By Jeff McKown
No one was murdered.
No physical violence was inflicted.
No weapons were used, save for a webcam.
Still, a boy is dead.
No one was shot.
No punches were thrown.
No deadly intent or premeditation, save for humiliation.
Still, a boy is dead.
No battle was waged.
No crimes of war committed.
No declarations or gauntlets thrown down, save for harmless taunting.
Still, a boy is dead.
No one was there.
No last minute plea was made.
No way out, save for the cold water below.
And now, a boy is dead.
Related Posts:
The Sad Death and Short Life of Tyler Clementi
Jury Reached Verdict In Webcam Bullying Trial
Dharun Ravi Receives 30-Day Jail Sentence
Showing posts with label webcam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label webcam. Show all posts
Monday, May 21, 2012
Dharun Ravi Receives 30-Day Jail Sentence In Tyler Clementi Webcam Case
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| Clementi and Ravi |
Ravi was also penalized with a stiff fine, as he was ordered to make a payment of $10,000 to a community-based organization that assists victims of bias crimes.
This seems reasonable, harsh even, until you consider that the roommate involved in the incident, Tyler Clementi, was a vulnerable 18 year-old boy grappling to come to terms with his homosexuality. Clementi, who was mortally embarrassed by the webcam spying, jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge a few days later.
In March, Ravi was found guilty of bias intimidation and invasion of privacy, crimes which carried up to a ten-year prison sentence. After his conviction, a great deal of debate ensued about how much responsibility, legal or otherwise, Ravi should shoulder for the death of Clementi. Ravi's actions did, in all likelihood, lead to Clementi's decision to kill himself in September 2010, but the Rutgers student had no other direct involvement in the suicide.
Many followers of the trial, including some gay rights advocates, believed that imposing the full ten-year sentence would be unduly harsh.
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