Kentucky teen tweets her way to possible jail time

Why is this interesting? Because she could go to jail for tweeting the names of two boys who sexually assaulted her and spread pictures of the act over the internet.

Yes... let it sink in... you read it correctly.

I know, right!

Here are a few more details of the story:
The seventeen year old victim passed out at a party.
Two under-eighteen males then assaulted her and took pictures.
The same two males distributed said pictures via the interwebs.
The two males plead guilty to felony sexual abuse and misdemeanor voyeurism. Sentencing is in August.
The hearing was in a juvenile court and therefore subject to confidentiality.
There was also a court order to not discuss the case outside the courtroom.
The victim felt the charges were too lenient.
The victim tweeted the names of the two boys and stated "if I have to go to jail for my rights, I will do it."
The lawyer for the two boys filed to have the victim charged with contempt of court.
The contempt charge has a maximum possible sentence of 180 days in jail and a $500 fine.
The boys were tried as "youthful offenders" which is akin to being tried as an adult. (adult proceedings have no confidentiality)


This info was gleaned from Sam Laird's article on Mashable.com. here.

In his article, Laird asks if the reader thinks the seventeen year old victim does or does not deserve jail time for tweeting the names of her attackers. Mr Laird, nice article... stupid question. Of course she does not. She does deserve to be found guilty, but not jail time. This is where "judicial discretion" comes into play. This is why the process of vetting judges is so important. This is why the judicial branch is a vital part of the U.S. Government. The judge in this case will have to look at the two boys who assaulted her, who are protected by this confidentiality of juvenile court, even though they were essentially tried as adults, and ask an important question. The question being, while the victim did in fact commit a crime, how much of an injustice was done? If I run out on a red light to pull someone from out in front of a speeding car, should I get a ticket for jaywalking? Should I be charged with assault for punching someone who is assaulting someone else? While each instance is technically a crime, are they truly and offence? An injustice? No, obviously not.

In a somewhat fitting scenario in my head, the judge hears the contempt charge, finds the victim guilty and orders her to pay the maximum $500 fine with no jail time. Then, the judge hands down sentencing for the two assailants, giving them both the maximum jail time allowable, ordering the two boys to register as sex offenders (which they likely wont have to do in this case) AND ordering them to pay the victim's $500 fine.

Actually, that's a silly idea of justice. I don't know what would be a just punishment for those two boys. I do know that the least of that punishment would be to have the world know their names.

UPDATE: The defense attorney has withdrawn the request that the victim be held in contempt.

Try.

Love yourself. 

MAKE PEACE with who you are at this moment in time. 

Listen to your heart. 

If you can't hear what it's saying in this noisy world, MAKE TIME for yourself. 

Enjoy your own company. 

Let your mind wander among the stars. 

Try.

Take chances.

MAKE MISTAKES.

Life can be messy and confusing at times, but it's also full of surprises. 

The next rock in your path might be a stepping-stone.

Be happy.

When you don't have what you want, want what you have. 

MAKE DO.

That's a well-kept secret of contentment. 

There aren't any shortcuts to tomorrow. 

You have to MAKE YOUR OWN WAY.

To know where you're going is only part of it. 

You need to know where you've been, too.

And if you ever get lost, don't worry.

The people who love you will find you. 

Count on it.

Life isn't days and years. 

It's what you do with time and with all the goodness and grace that's inside you. 

MAKE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE...

The kind of life you deserve.

I was reminded of this today. The words come via a wonderful woman who no longer graces this earth.

Pretenders

So... let's say you're a painter.. You have basic technique, but haven't mastered it and haven't continued to study. You slap some paint on a canvas and take your painting to the gallery. You hang your painting on the wall and then stand next to it and wait for people to view it. The crowd arrives and people begin to walk through the gallery. Friends arrive and they see you and tell you how great your work is. Others arrive and they take in the work. While they're taking it in, you jump in with "I painted this!" They smile, raise their eyebrows as they nod as answer with "It's nice, I like it." You smile and they move on to the next piece of work. Others stop and you do the same, they answer similarly. After many people telling you they like it, you begin to feel more confident with your work. More people view the work and you are feeling good about it. They stop to look and you say "Isn't it great?", gleaming with pride. They nod, smile and move along.

A woman arrives and looks at your painting. You chime in with "Isn't it great?" She is taken by surprise and says, "I don't know, I'm trying to look at it." You respond with, "I painted it!" She says, "congratulations" and returns to view your work. You jump in with the most dangerous of questions, "do you like it?" She shrugs, purses her lips and says... "not particularly." She looks you in the eye and says "there are great instincts here, but you're still learning. I'm excited to see your work as you continue to grow as an artist." You shrink back as if slapped and can only muster, "oh'" She smiles and moves along to take in other works.

Is she a bitch? Is she jaded? Jealous? Honest? Unafraid to say what she feels in spite of being put on the spot?

What about you? Are you an artist? Are you as good at what you do as you think? Do you want to challenge yourself to grow? Do you want the praise? Do you just need the attention?

Tell me.

So it's been a while....

