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Ray Rice domestic abuse outrage

punch elvator
still from the video released by TMZ

In February, Baltimore Ravens running back, Ray Rice, was arrested and charged with assault, with his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer. The pair got in a fight at a casino in Atlantic City, evidenced by footage showing that they exchanged blows.
Additionally, there was a video of Rice dragging Palmer’s unconscious body out of the elevator by her upper arms.
The NFL responded by fining Rice and suspending him for two weeks. Palmer went as far as to say that she “deeply regrets the role that she played the night of the incident.”
Rice was indicted by a grand jury of third degree assault in March, and Palmer married him the next day. Rice agreed to undergo counselling, and the charges against Palmer were dropped.
Then, in September, a video was released showing Rice punching his wife in the face and knocking her out inside the elevator.
As soon as the video surfaced, the Baltimore Ravens terminated his contract, and Rice was banned from the NFL indefinitely. However, the NFL Players Association is now trying to appeal his suspension on the grounds that it was not “a fair and impartial process, including the role of the office of the Commissioner of the N.F.L.”
Rumors materialized that the NFL had known about the video before it was made available to the public via TMZ, but they have denied these claims.
Fellow NFL players have voiced their opinions on the matter, and the majority view Rice with scorn, like Denver Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton.
“As players we must speak up,” Knighton tweeted. “Stand up for what’s right. I don’t give a damn who you are or how much money you make. No place for this.”
Some regard Rice with sympathy, such as William Gay, a cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“We need to do everything we can to help Ray Rice because we don’t need to run away from him and say he’s evil,” Gay said.
Rice’s wife has also issued a statement via Instagram with this ending sentence: “Just know we will continue to grow & show the world what real love is!” Later, she told ESPN that she loved her husband and supported him, asking for people to respect their privacy in this “family matter.”
A woman is assaulted or beaten every nine seconds in the United States. Because of his violent actions, Rice will likely never play for the NFL again.

Written by Amanda Leslie

Amanda is a senior and the opinions editor for the MCSun. (Obviously the best section.) Her hobbies are sleeping and listening to music. She likes to pretend that she could be an FBI agent when she grows up.

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