Domestic violence is a harsh reality that is often overlooked by the fans of charismatic entertainers and talented athletes.
According to research of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), about “1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year,” which should make the public more aware of this serious issue.
On Sept. 8, 2014, the public was disturbed and outraged after seeing TMZ video footage of Ray Rice, former Baltimore Ravens running back, assaulting his wife Janay Palmer-Rice on an elevator at an Atlantic City casino, approximately seven months prior to their marriage. Rice married his victim, and it’s unclear how much the National Football League (NFL) knew before the video publicly surfaced.
Many were mainly outraged at the fact that Rice’s original punishment was a two-game suspension, instead of being suspended indefinitely.
According to Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY Sports, Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti stated, “The decision to let Ray Rice go was unanimous. Seeing the video changed everything.”
If footage was released, what is stopping anyone from filing a lawsuit against Rice?
According to CBS writer Stephanie Slifer, Rice was quickly enrolled into a counseling program for first-time domestic violence offenders. That move creates the disheartening possibility of him not receiving any jail sentences or permanent charges on his legal record.
In a nutshell, this program can be equated to probation. This can (and will) cause an even bigger uproar amongst the opposition of Rice, since his enrollment into the program is assisting him with escaping a charge and a sentence, proving to be an upset to many.
Shockingly, Janay Rice, the wife and victim of Ray Rice, expressed her disapproval toward the decision that the NFL has made concerning Rice’s recorded assault on her.
According to People Magazine writer Jeff Truesdell, Mrs. Rice pointed the finger at the media for the termination of her husband’s NFL career. She also expressed her opinions about the decision on her Instagram profile, with words such as, “THIS IS OUR LIFE! What don’t you all get?”
Her disapproval caused a firestorm of tweets on Twitter with the trends “#WhyILeft” and “#WhyIStayed” bringing forth confessions of domestic abuse throughout the Twitter community.
Because of this, awareness of domestic violence has increased, and women are gaining confidence to speak out against it by exposing their experiences to the world.
Was Rice’s privacy violated? At this point, it truly does not matter. The main focus is the fact that there is video footage of Ray Rice punching out his wife, dragging her unconscious body out of an Atlantic City elevator by her legs and has yet to be legally punished or charged by his wife or her family.
Love should never be equated with pain and suffering. Abusive entertainers or athletes must realize that they will forever be in the spotlight. Being suspended from the NFL is not equal to being legally punished for a crime.
The fact that Rice’s wife does not want him to be punished is even more disturbing than the actual video itself. The public often excuses domestic violence and other scandals when its idols are involved in them. Is this all that we expect from athletes and entertainers? Are we willing to overlook violence if we recognize the perpetrator?
We should understand that entertainers and athletes are human beings that are under the same moral code as the rest of the public.
Despite the popularity and high payroll, an athlete such as Ray Rice should never get a pass when it comes to being a decent, respectful, and morally correct individual.
