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Subject: let's argue about Ben Roethlisberger
Bart,
I’m sure you don’t want to keep going back and
forth about Ben Roethlisberger, and neither do I , so I’ll just say my
piece and be done.
Oh, I like to argue - that's one reason I got into politics :)
And know that I’ll certainly keep reading your
page. I’m not one of these nits who stopped reading your page because
you don’t
like the Cowboys or think Eric Clapton was the
greatest guitarist ever. I’m hoping we’re having a debate in fun.
Here's a few points:
1) The prosecutor, Bright, said that he couldn’t
prove that any sex happened between Ben and the girl, that Ben was ever
in the bathroom,
or that Ben was ever alone with the girl.
So why did Bright tell Ben publically that it was time he grew up and acted like a man? (my recollection)
2) The girl went
immediately from the bar to the hospital where she received a rape kit.
She had genital bruising, bleeding and a
minor laceration, which sounds to me like intercourse
could have occurred (or not), but which were not severe enough to say that
rape had occurred. There was only such
a minute amount of DNA found that Bright didn’t bother to ask Ben for his
DNA since
there was nothing to match it to. Given
that you can leave DNA on someone just by hugging them, is it possible
to rape or have sex
with a girl and not leave DNA on/in her?
3) There was no sign of a fight on the girl. No other bruising or torn clothing, etc.
4) Let’s keep in
mind that Ben’s party that night included his publicist whose job it is
to keep Ben out of trouble.
Stories about the incident involve Ben’s bodyguards,
but keep in mind that Ben’s bodyguards were themselves off-duty police
officers.
It’s not like Ben surrounded himself with a bunch
of thugs out looking for trouble. He surrounded himself with his
publicist and
two police officers, people who would be there
to keep him out of trouble.
5) So from the story
the girl and her sorority sisters told, I’m to believe that Ben’s bodyguards,
police officers, dragged the girl
to the restroom and then kept people away while
Ben raped her? I suppose there are cops in this country who are big
enough
douchebags to do something like that, but if
you’re going to make those kinds of accusations against cops, I’m going
to need to see a higher level of proof.
6) The NFL is indeed
suspending Ben, but if you read Commissioner Goodell’s letter to Ben, he
says he’s not disputing the
prosecutor’s decision regarding the rape case.
He claims he’s doing it for giving alcohol to underage people. Apparently,
Ben was pouring shots and giving them out to
people, some of whom were under 21.
You and I must assume there's a reason why Bright
told Ben he had to grow up.
We must assume there's a reason why Terry Bradshaw
scolded Ben publically
and we must assume there's a reason why the NFL
suspended him for 6 games.
If there's no evidence, why isn't Ben screaming "I did nothing wrong?"
If I'm at some party with my publicist and my
off-duty police bodyguards
and someone falsely accuses me of rape, I'm going
to demand a full investigation
but that's not what we're hearing from Ben.
I’m not really trying to convince you of Ben’s
100% innocence.
Like you, I wasn’t there, I don’t really know
what happened.
All I’m suggesting is that we don’t know for
a certainty that Ben assaulted the girl either.
Thanks,
Eric
I suppose time will be the final judge.
If no other women accuse Ben while he's a quarterback,
then he'll seem less guilty.
But if a third woman makes an accusation, things
will be bad for him.