on playing football, with greedy owners paying his fare, the justice system will keep right on chugging along into the abyss of injustice, and the rest of us are left wondering why there is a law code at all.
