Rape and the Judge

Currently we have a judge here in Alberta going through a form of trial to decide whether or not his remarks to a 19 year victim (“why couldn’t you keep your knees together”) is cause for dismal.  I’d like to weigh in on this discussion with a few questions of my own. 

Is this man from the Dark Ages?  What age is he since he could even dream to ask a question like that of a victim?  What doesn’t he understand about being a victim of rape?  (a whole lot apparently since he has now been “educated” whatever that is supposed to mean).  Does he own a television and is he alone in the world of lawyers in not seeing at least one episode of Law & Order SVU?  Has he never seen a news report on rape victims?  Why did he chose to judge a rape case if he wasn’t “educated” on the crime?  Lastly, who the heck are you kidding?

Let’s go back to that last question and ask it of the various lawyers who have spoken out on his behalf.  Can a law professor really say with a straight face that this judge didn’t know anything about rape crimes and therefore he could be educated and is sincerely sorry?  His lawyer repeats much the same thing.

I’m looking at the pictures of this judge and he looks like he may be in his late 50’s or early 60’s, in fact I think I may have read that he was 68 years old.  The point is that this man is in my generation, give or take a few years, and I cannot for one minute believe that he didn’t know exactly what kind of an asshole remark he was making.  Not only did he know, he meant it and didn’t care one iota that those remarks could potentially damage the 19 year old victim.  When I first heard these remarks of his two years ago my first thought was the same as my last thought “what a f’ing asshole”.  What kind of a judge would dream of saying such a thing even if he thought it.  A stupid, arrogant idiot of a judge who does not deserve to be on the bench, that’s who.

Am I biased?  Naturally, I’m biased against assholes.  I’m biased against anyone who degrades what should and ought to be an institution of respect and justice.  This is the type of judge who probably is a hard liner judge who doesn’t believe or give second chances to those standing in front of his bench so why should he be given a second chance, now that he is “educated”.  What’s good for the goose mister, what’s good for the goose.

Have a nice day.