Story on www.msnbc.com today - in Cleveland, Texas, an 11 year-old girl was raped by at least 18 and maybe more adult and adolescent men. Horrific story, but the most horrifying part to me is this quote:
"Maturity or not I'm pretty sure she knew what she was doing," Robin Smith, 24, a cashier in Cleveland
Follow me over the fold to see why I lost my lunch on this.
Indictments in the case allege that before the Nov. 28 attack, the girl also was assaulted on Sept. 15 and Oct. 25. Each of those times, at least two individuals were involved. Thirteen adults and five juveniles have been arrested so far
Residents who live nearby told The Associated Press this week that they had seen the girl, dressed provocatively and in makeup, hanging out near the area both before and after Nov. 28.
For the life of me, I will never understand this attitude. How can anyone possibly think that an 11 year old girl wants to be gang raped? How can they attribute such a horrific crime to her "dressing provocatively" and wearing makeup? A poor 11 year old girl, from a broken home, desperately seeking someone to pay attention to her, someone to show her love and affirm her place in the world. Imitating behavior that she knows gets attention. And its her fault.
I don't know how to get past this story. So easy to put it down to the Black community's values, or ignorant southerners, or just trailer park trash. So easy to blame poor parenting (the girl has been removed from her home by CPS) or say that could never happen in my town. But then, am I any better than those I judge if I do so?
What does this say about our country, that we have devolved so far that people think an 11 year old girl is responsible for her own rape? How does this happen, not once, not twice, but three times to this girl. What kind of values do these men have? Is society to blame - has poverty riddled the morality and humanity of those who have lived in it for so long that raping an 11 year old neighbor is all that's left to these men?
Have our leaders with their lack of accountability and non-apologies led us here - I guess from today's quote ole Newt Gingrich would say "these things just happened in her life". Have we just given up on a whole swath of society - so long as I'm better off now than I was 4 years ago, that's all that matters, isn't it?
I don't know what to say, I have no answers. I wish I could be there, foster parent the poor girl and help her know what a beautiful blessing her life is in this world, and help her to become a strong, confident woman, as my daughter is becoming. It is depressing to think how many more girls like this there are, and yes, even in my own town. At times like these my faith wavers, I recall the movie The Devil's Advocate and recall the words of Al Pacino's Satan's rant, and wonder if God truly is just an absentee landlord.
I pray that Texas CPS does right by her, and gets her the help she needs. I recommit to doing right by all women and help those that I can.
Questions? Answers? The floor is yours.