KUDOS to the NFL for firing player for domestic violence

[CJ2008]

There are many reasons why battered women stay with an abusive partner.

For those of you on twitter check out the hashtags #whyistayed and #whyileft. Really enlightening conversation going on.

I find it interesting that Michael Vick still being in the league being a breaking point for some people. At the time of his arrest there was MULTIPLE convicted murderers playing in the league. What Vick did was wrong, but there are many more in the league who did things that are much worse. The NFL has a long history of sweeping crimes of their players under the rug. They have a long history of sweeping many things under the rug (i.e. concussions) that they are now being brought to task for. Michael Vick just happened to be high profile, as is this case. And this case is only high profile because it has been contrasted against other recent suspensions for recreational drug use. At least once a year one of these domestic abuse cases pops up in the league.

Its a long standing problem, that wont go away anytime soon.

I understand the point you're trying to make...that there are many MORE people currently playing who also did horrible things.

ETA: oh, and I should add...they should get kicked out too. They should not be allowed to have the privilege to make that kind of money.

But even not knowing what any of those OTHER players did - I equate what Vick did on the same exact level. With those kinds of things there is not "less" worse...animal cruelty is on the same level as child cruelty or murder or whatever else these people may have done.

 

[OreoRosies86]

Not really sure why his now wife stayed with him either.

... perhaps his $50,000,000.00 contract was a factor.

Perhaps, though I don't like to assume that men or women in abusive relationships stay solely because they're gold diggers. That borders victim blaming in a way I am not comfortable with.

 

[Autumnovember]

I am absolutely disgusted that someone like Vick or Rice are even allowed to ever play again. Absolutely disgusting.

 

[AGBF]

Perhaps, though I don't like to assume that men or women in abusive relationships stay solely because they're gold diggers. That borders victim blaming in a way I am not comfortable with.

Thank you for that. It doesn't "border on" victim blaming; it is victim blaming! Blatant victim blaming! The woman deserved to be knocked out. After all, she was with a rich NFL player. When are we going to stop blaming the VICTIMS, folks and blame the PERPETRATORS of the violence?

Or did the dogs deserve what they got, too?

Deb/AGBF

 

[NewEnglandLady]

double post

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Perhaps, though I don't like to assume that men or women in abusive relationships stay solely because they're gold diggers. That borders victim blaming in a way I am not comfortable with.

Thank you for that. It doesn't "border on" victim blaming; it is victim blaming! Blatant victim blaming! The woman deserved to be knocked out. After all, she was with a rich NFL player. When are we going to stop blaming the VICTIMS, folks and blame the PERPETRATORS of the violence?

Or did the dogs deserve what they got, too?

Deb/AGBF

I don't see it as victim blaming. She probably weighed the pros and cons before deciding to marry him (since this did happen before they got married). Now one of the big pros is gone (pro being wealth). I feel really bad for her--not just because she was physically abused, but because she's getting screwed over financially now, too.

She is defending him and I don't think it's because she's a victim who can't stand up for herself. I think she's defending him because she consciously made the choice to marry him and now she's suffering because he's blacklisted.

 

[kenny]

Not really sure why his now wife stayed with him either.

... perhaps his $50,000,000.00 contract was a factor.

Perhaps, though I don't like to assume that men or women in abusive relationships stay solely because they're gold diggers. That borders victim blaming in a way I am not comfortable with.

I said 'perhaps' and I said "a factor"

Who said anything about 'solely'?

 

[OreoRosies86]

Not really sure why his now wife stayed with him either.

... perhaps his $50,000,000.00 contract was a factor.

Perhaps, though I don't like to assume that men or women in abusive relationships stay solely because they're gold diggers. That borders victim blaming in a way I am not comfortable with.

I said 'perhaps' and I said "a factor"

Who said anything about 'solely'?

You know... I like you, Kenny. But for someone supposedly so open minded you're certainly quick to be condescending and rude during discussion. I was obviously addressing the way you pointedly (and sarcastically) answered my inquiry as to why she stayed- for his money. I get that this is your schtick on here, but damn does it make it hard to engage in a discussion with you.

Anyway, I feel bad for her. She painted herself into a corner of sorts and I don't know that she's known how to get out for a long, long time.

 

[lioness]

There are many reasons why battered women stay with an abusive partner.

For those of you on twitter check out the hashtags #whyistayed and #whyileft. Really enlightening conversation going on.

