Darwin candidates

[robinturner]

Although I've always been an opponent of the death penalty, I sometimes wish that we still had it (or legal castration) just so that some people could get a Darwin Award. In an article in that paragon of socially conscientious reporting, The Sun, I read that three British teenagers raped a local woman while she was semi-conscious after they spiked her drink. This is just normal subhuman behaviour and doesn't qualify you for a Darwin Award, just a long time in prison, preferably with a large person with eclectic sexual preferences. What should have won them the award was that they filmed the rape and put it on YouTube.

Incidentally, there was a similar case of date-rape (indeed celebrity date-rape) on the Internet here in Turkey a few years ago. As far as I remember, the perp is inside now, and given the way rapists are treated by fellow-prisoners in Turkey, he may even qualify for a Darwin.

Comments

Pliz...

[ankh156.livejournal.com]

Wotsa 'Darwin Award' ?

Re: Pliz...

[vret.livejournal.com]

Honoring those who improve the species...by
accidentally removing themselves from it!

http://www.darwinawards.com/

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

I see prison rape as a way for rapists to get away with it and randomized punishment of those who aren't strong enough to fight it off, rather than as a funny revenge fantasy.

[ironed_orchid]

Same.

Of course, some of the ways in which inmates treat rapists is to break their legs... and I'm a little less outraged about that (read: hardly at all).

[solri.livejournal.com]

The Turkish example was referring to that. I know from people who've been in Turkish jails that prison rape is rare verging on non-existent, but they are very rough with sex offenders. Incidentally, openly gay prisoners usually get put in the women's wing (apparently some of them then discover that they weren't quite so gay after all).

[ironed_orchid]

You mean like the way some men in prison find out they aren't so straight after all...?

[solri.livejournal.com]

I suppose so, yes.

What I find interesting about the phenomenon is that most male prisoners who were interviewed about the whole prison homosexuality thing maintained stubbornly that they were 100% heterosexual, despite all the stuff they got up to inside.

[ironed_orchid]

Actually, I'd probably agree.

I tend to think sexuality as identity is to do with preference, rather than with activity. In an ideal world, we'd all follow preference, but in this one we sometimes make do with whoever is around.

[solri.livejournal.com]

Well, the way it works out in practice is like that for sure, at least in the US - it seems to be much rarer in other countries, though of course I have no hard figures. (See my answer to ironed_orchid's comment.)