TEEN SCANDAL
APRIL 2013
Lisa Maki
Last March 17, 2012, a 16 and 17 year old high school football player from Steubenville, Ohio, were declared guilty of raping an intoxicated 16-year-old girl. The story surrounding this crime is almost unbelievable ... unbelievable and shocking because of the manner it was done and the arrogance of the young men who did it, and even those who witnessed it.
It happened in August 2012. The 16-year old girl from West Virginia came across the Ohio River for a night of partying. She was found drunk and slightly puking in the middle of the street, in front of one of the player’s homes.
At one point in the night, a witness who was sober walked in on a house with the highly intoxicated, non-moving girl sprawled out naked in the middle of a basement floor while the two football players were sexually violating her. This witness, when interviewed and asked why he didn’t stop the two men said: “It wasn’t violent”. He even said that he has always pictured rape as forcing yourself on someone.
As if this comment was not enough, Mays, one of the accused, was found guilty of transmission of nude photos of the 16-year old girl. He also confessed to the crime via hundreds of text messages over the next few days. A group of teens also filmed and documented the crime and sent these photos on social media.
This is not the first time that this incident ever happened. There are countless similar stories that have not been publicized ... stories that have remained hidden ... women who have been shamed and are carrying this shame until now ... men who are running scot-free for the crime they did.
What turns teenagers into these shameless, arrogant, and fearless criminals? What makes women become victims of such shameful acts? What was a 16 year old girl doing in a party, highly intoxicated, not knowing the dangers that she was facing?
It happened in August 2012. The 16-year old girl from West Virginia came across the Ohio River for a night of partying. She was found drunk and slightly puking in the middle of the street, in front of one of the player’s homes.
At one point in the night, a witness who was sober walked in on a house with the highly intoxicated, non-moving girl sprawled out naked in the middle of a basement floor while the two football players were sexually violating her. This witness, when interviewed and asked why he didn’t stop the two men said: “It wasn’t violent”. He even said that he has always pictured rape as forcing yourself on someone.
As if this comment was not enough, Mays, one of the accused, was found guilty of transmission of nude photos of the 16-year old girl. He also confessed to the crime via hundreds of text messages over the next few days. A group of teens also filmed and documented the crime and sent these photos on social media.
This is not the first time that this incident ever happened. There are countless similar stories that have not been publicized ... stories that have remained hidden ... women who have been shamed and are carrying this shame until now ... men who are running scot-free for the crime they did.
What turns teenagers into these shameless, arrogant, and fearless criminals? What makes women become victims of such shameful acts? What was a 16 year old girl doing in a party, highly intoxicated, not knowing the dangers that she was facing?
"I wasn't there for my son"
Surprisingly, one answer to this question came from the father of one of the accused, Richardson. His biological father addressed the court and the victim’s family saying: “Everyone knows I wasn’t there for my son. I feel responsible for his actions”.
The investigation of this crime, as well as testimonies of family members and friends exposed a teenage culture of weak ethics, rampant alcohol abuse, and poor family structures that molded and influenced the lives of Mays and Richmond.
On the outside they were athletes who had promising futures and no criminal past. On the inside they were lost teenagers deceived and controlled by the wicked ways of the world.
How can parents expect their children to grow up with good moral values ... to be responsible citizens of society ... to know right from wrong ... and to behave properly – if their foundation is not built on solid rock but on sand?
How can we expect teenagers to know right from wrong if their parents don’t teach them what is right and wrong from God’s standard? What is right and wrong in our society these days is not clear anymore. It has crossed boundaries and has been twisted to suit each person’s personal desires and preferences. Gay marriage used to be an unimaginable thing. People knew it was wrong. Yet today it is celebrated. Living together without the benefits of marriage was something that couples didn’t dare even think about in the previous generations because it was not right. Today it is as normal as eating or sleeping. Look around you and see.
A young boy will never understand why his parents tell him that it’s bad to smoke and drink when he sees his parents partying every weekend and getting intoxicated. A young girl will never understand why it is wrong for her to be sleeping around when she sees her mom bring different men in their house. Parents who do not have the moral authority over their children can’t expect their children to choose the right path.
It doesn’t take blatantly evil parents to produce an evil child. Even well-meaning parents who are considered “good” by society can produce children who will be deemed “evil” by the world. The only way to guarantee a child’s good moral character is to raise him in the ways of the Lord. This holds true now more than ever because of how evil and twisted our society has become.
And how can parents raise their children in the Lord if they are not surrendered to God and His Word? There is no way children can follow something that they don’t see their parents doing.
If these accused young men were raised in the ways of the Lord by God-fearing parents themselves, then they would have respect for women. They would not have gotten drunk knowing that the Bible warns against it. They would not have done those shameful acts that the Lord detests.
