Was Raven Rice’s punishment enough?
Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice has recently been dealt his punishment by the National Football League following allegations of domestic violence.
The 27-year-old and his fiancée Janay Palmer were arrested in February this year and charged with assault after an altercation resulted in physical violence. Though there were no reported personal problems between the star and his fiancée, the pair were seen arguing outside Atlantic City’s Revel Casino.
Later, a video of Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out of an elevator was posted on gossip website TMZ – the same website which exposed Donald Sterling’s racist comments against basketball star Magic Johnson. In response to the video, the Baltimore Ravens took it upon themselves to issue a statement in which they deemed domestic violence a “serious matter.”
On March 27th, Rice was indicted with a third-degree aggravated assault – an offense which can carry a jail sentence of up to five years and a maximum $15,000 fine. As far as the National Football League is concerned, however, Rice’s punishment has been paltry. The New Yorker received a two game suspension, much to the ire of NFL fans, domestic violence support groups and women in general everywhere.
NFL Senior Vice President of Labor Policy Adolpho Birch had to react quickly to the social media response to the punishment, which also included fining an additional regular season game check. He said: “In terms of sending a message about what the league stands for, we’ve done that. We can talk about the degree of discipline, we can talk about whether or not third parties need to be involved. But if it is a question about what the principle of the league is and what standards we stand by, that cannot be questioned.
“I think it is absolutely clear to all involved that the NFL does not condone domestic violence in any way and will not tolerate it in our league.”
In response to the negative press, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is reportedly considering implementing a new policy which would give players a four to six-game suspension for a first offense, followed by a full season ban for a second.
But critics have argued that Goodell’s review will only serve to worsen the lives of women involved in domestic violence with NFL stars, citing a reduction in players’ pay as a further catalyst for violence.
Rice’s case is just one amongst a host of stars who have been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons and punished leniently. For a truly fair punishment, America needs to look at its justice system before it turns its attention to national sporting leagues.