I posted to #whyistayed and #whyileft because I was a victim of domestic violence until I decided that enough was enough. In fact, I tweet about #financialabuse (my specialty) and #domesticviolence but I'm not sure if sharing my Twitter account here is against the rules. That for being said, I feel so very sorry for Janay Palmer Rice. She made the decision that her sense of self-worth, her safety and self-esteem were worth less than his contract. NO! Your dignity is never worth trading. It's non-negotiable, and a man who truly loves you will defend you, not punch you and, if he doesn't love you, well, you don't need to be hanging on. Period.

 

[Niel]

I am deeply disappointed in the way the NFL handled the Ray rice issue, including the indefinite suspension.

The NFL had an opportunity to view that video, regardless of what they claim. Goodell claims that, because they were working with the authorities, and the authorities did not want to release the tape. I find that laughably hard to believe. Investigators with the NFL are former cops, former FBI. For them to claim they couldnt get a hold of that video is ridiculous. There were people who had access to the video months before this investigation was underway, and they were vocal about it. Any follow up with into deadspin tipsters would have turned up the video.

Now there are two options here. They did get their hands on the tape and didnt care, or they choose to turn a blind eye and use lack of "evidence" as an excuse for a two game suspension. Both are equally deplorable.

Ray Rice is/ was one of the best running backs in the game. This, coupled with the fact there was no rule on the books about domestic abuse, is why he had only gotten 2 games. Now when smoking pot gets you 4 games, this clearly upset a lot of people. This clearly and justifiably caused an outrage. In response to the outrage (not the incident) Goodell imposed stronger penalties for domestic abuse charges. First offense 6 games, second offense , up to a lifetime ban.

Fast forward to Monday when that video leaked. Obviously disturbing, but not a new incident of violence. Lets pretend Goodell had not seen that video? So what? Rice had admitted he struck his wife. It was not a question as to what happened in that elevator. The only difference is that now moms across America could see it. The NFL was quick to kick Rice right out after that video leaked not because it was the right thing to do, or because it fit within the parameters of the new domestic violence guidelines, but because it helped Goodell with his and the NFL's image. Thats it.

As many remember, theres an issue witht concussions in the NFL. Because of this, many mothers do not want their sons to play football. This is an issue for the NFL. Because of this, they have mad a concerted effort to appeal to their female demographic (which is actually about 50% of their fan base ). Not in an effort to respect women, but to get them to love the game enough to let their sons play. Thats why you see full spread adds in womens magazines, or NFL T shirts at Junk Food. Now this is an attempt made at the surface of the NFL. There is no real change in the organization to promote a sort of respect toward women. As Ray Rice issue occurred, they were given the chance to prove that beside baby making machines, women were a respected part of the NFL fanbase, and they failed epically. Now that this video has surfaced, they saw this as a way to "make right" their public perception. Essentially using Ray and his wife as pawns in their PR game.

This is not unusual for Goodell. He is notorious for having no respect for the players. Back to concussions. He pretends to care about the health of the players, but then proposes to add 2 more games to the regular season. Or, consider, the Colts owner who was charged with a DUI, only after public pressure did Goodell impose any penalties on him, despite the harsh penalties imposed on players with similar crimes.

Bottom line, I find it gross that Ray Rice beat his wife. I find it gross that the NFL did not take it seriously to begin with, and i find it the most disturbing that the NFL would pretend that this video somehow changes anything. They are using it as a PR ploy, and thats all. I do not think Ray Rice should lose his job just because the NFL needs a scapegoat

Its a same its on video. If not, maybe hed be a head coach like Jason Kidd, or get a statue outside the stadium like Ray Lewis.

 

[Circe]

Blackprophet, Elliot, Niel, ditto, ditto, ditto.

I have more or less the same perspective on organized sports that I do on organized religion: systems founded on beautiful concepts corrupted by venal people. Power corrupts, baby, and when you give a man an enormous degree of authority/sum of money (and these days, aren't they the same thing?) and the idea that he's bulletproof ... trouble will inevitably follow.

I think people have already done a great job addressing the overall tendency to victim-blame: one thing I've been seeing in a lot of places is the argument that Janay Palmer Rice somehow "deserved" it by instigating or escalating with violent body language. I'm afraid I have exactly 0% interest in watching a woman get knocked out, so I'm unqualified to comment on the details. But I do want to address this idea that if a MUCH SMALLER human being does something threatening, that somehow justifies doing violence to them.

