Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ray Rice: How the media pulled off a modern day lynching.

September 9, 2014 by  
Filed under News, Opinion, Sports, Weekly Columns

Like
Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry

(ThyBlackMan.com) The recent release of a video showing former Baltimore Ravens running-back Ray Rice pummeling his then girlfriend inside of an Atlantic City elevator has sent shock waves through not only the sports community, but through the round of non-sports related talk shows as well. What can be seen is completely and totally despicable and without excuse. For a grown man, no matter how provoked he may be, to smooth lay out his woman to the point that her unconscious body has to be drug out of an elevator is a snap shot of total and complete depravation.

But what happened to Ray Rice after the recent “sudden” release of this video is the equivalent of a modern day lynching. Why? Just stick with me for a few moments.

On February 15th, 2014 Ray Rice and his then girlfriend Janay Palmer were both charged with simple assault at an Atlantic City casino. The police report states that both parties “struck each other with their hands.”

On May 23rd Rice and Palmer address the media and now the newly married Janay Rice says she deeply regretted the role she played the night of the incident.

On June 16 NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met with both Rice and his wife to assess the severity of discipline to enforce.

On July 27th the NFL announces a two-game suspension for Rice, beginning on August 30. The Ravens football team calls the punishment “significant” but “fair” before, once again, defending the running back.

On August 28th, after receiving an overwhelming amount of criticism, the NFL announces a more severe punishment for domestic violence incidents committed by players. Any player accused of domestic violence, on first offense, now receives an automatic 6-game suspension. A second domestic violence incident is punishable by a lifetime ban from the league.

On September 8th, actual video footage from inside the elevator is released. Ray Rice is then released by the Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL. Because of the punishment the Ravens are able to cut him without pay.

Ray Rice was not fired because of what happened behind closed doors. No, Rice was fired because the public SAW the awful and terrible reality of domestic abuse. The facts surrounding this story never changed. The public knew that he and his girlfriend got into a fight, the public knew that she was unconscious when she got drug from the elevator, the public knew that Rice was the one who knocked her out because he admitted to it.Ray Rice, Janay Palmer

So then the question is this; why wasn’t Ray Rice fired when the story first came out? Did the fact that we now saw the ugliness on camera somehow change the argument? Is domestic violence worse when it’s caught on video?

Imagery has always played a very strong part in the human psyche. Hearing about something raises the awareness level, but seeing it seems to heighten our emotions. Why is that? Scientists have mapped out the brain and how it works. They have come up with some interesting conclusions when it comes down to sight, and that is the fact that over 50% of the human brain is engaged when we see things.

This being said, the power of what we see should not be underestimated, especially in the black community. It is no wonder that a community that is underserved in just about every area across the board, whether it is education, family, healthcare, finances, and public safety, is consistently fed visual images that amount to nothing more than spiritual and psychological cellulose. American Black themed entertainment, for the most part, is like sugar water. There is close to zero nutritional value to be found in the vast majority of urban entertainment outlets. Conversely we only hear about the occasional good things, but we don’t often see it.

We see death, mayhem and bodies being drug, unconsciously, from an elevator.

Domestic violence is very real problem in the black community. The fact that big mama and big daddy were always fighting, especially after one or both of them was drunk, has insidiously weaved its way into the cultural fabric of a lot of black folks. The excuse of “my papaw did it, his daddy did it, I’m gonna do it,” when it comes down to beating one another has almost become a badge of honor, a not-so-kind family crest. Many have not only turned their heads to it, but have surreptitiously endorsed it.

It is abundantly clear that the relationship dynamics of Ray Rice and his wife is one of violence. The fact that they were both charged with aggravated assault is evidence of that. Plus, no man in the world who is not an abuser would strike a woman that hard and then not completely panic. After he knocked her out he seemed to move with the same sense of urgency of someone going to the execution chamber. And we can’t rely on his wife for clarity of thought. She’s doing the best that she can, but please remember that she’s in the midst of an abusive relationship. She married him AFTER she got knocked out in the elevator. Her thought process is damaged, to say the least.

Firing Rice should’ve happened months ago. But to have a knee-jerk reaction as a result of a video (one that we knew the outcome of several months ago) is wrong. We have to question the motive of a machine that would do something like that, and at the same time not display other images that counteract this kind of psychosis within the same community.

Staff Writer; Steven Robinson

May also visit this talented writer over at; http://noroomtowiggle.wordpress.com/.