So it's been a while since I last posted. A lot has happened since then. I have moved and had someone steal from me. That's always a disappointing experience. The stealing, not the moving. The moving was hard, but not necessarily disappointing. It was a very emotional move as it was part of the end of something that was such an important part of my life. There was a lot of sadness and uncertainty about this move and now I'm in a new place living with someone I haven't known for more than a few weeks. What lies ahead seems like it could be great, but right now everything is unsure and uprooted. Luckily, I had two wonderful people help me through this move. When everything in your life is crazy, sometimes the most magical words you could ever hear are, "sure, I'll help you move" said with the simplicity of lending someone a dime. As if moving weren't a taxing, frustrating and sweaty experience.

Years ago, I had to move rather quickly and I was driving a beat up Volkswagen I could barely squeeze a box into, let alone furniture. When that was happening I reached out to a guy named Mike with Crohn's disease. Crohn's has nothing to do with the story, that's just how I distinguish him from the 50 other Mikes in my life. That number is not an exaggeration, by the way. Mike, sorry that you will always be described that way. I didn't really know Mike. I had met him a few months prior and we were often in the same places with the same people. Mike had a truck and said "sure" in just the same way my friend who helped this last weekend did. Just because.

That "sure" meant and means so much to me. It says, "I would love to extract some misery out of your life." It says, "Without agenda." It says, "I love you." Which is what some people need to hear in the midst of stressful times. What I also love about that response is that it says those three little words and then tacks on, "and I'm not afraid to prove it." Thank you to my two wonderful people this weekend and thank you to Mike with Crohn's disease.

Let Sleeping Dogs...

When someone goads you to do something, when someone tries to push every button you have... what do you do? You can give them what they want and let them effect you in the manner they are attempting, knowing it will only hurt you both more in the long run. Or... you can choose to accept the abuse as temporary and not react to it, knowing the button-pusher is acting out of pain, knowing it is best for you both.

The second is, of course, the ideal. It is a more noble concept and probably best for each individual in the long run. The problem with this "ideal"... is that more buttons get pushed. So many, in fact, that one of those buttons may be something that is shocking and so unlike what the other person is really like, that it forever changes your perception of that person. Then, whenever you see or think of that person, all you see is the button that was pushed. Then you know that they only see you as that button, and probably always have, even if they acted otherwise.

Let's throw another element into the mix. What if the other person is entitled to be angry? What if they deserve to push a few buttons? A lot of buttons? What if you might deserve to have a few buttons pushed? Does it make the abuse excusable? Probably. BUT, there is a line. A line of things that should and should not, ever, be said. The other person should know where that line is. You would hope that they care where that line is, even if they are in pain.

Then what do you do? Do you push those buttons back? Do you say the darkest things in the back of your mind? Even if you know that they cross that line? I think the answer is pretty simple. Do what you can  live with having done years from now, even if it is the hardest thing in the world to do. Do what makes you feel good about the person you are, not what makes you feel good about the amount of pain you caused someone else.

NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, as those in the know would say. The goal is to write a 50k word novel during the month of November. That breaks down to just under 1700 words per day for those of you who must know the math. The intent is not to write the next best-seller, far from it. Writers are encouraged to write and continue writing even the most horrible and pointless novels, as long as they finish. That is the goal above all else, to finish.

Why do I bring this up in mid-June? Because I am throwing down the gauntlet! I guess, since nobody reads this blog, I am also picking up said gauntlet and slapping myself in the face with it. I have several stories in the works and I have been writing to sharpen my skills and to create good writing habits. My problem is finishing stories. I finish them in my head, i know how they all end, it just never makes it to the page. It's hard for me to admit that because I think I like to pretend I'm better at that than i really am. In any case, I am participating in NaNoWriMo this year and I WILL finish a novel.

The Little Lake

Jerry and Berry were two very close friends, as close as two bloodhounds could be. Jerry loved Berry's bark and ability to sniff out the smallest morsels of food. Berry loved Jerry's way of finding the best shelter in a storm and how Berry always knew when to stop eating before they would get sick. Berry and Jerry went everywhere together, always leaning up against each other. When Jerry stopped, Berry would veer sharply to the right, having been held up by Jerry for so long. The two would come back together and Berry would then lean to the left into Jerry. One of them would stop and the other would veer. They would switch sides and continue this way until neither had a side they were more comfortable with than another. When they walked for long periods of time without veering, they sometimes no longer felt like two separate beings. This was nice. It was worth all the veering back and forth and having to switch sides to feel that comfortable.

One day, after stopping to rest for several hours. Berry jumped up and asked Jerry, "Where do you want to go next?" Jerry shot up with excitement to start the new journey, "I want to go to the river!" Berry barked with excitement and spun in a circle, ready for adventure. Jerry sat back down, "it's a little cold right now though, in a few weeks the river will be the perfect temperature." Jerry remained seated with resolve to stay put. Berry ran off a few steps and stopped, waiting for Jerry to join. Jerry didn't move. Berry ran in a large circle, tongue hanging out, taking in the sun. Berry came back to where Jerry was sitting, panting and grinning; Jerry was still sitting, looking off into the distance. Berry walked over and sat next to Jerry, the two hounds leaned into each other.

