Sacrificing Ray Rice on the altar of hollow, 21st century American self-righteousness
I do not think that Ray Rice punching his fiancé once in the face after being slapped in public (outside the elevator), and then charged by his fiancé (inside the elevator), after he retreated to one side of the elevator, constitutes “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another.” In other words, it was not domestic abuse as defined by the Department of Justice. Who knew?
What it was, was an obviously feisty couple pushing things too far and losing their tempers. The couple, including the fiancé, hinted at the fiery nature of their temperaments in their apologetic press-conference. They are trying to make amends (they’ve since been married), and move forward with their lives. But the video is blood in the water, and society dominated by a broad range of politically-correct agendas will not let them do that. The NFL, always more concerned with the superficial, PR value of image (i.e. money), as opposed to substantive principle, will not let them do that. And left-leaning media, like MSNBC, will also not let them do that (they could start by broadcasting the entire video including the slap).
And so, a pound of symbolic flesh will be rendered, and one very tough, and exemplary football player, Ray Rice, will be sacrificed on the altar of hollow, 21st century American self-righteousness.