Questions about a Norman story

[Bob78164]

Shinycar,

I'm curious about the local perspective on this article, about students who plan to walk out of class in Norman High School in solidarity with three women who contend they have been mistreated in the wake of allegations that they were raped. --Bob

[silvercamaro]

Bob, I know very little about the situation, other than that the planned rally was held this morning as scheduled. The only current high schoolers that I know are fellow students at my ballet studio. Ordinarily I might expect to hear about this sort of thing being discussed in the dressing room, but as of last Thursday night's class, I have not heard a word about it. Given the kinds of things the girls do sometimes talk about in my presence, I seriously doubt that they were holding back because I was among them.

According to today's Oklahoman, the young man who was named by all three young women has been suspended for the school year. There was no word on possible legal charges. I suspect that he is a juvenile.

For the record, the story you linked named two young women (without further identification) who had committed suicide following a perhaps similar tragic situation. The implication, as I read it, was that the two also had attended school in Norman. That is not correct. One was a California resident, and the other was in Canada.

[Bob78164]

For the record, the story you linked named two young women (without further identification) who had committed suicide following a perhaps similar tragic situation. The implication, as I read it, was that the two also had attended school in Norman. That is not correct. One was a California resident, and the other was in Canada.

I didn't read the same implication. I received the story as a link from Ultraviolet, which is concerned with issues of women's rights. In that context, I read the final paragraph as attempting to fit the Norman situation into a larger perspective; in other words, an effort to explain that the Norman situation is not a "one-off." I do agree the story could have expressly stated that the two named women were unconnected to the Norman incident, but the omission doesn't surprise me (nor do I think it was an attempt at innuendo). I simply think the editors assumed their readers would read it the way I did. --Bob

[silvercamaro]

I didn't read the same implication. I received the story as a link from Ultraviolet, which is concerned with issues of women's rights. In that context, I read the final paragraph as attempting to fit the Norman situation into a larger perspective; in other words, an effort to explain that the Norman situation is not a "one-off." I do agree the story could have expressly stated that the two named women were unconnected to the Norman incident, but the omission doesn't surprise me (nor do I think it was an attempt at innuendo). I simply think the editors assumed their readers would read it the way I did. --Bob

I don't doubt your interpretation, given that you read it in the context of familiarity with the web site. Nevertheless, I was alarmed by some of the readers' comments at the end of the story, which seemed to indicate that a number of people assumed that it was an on-going problem here, without any unpleasant consequences for the young man who has been accused. If anyone on the Bored clicked your link and read quickly, I did not want them to share in such misapprehensions.

[Bob78164]

I didn't read the same implication. I received the story as a link from Ultraviolet, which is concerned with issues of women's rights. In that context, I read the final paragraph as attempting to fit the Norman situation into a larger perspective; in other words, an effort to explain that the Norman situation is not a "one-off." I do agree the story could have expressly stated that the two named women were unconnected to the Norman incident, but the omission doesn't surprise me (nor do I think it was an attempt at innuendo). I simply think the editors assumed their readers would read it the way I did. --Bob

I don't doubt your interpretation, given that you read it in the context of familiarity with the web site. Nevertheless, I was alarmed by some of the readers' comments at the end of the story, which seemed to indicate that a number of people assumed that it was an on-going problem here, without any unpleasant consequences for the young man who has been accused. If anyone on the Bored clicked your link and read quickly, I did not want them to share in such misapprehensions.

Ah. I'm not sure I've ever read readers' comments on an Internet news site. --Bob

[jarnon]

Ah. I'm not sure I've ever read readers' comments on an Internet news site. --Bob

Comments on news articles, products for sale on Amazon, etc. are occasionally interesting. If a BB recommends reading the comments about a particular article, I will.

Most readers' comments are irrelevant BS. For instance, any article about Pres. Obama will spawn a bunch of comments saying he's a Communist/Muslim/dictator.

[tlynn78]

Ah. I'm not sure I've ever read readers' comments on an Internet news site. --Bob

Comments on news articles, products for sale on Amazon, etc. are occasionally interesting. If a BB recommends reading the comments about a particular article, I will.

Most readers' comments are irrelevant BS. For instance, any article about Pres. Obama will spawn a bunch of comments saying he's a Communist/Muslim/dictator.

Amazon reviews are EPIC. My brother was in a really, really truly horrible movie a number of years ago. The reviews I stumbled upon on Amazon last year, printed off and enlarged, made a delightful wrapping paper for his birthday gift.

[christie1111]

Ah. I'm not sure I've ever read readers' comments on an Internet news site. --Bob

Comments on news articles, products for sale on Amazon, etc. are occasionally interesting. If a BB recommends reading the comments about a particular article, I will.

Most readers' comments are irrelevant BS. For instance, any article about Pres. Obama will spawn a bunch of comments saying he's a Communist/Muslim/dictator.

Amazon reviews are EPIC. My brother was in a really, really truly horrible movie a number of years ago. The reviews I stumbled upon on Amazon last year, printed off and enlarged, made a delightful wrapping paper for his birthday gift.

And any of the ones George Takei reviews are worth reading.