Im going to give my two cents to the situation with Ray Rice, only because I see something operative here that no one is talking about. Professions that are high stress and deal with physical threat and or violence, do not always translate well on the home front. Professions that have a high rate of domestic violence are professional sports, the police force and especially the military, where the rate of returning vets abusing and murdering their wives is on the rise. This does not excuse the behavior, but gives some insight into the demands of making a living where your well being is at risk, either through athletics, war, or crime. People say that professional athletes make too much money. I wouldnt spend two seconds playing pro ball for a million dollars. The risk of being paralyzed is not worth it. These men are our modern day gladiators. We want them to be mean and lean, we feed into it, we support it, we scream it on, yet, when the reality hits off the field, the community responds with shock and condemnation. This man needs support, therapy, as does any woman who stands by her man in the throes of domestic abuse. I also believe, that any instance of domestic violence needs to be handled legally (its a crime), and processed through the court system. But, many times (as in this case), the partner or spouse, withdrawls the charges or refuses to press charges. Its a sad, cyclic, and toxic relationship that needs healing. However, if the partners are not willing to do the work, no amount of coercion will make that happen. Im writing this because I believe instead of a public flogging of this man (and many who are throwing stones are not innocents themselves), I would hope that it can be used as a vehicle to have discussion about rage, domestic violence, particularly as it relates to professional athletes and open the door to discussion on how to give these men the resources, and support to keep their aggression on the field and not in their private lives.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 19:01:07 +0000