Pardon my language, but bullshit, chickenshits.

When I was a kid, my mom made a simple rule in my house: if there were ever to be any physical punishment in our house, she'd be the one administering it, not my dad. Why? Because, on the most basic level, my mom can't do as much physical damage. Now, I was spanked all of once as a kid, when I ran into traffic and was too little to understand that being hit by a car would do serious damage, so perhaps it's irrelevant, but I've always kind of admired her for thinking about it so coldbloodedly. On the off-chance somebody lost their temper, there were ground rules, and the bigger human had a straightforward baseline to follow: no physicality, no way, no how, just in case. That seems pretty easy, right?

In my house, we take it a step further - just no corporal punishment, period. So given that my two year old probably is to me what a typical woman is to someone as strong as Ray Rice ... I find these justifications of violence against much smaller, much weaker, much more vulnerable individuals completely baffling.

I know there are many men out there who suffer domestic abuse from female partners, and, for that matter, women from women, men from men, etc., etc. There is never any excuse for raising a hand to a loved one. But it's particularly egregious when a much stronger partner takes advantage of their partner's frailty instead of protecting them. Disgusting.

 

[msop04]

I totally, 100% agree with Niel and Circe, so I wouldn't be adding anything that hasn't already been stated.

 

[AGBF]

Not really sure why his now wife stayed with him either.

... perhaps his $50,000,000.00 contract was a factor.

No one know all the reasons Janay Rice stayed, probably including Janay Rice herself. I resent, on behalf of abused women everywhere, the belief that they stay for a gravy train. The reasons are usually far more complex.

Janay Rice did not just, recently link up with Rice. She has a daughter with him that she can't push back into her womb. When I hear it said that she is hanging on to him for the money, I wonder how many people know about their history, about the child they share? Just because they were not married before does not mean they were not a family. What happened between them was typical family violence that deserves domestic violence intervention by a court. And she should be protected right now; this incident should not be swept under a rug. When a man is feeling emasculated (for example when he loses his job as Ray Rice just did), he is far more likely to lash out at his wife or girlfriend. I hope that some court has her under its protection now. But blaming her helps her no one. He should be in a program for abusers that includes anger management. If that doesn't work and he assaults his wife (or anyone else) again, then he should go to prison.

Excerpt from on-line article:

"Janay Rice is a 26-year-old native of Mount Pleasant, New York. Janay met Rice while she was attending junior college and Rice was playing football at Rutgers University.

The couple began dating shortly after Rice was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens into the NFL, and moved with Rice to Maryland. Janay then enrolled at Towson University, and on the day of her graduation in 2010, Ray Rice proposed.

Two years later, Ray and Janay had their first child Rayven in 2012, according to International Business Times. In February 2014, the couple were arrested after an altercation on an elevator at the Revel Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Both were charged with simple assault. Janay's charges were later dropped, but Rice's were elevated to aggravated assault on March 27th, 2014."

AGBF

 

[azstonie]

There are many reasons why battered women stay with an abusive partner.

For those of you on twitter check out the hashtags #whyistayed and #whyileft. Really enlightening conversation going on.

I find it interesting that Michael Vick still being in the league being a breaking point for some people. At the time of his arrest there was MULTIPLE convicted murderers playing in the league. What Vick did was wrong, but there are many more in the league who did things that are much worse. The NFL has a long history of sweeping crimes of their players under the rug. They have a long history of sweeping many things under the rug (i.e. concussions) that they are now being brought to task for. Michael Vick just happened to be high profile, as is this case. And this case is only high profile because it has been contrasted against other recent suspensions for recreational drug use. At least once a year one of these domestic abuse cases pops up in the league.

Its a long standing problem, that wont go away anytime soon.

Are you KIDDING me? Have you read the court documents of what HE (VICK) PERSONALLY and his employees did to all those dogs? And for how long?

I've long been hoping that SOB Vick gets his neck broken or several brain damaging concussions or something horrible. If he was standing in a parking lot or a cross walk and I was behind the wheel....

 

[AGBF]

I don't see it as victim blaming.

You ARE kidding, aren't you? People are saying Janay Price married the father of her child- with whom she has been living for four years- for his money and you don't call that "victim blaming"?

