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Sensationalist headlines: They're calling it the Twitter Rape case?
Views: 1,743Added: Sat. Aug 01, 2009 12:09pm
Posted in: News
Meanwhile in what passes for the news media...
I'm sorry, I wish I could complain about this story and the implications of guilt without adding legs to the story. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem possible. But it's a perfect example of what's wrong with our media and our justice system.
So here's the boiled-down details of the story:
A 40-year-old woman has accused Marvin Turell Grant, cousin of rapper and reality show star MC Hammer, of rape. Grant is a regular on Hammertime, an A&E reality show. The woman met Grant on Twitter, and the relationship progressed to phone conversations, romance, and finally a physical meetup. The alleged victim says that they met at Grant's hotel, had dinner, and went back to his hotel, where he forced himself on her after she refused to have sex.
I have several problems with the way this is being reported, and a few with the story itself. First, Twitter is big business, and every show on the air is bending over backwards to mention it in an effort to boost street cred with viewership. By naming it the "Twitter Rape Case" they draw more attention to the story by association and they also imply guilt. Shouldn't Grant at least be given some presumption of innocence? Or does the "Twitter Rape Accusation" just not have the same ring of commercialism?
Ditto repeated mentions of MC Hammer in the headlines. Some examples:
MC Hammer's Cousin Arrested In Twitter Rape Case
Cousin Of MC Hammer Arrested In Twitter Rape Case
What does Hammer have to do with this story other than sensationlism? If it's not news on its own, why do we need to know?
About the story itself, it sounds suspiciously like a setup for a lawsuit. This woman is 40, not 17. There was romantic overture on the phone. She knew who he was, and might assume that anyone who appears on television is wealthy (which may be correct, I have no idea what appearances on reality shows pay). She went to his hotel instead of meeting at the restaurant, and after dinner, went back to his hotel. There is no mention of screaming reported.
Now. I am loathe to suggest that a rape victim might be liying, or to put a rape victim on trial, but it's going to be pretty hard to sell this as rape to a jury unless she has demonstrable evidence of force. The circumstances strongly suggest a planned sexual encounter. While I believe that a woman - or a man - has the right to change his/her mind about having sex at any time before the act, and that there are many circumstances one might do so, this situation just screams setup. Note: this is an opinion only, I don't have access to the evidence aside from what's been reported.
What I do know about the justice system is that it's not like TV, or like it used to be years ago, where the police actually investigate thoroughly before arresting someone. Anyone can be accused and arrested, regardless of the veracity of the accuser's story. We used to be innocent until proven guilty, but that is no longer true. Overzealous prosecution is the standard, and believe me, it seems safer to take a plea than gamble your life on jury sympathy. What's more, we have lost some essential civil rights pertaining to privacy and police searches. This erosion of rights was meant to protect the public from terrorists, but law enforcement has enthusiastically embraced the broad concepts for use against US citizens.
Not so long ago, the press was careful about making definitve statements, and used words like "alleged" to indicate that an accusation is just that - and not a judgment of guilt. But to me, the most alarming aspect is the publication of the accused's name. Regardless of guilt, your name splashed across the headlines in conjunction of a reprehensible crime is something nearly impossible to live down. Grant's name, now and forever, will be associated with rape.
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