*commence talkback radio outrage*
Everyone's got their views on the Matthew Johns/Cronulla Sharks fiasco, but it would be charitable to say that 5% of people in Melbourne knew who he was a couple of weeks ago. Now toss in some group sex content and he's the brand name for debauchery. Bit harsh I'd have thought, but we know Australia loves a bandwagon to jump on. Even poor Schapelle Corby feels so forgotten that she's had to do a bit of froth at the mouth nutbag work to get back into the papers.
Whatever you about this fiasco is your business, and I'm not trying and convince you one way or the other but think for a second how many hours were wasted discussing it on radio and television, and how many journalists are making a living out of being outraged.
Now, once you've considered the amount of coverage that incident got in your mind then read this. Buried on the "Victoria" page of the Herald Sun website and beneficiary of 20 seconds on tonight's news.
A CHILD rapist who broke his parole only 24 hours after being released from jail is being hunted by police.
Andrew Darling was released on parole last week after serving a nine-year sentence for raping a 13-year-old girl.
Nine years? Nine fucking years? Why isn't this the front page scandal. The fact that he's on the loose is bad enough, but how come nobody seems to care that he only served nine years?
The news wasted an entire story on a widow of a man killed in an industrial accident having a whinge because the company only got fined $300,000. Tragic loss and all, but what does she want them to do - bring him back? Elsewhere somebody's life is effectively ruined at 13 and nobody really seems to care.
Just give a
I'm no fan of capital punishment, and I'm for people who legitimately stuffed up being given a second chance but surely the various assorted freaks like this can't have any excuse. "Sorry your honor, I accidentally raped her". Get fucked. You get pissed, you stack your car and kill a family - you should do 15 years and get another go. You rob a bank and get busted, do 10 years and walk out. Fair enough. But this? My god.
There are crimes that deserve to see people locked away for the rest of their life, and if this isn't one of them then what sort of society are we living in?
And what do the media do about it? The Herald Sun are always trying to position themselves as the defenders of all things good and true, and they're too busy hanging around Ben Cousins' driveway to make any sort of statement about what a shambles sentencing in this country is.
Politicians? Opening golf courses and making pissweak internet ads.
Next financial year get yourself a game card (not from the Herald Sun, they're too busy printing the latest "global warming is fake" bollocks by Andrew Bolt) and play "Bullshit Sentence Bingo". See if you can find one ridiculously lenient sentence in every field of crime, then one that seems completely over the top for an otherwise ordinary case. By June 30 2010 your house will be full of game cards. Unfortunately you don't win anything except the right to vote at a State Election for one of two parties who couldn't give a shit about anything but their own rorts.
*end talkback radio outrage*
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