AGBF

 

[msop04]

There are many reasons why battered women stay with an abusive partner.

For those of you on twitter check out the hashtags #whyistayed and #whyileft. Really enlightening conversation going on.

I find it interesting that Michael Vick still being in the league being a breaking point for some people. At the time of his arrest there was MULTIPLE convicted murderers playing in the league. What Vick did was wrong, but there are many more in the league who did things that are much worse. The NFL has a long history of sweeping crimes of their players under the rug. They have a long history of sweeping many things under the rug (i.e. concussions) that they are now being brought to task for. Michael Vick just happened to be high profile, as is this case. And this case is only high profile because it has been contrasted against other recent suspensions for recreational drug use. At least once a year one of these domestic abuse cases pops up in the league.

Its a long standing problem, that wont go away anytime soon.

Are you KIDDING me? Have you read the court documents of what HE (VICK) PERSONALLY and his employees did to all those dogs? And for how long?

I've long been hoping that SOB Vick gets his neck broken or several brain damaging concussions or something horrible. If he was standing in a parking lot or a cross walk and I was behind the wheel....

I believe what Vick did was terrible, no question! It's disgusting, and I'm glad he was punished and served time for what he did. He has done his time. As far as knowing if he's truly changed, I have no idea... but I doubt he'll engage in any activity that involves mistreatment of animals, and that's what's important. I don't necessarily "wish him well" but I don't hope he is injured or killed. That's effed up, IMHO... but whatever.

That said... I love love LOVE my kitties -- but I don't believe animal safety should be made more important than human safety. And that's exactly what it seems like sometimes based on punishments or lack thereof...

 

[Laila619]

How about Ray Lewis? It's disgusting that all those fans idolized him too after what he did. He was definitely involved in some way with a murder.

The NFL hires and employs a bunch of thugs simply because they can run with or catch a football. I'm sure there are some nice, upstanding players that have played the sport over the years (Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning come to mind) but overall, it's just sad and depressing that these clowns are cheered on and worshipped.

My DH loves the sport, but I just get so irritated seeing it on TV.

 

[Calliecake]

I may get flamed for my comments, but little has been said about their child. I believe once you have a child your primary responsibility is providing a stable environment for your child. It scares the heck out of me what this child will witness having these two people as parents. In my opinion there is absolutely NO excuse for what Ray Rice did but I also think Janay has major problems as well. She was hitting and spitting on him in the elevator before he hit her. They both have anger management issues and I serious doubt this was the first time an incident like the one in the elevator has taken place between these two. If he did this to her in public, what goes on between these two in the privacy of their home? She is darn lucky he didn't kill her with that punch and what does she do afterward..... She marries the man. If you are being a responsible parent you do not marry a man who beats you. It's not just about the two of them anymore. Who is looking out for this poor child's interests. What will happen a few years down the road if the child tests his patience or makes him angry. This whole situation makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[blackprophet]

There are many reasons why battered women stay with an abusive partner.

For those of you on twitter check out the hashtags #whyistayed and #whyileft. Really enlightening conversation going on.

I find it interesting that Michael Vick still being in the league being a breaking point for some people. At the time of his arrest there was MULTIPLE convicted murderers playing in the league. What Vick did was wrong, but there are many more in the league who did things that are much worse. The NFL has a long history of sweeping crimes of their players under the rug. They have a long history of sweeping many things under the rug (i.e. concussions) that they are now being brought to task for. Michael Vick just happened to be high profile, as is this case. And this case is only high profile because it has been contrasted against other recent suspensions for recreational drug use. At least once a year one of these domestic abuse cases pops up in the league.

Its a long standing problem, that wont go away anytime soon.

Are you KIDDING me? Have you read the court documents of what HE (VICK) PERSONALLY and his employees did to all those dogs? And for how long?

I've long been hoping that SOB Vick gets his neck broken or several brain damaging concussions or something horrible. If he was standing in a parking lot or a cross walk and I was behind the wheel....

I believe what Vick did was terrible, no question! It's disgusting, and I'm glad he was punished and served time for what he did. He has done his time. As far as knowing if he's truly changed, I have no idea... but I doubt he'll engage in any activity that involves mistreatment of animals, and that's what's important. I don't necessarily "wish him well" but I don't hope he is injured or killed. That's effed up, IMHO... but whatever.

