I haven't posted in this thread since Part I like page 50, eons ago. I have so many things I'd like to say to a few of you, I don't even know where to start. One that does stick out in my mind, I was unable to quote because the thread is locked, were comments from a poster deriding someone "sticking up" for Irvin. I thought it was ironic that his screen name is Pimphand and his signature was something about banging his friend's Grandma.
Anyways I thought I'd tell a story in hopes that it may shed some light on the atmosphere that may have been going on during Irvin's incident. I am not condoning rape of any kind, but I am hoping to open the door so that maybe some of you can see the mentality and how easy it is to get sucked in.
I have been to college and seen some wild stuff. Those in these threads that have pointed out that girls who like trains do exist, are absolutely correct. Do not confuse this with me even implying that yep, a girl deserves it. There are some that like it and seek it out.
I have also been in the Navy and seen some wild stuff. And before you judge, keep in mind what may be gross or disgusting to you may be a turn-on for others. Doesn't make it gross, just different. For the most part.
Now the analogy:
I was stationed aboard a U.S. submarine for just over 4 years. This particular submarine had missile tubes and our berthing was nestled in between the tubes. The bunkrooms were u-shaped and each of the 3 pieces that make up a U had bunks 3 high.
For those incapable of complex math, you shared the bunkroom with 8 other people, generally of the same rate. Seeing as how we were always either out to sea together for around 90 days or in home port together for 90 days, we grew pretty close.
We were always together, even moreso than with our own families. It was always a really tight knit group. Until an outsider showed up.
This guy, we'll call him Brian, arrived. He had been out to sea before so he knew the ropes, also he was a bible thumper. Now, having a submarine filled with 130 testosterone fueled men, pron was a hot commodity. It was read, shared, discussed, and like prison, it could even be used as currency.
Well, Brian didn't like it. He didn't like having it around, he didn't even want people discussing it with him in ear shot. Of course his pleas fell on deaf ears, it was 8 on 1. So it took it up the chain of command. Soon we had a chief in our bunkroom going through every drawer, nook, and cranny, snatching up every piece of pron he could find. All to satisfy Brian. Brian - if you're reading this, sorry man.
Brian never lived this day down. He was shunned, ridiculed, ostracized, whatever. While no physical violence came unto Brian, his life had to have been miserable for the remaining 90 days. I even think some of his belongings mysteriously vanished. You get the idea.
To summarize, Brian found himself in a situation he wasn't comfortable with, pron in his bunkroom. He took a stand and then paid the social price. It was 8 angry guys against 1. His reputation around the boat suffered, he was the guy who turned in all the pron.
Now let's turn this analogy around a little bit.
Let's say that Brian arrived and still hated pron. But this time he kept that dislike to himself. He just ignored it. But then a month later the Navy comes out with some policy that all pron is illegal and violators will be dealt with. We don't turn our pron in and get caught. Is Brian just as guilty as the rest of us? Should he get the same punishment we do even though he was opposed to it?
If we connect this to Irvin's case where he was guy #2, #5, or #8, what was he going to do? He could turn them all in and be the biatch or he could go along with it but really not be okay with it?
Here is where some of you will probably fire back and say "but he should have stopped them!" That is great to say. And I agree with you. But we weren't there. Who knows how Irvin felt it would all turn out?
I wasn't anti-pron by any means but what if I had chosen to side with Brian? I would have been shunned as well. And at that age, amongst those peers, it seems really important that you don't stand out.
Open any new ideas or thoughts?
And then lastly, it does kind of irk me that some of you are basically crucifying him for this event from 20 years ago. I would like to end this post with a few questions regarding similar cases:
How did you react when you first heard about the Duke lacrosse issue?
Did you automatically condemn them? I bet you did. Did you follow up on the case weeks, months, days later, and then contact these people and apologize for any bad mouthing you did? Are these Duke lacrosse players in your opinion required to tell people in the future, 20 years from now, that they were part of the Duke lacrosse scandal?
How did you react with the Zimmerman/Martin case?
Zimmerman automatically guilty?
And then the beloved linebacker Ray Lewis.
You know the guy that'll have specials done about him if the Ravens make the Super Bowl? Attempted murder. How many of you have gone onto his Facebook page recently to jump his poop? I hope none of you are following the Ravens or the NFL for that matter as who would employ an attempted murderer? And then have him do like make-a-wish stuff too? Yikes.
