What a Coincidence Dharun Ravi's Guilty Verdict came down AFTER Gov. Chris Christie Vetoed that Gay Marriage bill.
I firmly believe Dharun Ravi was used by the Gay Rights Movement To Force Gov. Chris Christie to pass Gay Marriage Laws in New Jersey.
He is NOT Guilty of a Hate Crime!
Although what Dharun did was Dumb, he did NOT make or cause Tyler Clementi to commit Suicide.
Crime, Punishment and the Rutgers Case
To the NY Times Editor:
This case raises critical questions for the gay community and for us all.
How do we balance justice and compassion? Should this young man be imprisoned for up to 10 years for a cruel and immature act that had a dreadful consequence he did not foresee and would not have wished?
What is accomplished by imprisoning him, apart from satisfying our urge for retribution? Is this really the way to end bullying, or are we in danger of becoming the bullies we abhor?
We suggest that Dharun Ravi be sentenced to work for a gay rights organization. There his prejudices would be confronted every day simply by coexisting with people whom he might grow to like and respect.
We hope that a prominent gay rights organization will intervene in the sentencing hearing, saying: “Justice has been served. We applaud that. The message has gone out that harassment and bullying of gay people will not be tolerated. However, we do not support the maximum sentence for this young man and ask the court for leniency.”
STEPHEN KARAKASHIAN
ORLANDO RODRIGUEZ
PHYLLIS RODRIGUEZ
Milwaukie, Ore., March 18, 2012
The writers are, respectively, a gay rights activist, a criminologist, and a peace and reconciliation activist. The Rodriguezes’ son died in the Sept. 11 attack.
When I came out my freshman year in college (1979-80). I was fortunate to have a very secure roommate who smiled after my awkward little speech and said, “You did that very well!” There was not a moment’s subsequent discomfort.
Not everyone was so lucky. My freshman-year dorm hall was a fraught place, with most of us living relatively unsupervised for the first time. There was drinking, casual sex, drugs, self-absorption, bad manners, horrible eating habits and heightened social pressure with the constant scrutiny of our hallmates. And this was decades before Twitter and Facebook.
I don’t excuse Dharun Ravi’s deplorable behavior, but I feel that adding today’s technology and social media to the usual confusion of being a dorm-living freshman is creating a perfect storm that is just too much for some 18-year-olds. I advise student housing directors not to think of this as an isolated case of bad behavior, but to ponder how to protect our young adults from themselves and one another as they navigate dorm living’s rocky terrain.
ELISABETH OCHS
San Francisco, March 17, 2012
I find myself looking at the front-page photograph of 20-year-old Dharun Ravi, convicted of 15 offenses against his college roommate, who committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge when they were both freshmen two years ago.
I have two sons, 22 and 18. As a mother I strongly relate to the parents of both young men. Could my sons, living away from home for the first time, take advantage of another person, thinking it was somehow humorous or inconsequential? There are a number of popular comedy films, like “Animal House,” depicting outrageous behaviors on college campuses that are considered funny by many.
Is the convicted young man a scapegoat, guilty only of a prank gone wrong? As for the victim and his family, my heart goes out to them. I hope that we learn from these horrendous experiences.
NANCY BUCCIARELLI
Huntington Beach, Calif., March 19, 2012
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Sources: ABC News, CNN, NY Times, Youtube, Google Maps
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