That said... I love love LOVE my kitties -- but I don't believe animal safety should be made more important than human safety. And that's exactly what it seems like sometimes based on punishments or lack thereof...

Let me clarify my comments since they seem to be misconstrued. I am not saying what Vick did wasn't wrong. And I'm not saying that its wrong to stop watching the NFL or the Eagles because of what he did. What I am saying is that before Vick and Rice there were many players convicted of beating their wives and killing other people. And the NFL swept them under the rug. They have been sweeping these types of things under the rug for years. This didn't start last week, its been going on for years. Its a systematic issue going on in the league.

It is interesting because many more people are waking up to this issue, and the NFL is coming under increasing pressure for it. And if they knew about it before its even more interesting because why was Vick or Rice the straw that broke the camels back?

For those who said they would maim or hurt Vick, would you maim or hurt those convicted murders? Do you even know who they are? The league has been largely successful at this for years. Now its getting harder to get away with it.

I listened to an interesting interview on the radio this morning and they said something that I knew but never really put together in my mind. This behaviour is starting in college. First multiple schools do whatever it takes to get them to come. Then you hear a lot more about guys raping and assaulting women in college and the schools sweeping it under the rug (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11466541/florida-state-university-follows-title-ix-investigation-qb-jameis-winston). The guys are getting preferential treatment and pretty much get away with whatever they want (in and out of the classroom). Then they get to the NFL and you give them millions and they get to do the same thing. Its a recipe for disaster.

And yes it is my opinion, and I look down on both Vick and Murderers, but the Murderer is worse in my books, and deserves harsher punishments imo.

 

[msop04]

There are many reasons why battered women stay with an abusive partner.

For those of you on twitter check out the hashtags #whyistayed and #whyileft. Really enlightening conversation going on.

I find it interesting that Michael Vick still being in the league being a breaking point for some people. At the time of his arrest there was MULTIPLE convicted murderers playing in the league. What Vick did was wrong, but there are many more in the league who did things that are much worse. The NFL has a long history of sweeping crimes of their players under the rug. They have a long history of sweeping many things under the rug (i.e. concussions) that they are now being brought to task for. Michael Vick just happened to be high profile, as is this case. And this case is only high profile because it has been contrasted against other recent suspensions for recreational drug use. At least once a year one of these domestic abuse cases pops up in the league.

Its a long standing problem, that wont go away anytime soon.

Are you KIDDING me? Have you read the court documents of what HE (VICK) PERSONALLY and his employees did to all those dogs? And for how long?

I've long been hoping that SOB Vick gets his neck broken or several brain damaging concussions or something horrible. If he was standing in a parking lot or a cross walk and I was behind the wheel....

I believe what Vick did was terrible, no question! It's disgusting, and I'm glad he was punished and served time for what he did. He has done his time. As far as knowing if he's truly changed, I have no idea... but I doubt he'll engage in any activity that involves mistreatment of animals, and that's what's important. I don't necessarily "wish him well" but I don't hope he is injured or killed. That's effed up, IMHO... but whatever.

That said... I love love LOVE my kitties -- but I don't believe animal safety should be made more important than human safety. And that's exactly what it seems like sometimes based on punishments or lack thereof...

Let me clarify my comments since they seem to be misconstrued. I am not saying what Vick did wasn't wrong. And I'm not saying that its wrong to stop watching the NFL or the Eagles because of what he did. What I am saying is that before Vick and Rice there were many players convicted of beating their wives and killing other people. And the NFL swept them under the rug. They have been sweeping these types of things under the rug for years. This didn't start last week, its been going on for years. Its a systematic issue going on in the league.

It is interesting because many more people are waking up to this issue, and the NFL is coming under increasing pressure for it. And if they knew about it before its even more interesting because why was Vick or Rice the straw that broke the camels back?

For those who said they would maim or hurt Vick, would you maim or hurt those convicted murders? Do you even know who they are? The league has been largely successful at this for years. Now its getting harder to get away with it.

I listened to an interesting interview on the radio this morning and they said something that I knew but never really put together in my mind. This behaviour is starting in college. First multiple schools do whatever it takes to get them to come. Then you hear a lot more about guys raping and assaulting women in college and the schools sweeping it under the rug (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11466541/florida-state-university-follows-title-ix-investigation-qb-jameis-winston). The guys are getting preferential treatment and pretty much get away with whatever they want (in and out of the classroom). Then they get to the NFL and you give them millions and they get to do the same thing. Its a recipe for disaster.

