What Do You Think Domestic Violence Looks Like?

Almost everyone in America now knows Ray Rice.  Not for his football prowess, his multiple Pro Bowl selections, or his Super Bowl ring.  They know him as the woman beater and domestic abuser.  Certain life events involving professional athletes have a tendency to go beyond the realm of what only ESPN or your local sports news channel will cover.  Domestic violence caught on tape is definitely one of those events.  But the question becomes – why do we need to see the entire event unfold when we’ve already seen what happened as a result?  For months the NFL, the Ravens, and the American public saw the video of Ray Rice as he dragged his unconscious fiancé (at the time) from the elevator in Atlantic City.  Everyone knew Rice had knocked his fiancé unconscious, yet he was only slapped on the wrist with a two game suspension.  Two games.

For anyone who has not seen the video of Ray Rice punching his girlfriend inside the elevator, it’s horrifying to say the least.  But what did everybody, including the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens, expect?  We knew his fiancé was unconscious!  What did everyone think domestic violence looks like?  Why did we need to see it in action in order to feel completely appalled by what we already know he did?

Both the Ravens and the NFL finally did the right thing by cutting him and suspending him indefinitely.  Finally.  But too little too late.  At least they now know what domestic violence looks like.