They slept a little, they rolled around in the sun, and they talked about all the places they wanted to go. Berry wanted to go to the big lake where all the other dogs were. "The big lake, to play with all of the other dogs?" asked Berry. Jerry considered then gave a head shake, "let's go to the little lake. You always get too excited and drink too much water and get sick. The little lake will be better for us." Berry knew that Jerry sometimes knew better, so Berry started walking towards the little lake. Jerry started walking that direction as well. They touched shoulders and leaned into each other, falling into pace with their familiar walk, both forgetting themselves in what came so naturally. Berry had the urge to go faster, but would feel Jerry start to fall when doing so. Berry kept pace and stayed with Jerry. After an hour, Jerry sat down. Noticing the sun going down Jerry said, "We can go in the morning. The little lake will be very nice in the morning." Berry lay down to sleep and Jerry stared off in the direction of the big lake.

Berry woke just as the sun was inching over the horizon and saw that Jerry was still sitting up, looking off into the distance. Jerry looked down at Berry, "you go on to the little lake. I need to stay here." Berry was surprised, they always went places together. Jerry insisted, "you go, have fun." Berry smiled. Jerry was always concerned about Berry being happy and that was nice. Berry barked, Jerry smiled, and Berry turned and ran towards the little lake. Berry ran the whole way, tongue wagging in the open air, speeding towards the little lake.

As Berry approached the little lake, the sun was reflecting of the water and into Berry. It was warm and bright and happy. Berry liked it there and ran around the edge of the lake, investigating it from every angle. Berry drank from the lake and met some of the other animals, although very few of them were dogs. Some of the animals were jumping in the lake and swimming. Berry wanted to, but Jerry was alone and Berry was worried. Berry took one last lap around the lake and then started back to where Jerry was.

Berry ran the whole way back and found Jerry where they had spent the night. Jerry was just getting up from lying down and seemed to have been sleeping. Jerry saw Berry and smiled, Berry smiled back and barked. Jerry barked. They looked at each other for a moment and then Berry went and sat next to Jerry. They leaned into one another and fell back into that comfort they each loved so much. They slept throughout the most of the night. Just before dawn, Berry half-woke from a bad dream and whimpered. Jerry, without waking, reached out a paw and touched Berry on the top of the head. Berry calmed and Jerry leaned in closer. They both went back to sleep.

The next morning, Berry awoke with excitement at what the day would bring. Jerry was up and staring off towards the little lake. Berry barked and ran off to find them some food. Berry returned and they ate. They walked a little ways together in the direction of the little lake, but did not get very far before Jerry wanted to sit again. Jerry sat and breathed deep. Berry sat too, leaning against Jerry. After a while Jerry looked to Berry and insisted he go to the little lake alone again. Berry wanted them to go together but Jerry would not go.

Berry ran to the little lake again, this time with a little less enthusiasm. When Berry got to the lake some of the other animals recognized and came to talk to Berry. There were more dogs at the lake today and they introduced themselves to Berry. They all played together, although Berry was a bit timid and almost felt guilty for having fun without Jerry. Berry even got into the water and swam a little, but not very far out and not for long. Time passed quickly while Berry was at the lake and soon it was time to return to Jerry.

Berry ran the whole way back and found Jerry exactly where they had been before. Again, Jerry was just sitting up and looked to have been sleeping. They smiled at each other, happy to once again be together. Berry sat and leaned into Jerry. They rested against each other and laughed and talked until they slept. They slept leaning against one another and they both enjoyed how good that felt.

The next morning, Berry woke again to find Jerry was already up. Jerry encouraged Berry to go to the little lake. Berry really wanted Jerry to go too, but Jerry could not be persuaded. Berry went to the little lake again without Jerry. The other animals had become friends to Berry and they all played together. Berry had fun, but was always worried about Jerry being alone. Berry never stayed as long at the little lake as the other animals for want to return to Jerry. Berry liked being with Jerry and didn’t mind leaving the new friends so they could be together. Berry wished Jerry could meet the new friends and play with them all together.

For quite some time did things continue this way, Berry going to the little lake alone and Jerry staying behind. Everyday Berry would have fun at the lake, but be worried for Jerry at the same time. Everyday Berry would return to where Jerry was and they would spend the nights together and they would enjoy it, as they got along so well.

One night Berry asked why Jerry never went to the little lake. Jerry said, “I’m not sure I even want to go to the lake anymore.” Berry asked many questions about the lake and what Jerry wanted, but Berry never fully understood what Jerry was trying to say. Berry would try to understand, Berry would always try. Jerry could see the concern in Berry’s eyes and said, “You should still go to the little lake though. If the little lake makes you happy than I want you to go as much as you want.” Berry smiled, touched at Jerry’s concern. Jerry wanted Berry to be happy at the little lake and that made Berry happy.

The two leaned in and relaxed into one another once again. They were dozing off together as Berry suddenly sat straight up, looking off into nothing, head cocked to one side. Jerry looked up at Berry, but said nothing. Berry was silent for a long moment, still looking off into nothing. Finally, Berry spoke.

“Jerry… I wanted to go to the big lake.”