I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings here, but I was just watching MSNBC and Contessa Brewer described this beating as "Unladylike Behavior." This is about the fourth or fifth story I've seen in which people have tiptoed around what these "thugs" did to another girl. So I sent off this letter to MSNBC, and this is how I feel about all of it. I'm sorry if some of you know these girls, and didn't know they were violent and devious. But I don't like it when girls are treated as princesses by the media when they are obviously committing crimes.
So here's my letter to Contessa Brewer at MSNBC:
I was just watching a story about the teenage girls brutally beating another girl in the video on MSNBC.
Contessa Brewer was commenting that it was "Unladylike." I think that is the understatement of the century
and I was appalled that she would use a euphemism for what was a bunch of girl thugs hammering on another
human being without mercy. It is a scene right out of the Sopranos, and even if Contessa is as shocked as
the rest of us, she shouldn't downplay this as just a tea party gone awry.
Let's call it like it is - those girl thugs were beating the crap out of a girl who was too freaked out to fight back, and
who knew she was outnumbered. She was being physically and mentally traumatized, and slugged in the head over and over.
She might have vision, hearing, or brain damage from that, and she might never recover.
I don't care if that video came out on YouTube or MySpace - thank God for that. Let's shine a light on
what these spoiled brats think they can do to another human being. Toss them in jail for however long
the maximum penalty is, and let them rot for a while. Too bad, so sad. Goodbye to the Prom, and
Graduation. No school should ever let them back in.
If I see one more story about how these girls' have parents who are "upset" I will puke. *ack*
Who in their right mind would care what those girls' parents think at this point? Let them sue the world -
they are just mad their little girls got caught in behavior they must have learned at home from Mom and Daddy.
Let's not overlook the rights of victim, or downplay a beating as "unladylike behavior.'
If these were young men, no one would say that is "ungentlemanlike behavior." This isn't an episode of
Pride and Prejudice. This isn't Masterpiece Theater.
We don't have to use euphemisms in the press just because these are girls.
This story should be covered just as it would be if it was a gang on the streets of some large city, and not
as if these girls just escaped from Charm School. They deserve the maximum penalty for what they planned
and what they did, and no pussyfooting about it. Call a spade a spade, and get real.
These girls are trashy young gang members even if they are Cheerleaders. Think of what the victim's family
is feeling right now, or how many problems she is having over this? But I'm sure they are glad the story is out
and those girls are in trouble.
But please, cover it like any other crime story, and don't cut them slack because they are pretty cheerleaders.
Edited to Add: I have no doubt that if I had been attacked like that as a teenager, I would have fought back within an inch of my life, and so would my own daughter. I'm sure we would have been trying to pick up that table and hit someone with it. But not every girl is going to fight back, and bullies can always pick out a victim. If they had picked on this girl before and she didn't fight back, then they knew they had easy prey. That in no way justifies what they did. I think that girl was in shock and couldn't believe what was happening - who can?