 

 


Comments

10 Responses to “Ray Rice: How the media pulled off a modern day lynching.”
  1. cao says:

    If anything Ray Rice was a pawn in the ratings game. How many people will be watching the PREMIERE of Thursday Night football. This was surely calculated for maximum gain. But it was Rays actions that allowed for these subsequential consequences. How can anyone or anything thing be blamed for his actions but him? Who are we to say that this is not Gods plan for him.
    My mother experienced violence, my sister,mother my sister in law and I pray that my nieces won’t. Why do we keep foreboding individual responsibility to do better because they know better? At the end of the day I realize that everyone does not know better. But as a health professional I know that those people don’t do better until they go through something that requires that they do better

  2. cao says:

    The video in its entirety shows a man who had no regard for human life. The way he dragged her out of the elevator and left her on the ground for minutes ….no matter how drunk you may be at some point the severity of the situation should have at least had him check her breathing. (And sobering up). The fact of the matter is that no individual will ever be allowed to overshadow the team. He became a distraction internally and monetarily. Owners don’t play that.

  3. MsScripter says:

    That title is beyond a stretch. The word lynching should be appointed when police officers are killing unarmed black men and women. Just like the Mike Brown case, and they left his body uncovered so everyone in that black community to get a glimpse of what happens to you by the hands of the police. That same symbolic message was painted on when they hung blacks in trees and forced Black residents to watch the body dangle for hours as a form of intimidation.

    This Rice situations comes no where near a lynching, the writer sounds like Clarence Thomas in his nomination hearings. Give a rest, Rice placed himself in that situation by not controlling his anger and his actions the public finally saw what took place. Don’t think the NFL did not see the entire video, they covered it up and made a decision they had to recant on after TMZ of all media outlets exposed them, this isn’t a lynching at all.

  4. Coon Tunes says:

    It’s considered lynching because it happened to a black person and we all know how much darkies love feeling sorry for themselves.

  5. Horrible article says:

    I never write comments to any article.

    I had to on this one.

    Who wrote this???????

    As bad an article as I have ever read.

    The writer’s reasoning is childish. Modern day lynching?

    This is sad.

    Bad piece of – I can’t even call it journalism.

    It’s not.

    Just pseudo reasoning pretending to be insightful.

    Who wrote this?

    That it was even published is worse.

    The writer need not attempt to do so anymore.

    No serious publication would have published this.

  6. Satchel says:

    When did we start holding sports athletes to a higher standard than we hold the police.

  7. Karim Ali says:

    We men can’t make excuses for Mr. Rice but what we can say is that the media did assassinate him once again in the media outlets. Not saying he didn’t bring this on himself but on some media outlets they only show the elevator!! And why is that it’s because the Blackman has and always will have a target on his back. But let’s see what happened before the elevator she back handed him then yes she smacked him again and not only did she spray him with spit she charged him in a drunken state. Did he react wrong? Yes he did but why is the media only showing the one part? is it because it was the most important part of the incident, or to is to assassinate this Blackman once again?? What’s sad is that it’s 2014 and black people still don’t see a problem with it.. we need to stop building and destroying our own and we should stand up for Mr and Mrs Rice and not allow people outside our community to destroy what takes years to build! Once again no excuses for him but he should be allowed to play football again because this is the land of 2nd chances..hold on wait what about the mma fighter (white) who beat the hell out of his porn star gf?? Silence is my point. Black people embrace one another love one another!! Iron sharpens Iron!

  8. dukecityspecialist says:

    Its all a big political and financial circus as most situations like this tend to turn into when dealing with the law and professional sports. Lets be real her for one minute though. Lynching? You have got to be kidding me. The multitude of people/minorities who were actually tortured, beaten, burned and then strung upon any weight bearing object by their fellow human suffered some of the most unspeakable ,unimaginable horrors documented within the history of mankind period. The fact you would even compare a millionaire who’s job was terminated to generations of tortured races and souls is absolutely ludicrous. It is insulting and it is just as ridiculous as kanye west comparing himself to Emmet Till. MIllions have died at the hands of murderous and ignorant monsters because they were different. I think Mr. Rice will be just fine!

  9. Lee Williams says:

    “Lynching”… seriously? I fail to see how blaming the media for this modern day “lynching” proves any point. Rice committed a foul act with a lack of self control, and it is obvious that prior domestic violence is an undercurrent to their relationship. He brought it on himself.

  10. He’s a cowardly manboy who brutally punched his girlfriend in the face, and lost his job because of his bad conduct.

    How the hell is that a “lynching”?

Speak Your Mind

Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!