Why would anyone do this to another human being?

[TeresaBelle]

So, Dharun Ravi went to Molly's room when his roommate wanted privacy. Ravi was the one who posted this on twitter and he was the one who streamed it on the video. Why is Molly getting charged? Because it happened in her room or did she have a more active role?[/QUOTE]

I am wondering the same thing??

 

[allison443]

Do you have any links to the stories that were published before Tyler's suicide? I'm just curious if the news publicly named any of them in their stories.

I live near Rutgers so this was news before Tyler's suicide. It was reported that the two students were charged with invasion of privacy and gave their names. They did not identify the victim, or even say if the victim was male or female, they didn't say it was a roommate, it was not reported to be a gay sexual encounter, and it was not mentioned that Tyler was missing.


Here's an article from Tuesday

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/2_rutgers_university_students.html

 

[Conkozan]

They shouldn't have their lives ruined? They ruined their own lives. This was 100% premeditated. The guy put it on the internet and then live streamed the 2nd "encounter." Sorry but his tweets indicate that it was because the roommate was gay.

Almost a hate crime, no?

 

[allison443]

So, Dharun Ravi went to Molly's room when his roommate wanted privacy. Ravi was the one who posted this on twitter and he was the one who streamed it on the video. Why is Molly getting charged? Because it happened in her room or did she have a more active role?

I am wondering the same thing??[/QUOTE]

I read in one of the articles that Dharun's laptop with the webcam was in his room. He went to Molly's room and used Molly's computer to access the webcam. So her computer was used in her presence for this illegal activity.
That said, Molly was released on her own recognizance and Dharun had to post bail. He also faces more charges than her.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I am absolutely sickened and heartbroken to read about this. It is one of far too many examples of hate and cruelty

It was NOT a simple prank gone awry (as most of you seem to understand, thank goodness). At best, it was a premeditated act of cruelty and at worst a hate crime. I think these young adults need to face more than 5 years in prison--especially the roommate. That is far too lenient for secretly videoing a couple having sex (twice) and broadcasting it, regardless of the orientation of the couple or the future repercussions.

I hope with all my heart that the other young man in the video is getting lots of help now and will be able to recover from the emotional turmoil that all of this must be putting him through. He will need a tremendous amount of emotional strength and support to come through this without being emotionally broken. Of course, I also grieve for the family who lost a son to cruelty and hate this week. I pray that such horrific crimes will finally cease and people will be able to live as themselves without fear soon. Calling what happened a "prank" is not going to get us to that point though

 

[Hannathy]

Probably because she could have stopped the whole thing! he knew what was going on and could have stopped it, told the victim, or told someone at school. She was an accompliss and guilty for being in on it.
She should be charged equally as far as I'm concerned. At any point in this she could have stopped it. That night she could have gone down and knocked on the victims door and told him he was being taped, she could have told an RA, she could have called security. think how different this story would be, oh wait there wouldn't be a story!

Her hands have as much blood on them as her friend's.

 

[NHdisneylover]

There is a powerful new movement that Dan Savage has started on YouTube called "It Gets Better." It's a shame that it just started getting publicity this week, because I think it is going to have a very positive effect on young, gay, males/females who are getting bullied. Just do a Google or YouTube search on Dan Savage and "It Gets Better." The videos that are coming out are amazing, and I hope they can help prevent some kids from committing suicide over things like this.

It is becoming far too common, now, and at some point the Courts have to take a hard stance and make someone the example. I would have no problem with the roommate being that example in this case.

Thank you for posting about this. Hopefully it will help some young people cope. I appreciate you spreading the word about this. I will check the videos out soon.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Thank you for posting about this. Hopefully it will help some young people cope. I appreciate you spreading the word about this. I will check the videos out soon.

Not really sure about how links are supposed to go around here, but ABC News did a thing about Dan Savage yesterday. It is located under their "The Conversation" series online.

ETA: I took the direct link off because he does venture into religion a bit, and I didn't want to get into trouble. For anyone looking, though. Just go to ABC News' website, and it's actually part of the front page article about Tyler's suicide.

 

[angie@dvcstore]

Wow so sad

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

There are four known cases of teens (under 18) committing suicide due do homophobic bullying in the month of September alone. Those are just the ones that were clearly identified. Who knows how many others killed themselves in quiet desperation?

Please remember these beautiful dead children the next time you hear someone use the term "that's so gay" in a disparaging manner, the next time you hear someone throw out the word f@ggot to be hateful, the next time you are inundated with anti gay bias.

Every single member of society is hurt when something like this happens (and again, and again, and again...).