And yes it is my opinion, and I look down on both Vick and Murderers, but the Murderer is worse in my books, and deserves harsher punishments imo.

I understood what you meant, black prophet, and I totally agree with you. I think the murderers deserve waaaay worse punishments.

How the whole Jameis Winston ordeal was handled really blows my mind. It's so obvious that he was given special treatment bc of who he is and what he means to the university. (Of course I'm in Auburn fan, but ya know... ). {wink}

I think more people than not are very disappointed in how the police and the University dealt with that situation.

 

[ericad]

I don't think that speculating about why Janay still married Rice is victim blaming or bashing. To say that she instigated it, pushed his buttons, escalated the conflict, etc. IS victim blaming, indeed. But to ask WHY she would marry him after the abuse is not placing any blame, it's just an attempt to understand. Speculating that maybe she stayed for the financial security, or because they had a child and a history together, or perhaps she grew up in an abusive home, or is devoutly religious, or maybe she feared for her or her child's life if she DIDN'T marry him - I mean who knows, right? These are all reasons given by domestic abuse victims at #whyistayed - why is it victim blaming to discuss it? To discuss is to understand, and to understand is to prevent and empower.

I watched the elevator video and it chilled me to the bone. Ray Rice is a cold blooded and terrifying dude.

I found this to be quite profound - both from the same woman:

#whyistayed I didn't want my kids to be without their father.
#whyileft I didn't want my kids to be without me.

I hope Janay and her daughter are safe, though in my gut I believe they're not.

 

[kenny]

The NFL has just announced their zero-tolerance policy on domestic violence caught on publicly distributed video .

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nfl-announces-new-zerotolerance-policy-on-videotap,36885/

 

[kenny]

Blaming her for being stupid enough to marry that thug AFTER the elevator violence is NOT "blaming the victim" for the elevator violence itself.

Anyone who would draw such a conclusion is fricking stupid!

Sheesh!

 

[Circe]

The problem with that is that it sounds a lot like blame for any woman who didn't leave immediately after the first incident ... and as a number of eloquent posters have explained, it can be complicated.

 

[ericad]

See, again I respectfully disagree. Wondering why a victim stays is just part of the conversation. I'm not blaming her - I'm not saying that she had it coming because she stayed with him and didn't leave after the first time. The whole #whyistayed and #whyileft movement is based upon this question - why do victims stay in abusive relationships and what does it take for a victim to leave their abuser? I agree that it's incredibly complex, but disagree that talking about and trying to understand this incredibly important issue is akin to victim blaming.

 

[OreoRosies86]

See, again I respectfully disagree. Wondering why a victim stays is just part of the conversation. I'm not blaming her - I'm not saying that she had it coming because she stayed with him and didn't leave after the first time. The whole #whyistayed and #whyileft movement is based upon this question - why do victims stay in abusive relationships and what does it take for a victim to leave their abuser? I agree that it's incredibly complex, but disagree that talking about and trying to understand this incredibly important issue is akin to victim blaming.

I agree that it is a natural question to ask why a woman stays with a jackass who hits her. I asked it myself earlier in the thread. What I find infuriating is hearing over and over "Because he was rich, duh." Woman dates and then marries her abuser with money, she's a gold digger who deserves what she gets.That is how the many coversations I am reading about this are going. And as a woman and fellow human, I don't like that. It trivializes it and makes another victim of abuse into a cartoon character.

 

[Circe]

It's the "blaming her for being stupid enough" construction that makes me feel like it's a little blame-y. "Stupid," like gold-digging - the other go-to excuse - both have a faintly pejorative ring.

 

[FrekeChild]

I may get flamed for my comments, but little has been said about their child. I believe once you have a child your primary responsibility is providing a stable environment for your child. It scares the heck out of me what this child will witness having these two people as parents. In my opinion there is absolutely NO excuse for what Ray Rice did but I also think Janay has major problems as well. She was hitting and spitting on him in the elevator before he hit her. They both have anger management issues and I serious doubt this was the first time an incident like the one in the elevator has taken place between these two. If he did this to her in public, what goes on between these two in the privacy of their home? She is darn lucky he didn't kill her with that punch and what does she do afterward..... She marries the man. If you are being a responsible parent you do not marry a man who beats you. It's not just about the two of them anymore. Who is looking out for this poor child's interests. What will happen a few years down the road if the child tests his patience or makes him angry. This whole situation makes me sick to my stomach.