If the witnesses and those who videotaped the crime scene and spread the video around were raised in the ways of the Lord by God-fearing parents themselves, then they would not have condoned what they saw. They would have warned those accused young men or literally stopped them from doing so. They would have protected the girl and covered her shame.
If the non-moving intoxicated girl who was raped was raised in the ways of the Lord by God-fearing parents, she wouldn’t have gotten herself intoxicated, knowing that God warns against it, and knowing that it can shame her. She would have been more modest in her ways, sticking with her girl friends and not exposing herself to the wiles of men.
All these people involved would not even have been partying like that if they knew God and were obedient to His Word. Galatians 5:19-21 warns against these sins that they were engaged in.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The investigation of this crime, as well as testimonies of family members and friends exposed a teenage culture of weak ethics, rampant alcohol abuse, and poor family structures that molded and influenced the lives of Mays and Richmond.
On the outside they were athletes who had promising futures and no criminal past. On the inside they were lost teenagers deceived and controlled by the wicked ways of the world.
How can parents expect their children to grow up with good moral values ... to be responsible citizens of society ... to know right from wrong ... and to behave properly – if their foundation is not built on solid rock but on sand?
How can we expect teenagers to know right from wrong if their parents don’t teach them what is right and wrong from God’s standard? What is right and wrong in our society these days is not clear anymore. It has crossed boundaries and has been twisted to suit each person’s personal desires and preferences. Gay marriage used to be an unimaginable thing. People knew it was wrong. Yet today it is celebrated. Living together without the benefits of marriage was something that couples didn’t dare even think about in the previous generations because it was not right. Today it is as normal as eating or sleeping. Look around you and see.
A young boy will never understand why his parents tell him that it’s bad to smoke and drink when he sees his parents partying every weekend and getting intoxicated. A young girl will never understand why it is wrong for her to be sleeping around when she sees her mom bring different men in their house. Parents who do not have the moral authority over their children can’t expect their children to choose the right path.
It doesn’t take blatantly evil parents to produce an evil child. Even well-meaning parents who are considered “good” by society can produce children who will be deemed “evil” by the world. The only way to guarantee a child’s good moral character is to raise him in the ways of the Lord. This holds true now more than ever because of how evil and twisted our society has become.
And how can parents raise their children in the Lord if they are not surrendered to God and His Word? There is no way children can follow something that they don’t see their parents doing.
If these accused young men were raised in the ways of the Lord by God-fearing parents themselves, then they would have respect for women. They would not have gotten drunk knowing that the Bible warns against it. They would not have done those shameful acts that the Lord detests.
If the witnesses and those who videotaped the crime scene and spread the video around were raised in the ways of the Lord by God-fearing parents themselves, then they would not have condoned what they saw. They would have warned those accused young men or literally stopped them from doing so. They would have protected the girl and covered her shame.
If the non-moving intoxicated girl who was raped was raised in the ways of the Lord by God-fearing parents, she wouldn’t have gotten herself intoxicated, knowing that God warns against it, and knowing that it can shame her. She would have been more modest in her ways, sticking with her girl friends and not exposing herself to the wiles of men.
All these people involved would not even have been partying like that if they knew God and were obedient to His Word. Galatians 5:19-21 warns against these sins that they were engaged in.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
There is no true follower of Jesus and His Word who will deliberately engage in these sins because of their fear of God. And the “fear of God” is what we need to instill in our children, but firstly in ourselves as parents.
This “fear of God” has been removed in schools, government, and almost every institution here in America. And this is the reason why we have these teenagers who are shameless and arrogant in committing crimes.
Wake up America and stop pointing the blame on other people. Just like the biological father of Richardson who said that he feels responsible for his son’s actions, take accountability too for what your children have turned into. They may not be rapists or criminals but who knows who they will be years from now. They may be future politicians or successful business people, yet without the fear of God in their lives, they are all capable of doing wicked things. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Examine your lives now and your relationship with God and begin to build a strong one with Him. Then God will heal you and your family. Then you can lead your children in the ways of the Lord.
Wake up America and stop pointing the blame on other people. Just like the biological father of Richardson who said that he feels responsible for his son’s actions, take accountability too for what your children have turned into. They may not be rapists or criminals but who knows who they will be years from now. They may be future politicians or successful business people, yet without the fear of God in their lives, they are all capable of doing wicked things. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Examine your lives now and your relationship with God and begin to build a strong one with Him. Then God will heal you and your family. Then you can lead your children in the ways of the Lord.
Lisa Maki is the founder, publisher, and editor of God'z Gurlz. More about Lisa at ...
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