If you want to help this boy and his family, speak out against gay bashing and intolerance every single time you are a witness to it in anyway.

When faced with this level of hatred and discrimination, silence IS acceptance.

Speak out against it, or by your silence, condone it.

Rest in Peace sweet young man. The gifts you could have shared with us are sorely needed by this wounded and hurting country.

 

[LukenDC]

There are four known cases of teens (under 18) committing suicide due do homophobic bullying in the month of September alone. Those are just the ones that were clearly identified. Who knows how many others killed themselves in quiet desperation?

Please remember these beautiful dead children the next time you hear someone use the term "that's so gay" in a disparaging manner, the next time you hear someone throw out the word f@ggot to be hateful, the next time you are inundated with anti gay bias.

Every single member of society is hurt when something like this happens (and again, and again, and again...).

If you want to help this boy and his family, speak out against gay bashing and intolerance every single time you are a witness to it in anyway.

When faced with this level of hatred and discrimination, silence IS acceptance.

Speak out against it, or by your silence, condone it.

Rest in Peace sweet young man. The gifts you could have shared with us are sorely needed by this wounded and hurting country.

 

[luvmy3]

I am absolutely sickened and heartbroken to read about this. It is one of far too many examples of hate and cruelty

It was NOT a simple prank gone awry (as most of you seem to understand, thank goodness). At best, it was a premeditated act of cruelty and at worst a hate crime. I think these young adults need to face more than 5 years in prison--especially the roommate. That is far too lenient for secretly videoing a couple having sex (twice) and broadcasting it, regardless of the orientation of the couple or the future repercussions.

I hope with all my heart that the other young man in the video is getting lots of help now and will be able to recover from the emotional turmoil that all of this must be putting him through. He will need a tremendous amount of emotional strength and support to come through this without being emotionally broken. Of course, I also grieve for the family who lost a son to cruelty and hate this week. I pray that such horrific crimes will finally cease and people will be able to live as themselves without fear soon. Calling what happened a "prank" is not going to get us to that point though

I have to admit I'm a bit offended by your comment here, because I do understand exactly what a prank is, and yes what this kid did fits the definition, and of course a prank can be pre-mediatated. The outcome has no bearing on whether or not this was by definition a prank or not. Now I have no idea what the roommates intention was so I will not go around saying this was a hate crime, until there is actual evidence proving it is. I happen to believe in innocent until proven guilty, so please don't mistake that for misunderstanding.

 

[alisonwonderland64]

I'm from the same town as Dharun and Molly (wasn't friends with either of them, but knew who they were and have some mutual acquaintances), so this news has been HUGE around here. I have to say that I'm honestly ashamed that they came from my town, because we really pride ourselves on having such intelligent students. A friend of mine who's had classes with both of them was absolutely shocked to hear the news, because apparently they really were nice people.

Of course, this is an absolutely awful tragedy, and my thoughts go out to Tyler's friends and family. There's been a lot of talk around here about the media spinning the news out of control though (especially with Molly's involvement in the situation), so I'm inclined to reserve judgement on what their punishment should be until the facts are more known, but I do think they deserve to be punished (although not with manslaughter charges, like some believe). This was more than a prank, it was a serious breach of privacy (although I'm sure they probably didn't realize that at the time), and I'm sure that no matter what punishment they receive, this incident and their guilt will be staying with them for a long time.

 

[Lanshark]

This was not a prank. This was a deliberate attempt to humiliate/degrade this boy by making public the most intimate details of his life. The filming with out consent was bad enough but to post it on the net could have no other outcome but to cause this young man great embarassment. Their actions were deliberate and their intentions were very clear. It sickens me

 

[Hannathy]

I'm from the same town as Dharun and Molly (wasn't friends with either of them, but knew who they were and have some mutual acquaintances), so this news has been HUGE around here. I have to say that I'm honestly ashamed that they came from my town, because we really pride ourselves on having such intelligent students. A friend of mine who's had classes with both of them was absolutely shocked to hear the news, because apparently they really were nice people.

Of course, this is an absolutely awful tragedy, and my thoughts go out to Tyler's friends and family. There's been a lot of talk around here about the media spinning the news out of control though (especially with Molly's involvement in the situation), so I'm inclined to reserve judgement on what their punishment should be until the facts are more known, but I do think they deserve to be punished (although not with manslaughter charges, like some believe). This was more than a prank, it was a serious breach of privacy (although I'm sure they probably didn't realize that at the time), and I'm sure that no matter what punishment they receive, this incident and their guilt will be staying with them for a long time.