Their daughter is who I have been thinking about as well. Their daughter is not only potential collateral damage physically, but also now even more at risk for enduring or administering abuse in her future romantic relationships. You learn so much about how to conduct romantic relationships from your parents, and this little girl is learning terrible terrible things.

Also, it was just admitted to the media that the NFL got this same video in April.

I watched the video and after just a little bit of time of watching the aftermath, with him slinging her body around, my stomach was just churning. He didn't care one iota about her safety or well-being. She was (and sadly, probably still is) a ragdoll to him.

 

[AGBF]

I believe what Vick did was terrible, no question! It's disgusting, and I'm glad he was punished and served time for what he did. He has done his time.

...​

I don't necessarily "wish him well" but I don't hope he is injured or killed. That's effed up, IMHO... but whatever.

Well, as my husband always said, that's why there is vanilla and chocolate. Here is what I feel. Many murderers who have killed with extenuating circumstances have "done their time" and still not been released. Many have been put to death. Many innocent people have been put to death.

Michael Vick should have been put to death.

I am not going to put him to death myself, but I am sorry as hell no one has killed him yet. In my opinion he was probably worshipped in prison rather than beaten up like so many poor, young kids there. It's a pity he wasn't killed there, like so many vulnerable, mentally ill prisoners. It's a pity he hasn't been killed in a fight in some club like many other thugs of his ilk when he got out and resumed clubbing. He is just so rich that he probably has adequate bodyguards. But no one was there to protect the little dogs he tortured. If I had been and I'd had a gun, I'd have shot him dead as a door nail. He is a thug. He will kill the innocent again. He is probably doing it secretly now with a smug grin on his evil face.

AGBF

 

[Calliecake]

I may get flamed for my comments, but little has been said about their child. I believe once you have a child your primary responsibility is providing a stable environment for your child. It scares the heck out of me what this child will witness having these two people as parents. In my opinion there is absolutely NO excuse for what Ray Rice did but I also think Janay has major problems as well. She was hitting and spitting on him in the elevator before he hit her. They both have anger management issues and I serious doubt this was the first time an incident like the one in the elevator has taken place between these two. If he did this to her in public, what goes on between these two in the privacy of their home? She is darn lucky he didn't kill her with that punch and what does she do afterward..... She marries the man. If you are being a responsible parent you do not marry a man who beats you. It's not just about the two of them anymore. Who is looking out for this poor child's interests. What will happen a few years down the road if the child tests his patience or makes him angry. This whole situation makes me sick to my stomach.

Their daughter is who I have been thinking about as well. Their daughter is not only potential collateral damage physically, but also now even more at risk for enduring or administering abuse in her future romantic relationships. You learn so much about how to conduct romantic relationships from your parents, and this little girl is learning terrible terrible things.

Also, it was just admitted to the media that the NFL got this same video in April.

I watched the video and after just a little bit of time of watching the aftermath, with him slinging her body around, my stomach was just churning. He didn't care one iota about her safety or well-being. She was (and sadly, probably still is) a ragdoll to him.

Part of what sickened me was after he punched her he showed absolutely no remorse at all. The way he handled her while she was unconscious was as if he was taking out the trash. I have a very hard time believing this was a one time incident. They had wives of former NFL players wives talking about this on the Today show this morning. One was saying what a great guy he is. It mad me so angry. New flash ladies, men don't come to work and talk about how they beat their wives the night before. The conduct themselves in public as nice men. Freke Child is 100 % correct. Their children will grow up knowing nothing about what a healthy relationship is like if this is what they see. They grow up thinking that when a man loves you it's okay that he hits you and hurts you emotionally. Everything you learn about loving relationships you learn by watching your parents relationship(s) as a child. I see years of therapy in this little girls future trying to undo the damage done by get parents. I know many of these woman are afraid to leave but they should be just as afraid to stay. We need to have stricter laws for domestic violence and orders of protections need to do more to help the victim. We hear all to often of women try to start her life over and have the man track her down and kill her.

I have a family member who us in law enforcement. He has said there is nothing worse then going on a domestic violence call. In many cases they get there and the woman is many times beaten to a pulp and she's scream at the officers for trying to help her.

Please know I'm not trying to shame or blame the woman.