I am totally confused how you can possibly write in one sentence they were "intelligent" people and then in another sentence say "they didn't realize" what they were doing was a breach of privacy!!!!! how can you possibly say secretly taping someone and then without telling them broadcast it to the world! Making excuses for them is sickening.

And yeah I'm sure they were "very nice" people, bullies usually are to everyone except their victims.

 

[anna_chronistic]

I have to admit I'm a bit offended by your comment here, because I do understand exactly what a prank is, and yes what this kid did fits the definition, and of course a prank can be pre-mediatated. The outcome has no bearing on whether or not this was by definition a prank or not. Now I have no idea what the roommates intention was so I will not go around saying this was a hate crime, until there is actual evidence proving it is. I happen to believe in innocent until proven guilty, so please don't mistake that for misunderstanding.

I really do not mean to make this sound offensive in any way, and I apologize it if comes across that way ... but what is your definition of a prank? I have my own definition, simply gleaned from reading, context, general knowledge, etc., but I never actually looked it up until now. (Who looks up words when they think they already know the definition, honestly?) And the formal definition matched what I thought. I simply don't see how these people's actions could be defined as a prank. But again, perhaps I'm not seeing it the way you are. I really do want to know what you think, because I want to give these two the benefit of the doubt.

Also, I'm going to say something that a lot of people on this board may not agree with, but I despise the whole movement to label things "hate" crimes and the attempts to make them punishable more harshly than "non-hate" crimes. So, someone who rapes a woman because she is a lesbian is somehow doing something worse than if he were to rape a straight woman? No. To me, that is demeaning the horror and tragedy of certain victims' experiences, and implying that other victims suffer more because the crime was motivated by hate.

And what crime isn't motivated by hate to some degree? Yes, there are crimes of opportunity, but if you target a person and do something horrible to them for, well, whatever sick reason, that person is a target of the criminal's actions AND hate. I'm sorry if I'm making little sense, but I simply feel crimes -- motivated by any degree of hate, for any person -- deserve equally just punishment, regardless of the religion, sexual orientation, or sex of the victim.

 

[luvmy3]

I really do not mean to make this sound offensive in any way, and I apologize it if comes across that way ... but what is your definition of a prank? I have my own definition, simply gleaned from reading, context, general knowledge, etc., but I never actually looked it up until now. (Who looks up words when they think they already know the definition, honestly?) And the formal definition matched what I thought. I simply don't see how these people's actions could be defined as a prank. But again, perhaps I'm not seeing it the way you are. I really do want to know what you think, because I want to give these two the benefit of the doubt.

Definition of PRANK
: trick:
a obsolete : a malicious act
b : a mildly mischievous act
c : a ludicrous act

I would consider a prank playing a trick on someone with the hope of either making someone laugh or to be embarrassed for their amusement. I assume the roommate was doing this for the latter reason, however I wouldn't it call it a hate crime without evidence proving it was only done because he was anti-gay and hated Tyler because he was a homosexual.

ITA with what you said about labeling everything a hate crime. I am in no way saying what these kids did was not awful, but I don't think it should be labeled a hate crime just because Tyler was gay.

 

[NotUrsula]

I understand what you are saying and part of me does agree. When I was 18 I knew kids that would do something like this, but not to be malicious or hateful, they were just idiots.
However I do agree that these kid should be punished for their actions, and they should be charged with anything they legally can be in regards to their crime' I don't believe they should be charged with murder, or manslaughter but if involuntary manslaughter fits, then so be it.

I agree. Yes, they WERE thoughtless idiots, but they still broke the law. I don't get how anyone can say that being a thoughtless idiot is a defense to committing a premeditated felony -- TWICE. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse, and the callous cruelty of this stunt just boggles the mind.

If you can get 5 years in prison for torturing a dog in New Jersey, then it should be pretty obvious that this deserves more. They tortured a human being with malice aforethought, AND they did it in a way that would insure that the agony could go on for years.

I'm thinking that naked full-length mugshots on a billboard on I-95 -might- help to make them realize the gravity of what they did.

 

[C.Ann]

I refuse to click on the link (there was also quite a mention about how horrific this was on my Yahoo home page) and that alone put me in the "I don't want to know" category..

There are some things in the news that I just don't want to have rolling around inside my head..

 

[CandyMandy]

Here are Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei, the two accused of the filming (this is likely the last time you'll see them smiling). Apparently hate, stupidity and cruelty are gender and culturally blind:

Also, the fact the victim was a gay male is irrelevant, the crime committed would be just as serious if the victim had been a heterosexual female.