T D ’ O N | F 1861tearsheets.yankton.net/september14/091614/091614_YKPD_A4.pdf · shooting...
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n terms of mere public relations, the National Football League may well have endured worse weeks than last week — but it’s hard to remember when that might have been. Instead, at this moment, we are left with a parade of un- seemly images that has many of us wondering what else lurks beneath the corporate-created surface. The week started with Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens being dropped by the team after a video showed him knocking out his then-girlfriend (now wife) in an elevator last February in a public act of domestic violence. A video recorded later in the sequence was leaked several months ago showing Rice dragging the woman out of the elevator. For months, the events leading up to that situation were left to the public’s imagination — and the public pretty much had it figured out. The NFL’s initial response had been to suspend Rice for just two games. But last week’s elevator video disclosure became even more in- cendiary when police revealed that they had shared the video with the league several months ago. Commissioner Roger Goodell’s quest for the truth in the matter came under harsh question, and deservedly so. Did he see the elevator video before he made his rather tepid two-game suspension? Did he not see it? Did he not WANT to see it? (IT was subsequently reported that Rice had told Goodell in June what had happened, which further makes us won- der how the league views such behavior.) Then on Friday, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was indicted in Texas on charges of child abuse: According to ac- counts, he had taken portion of a tree branch, removed the leaves and used it as a switch to whip his son on the derriere. Peterson’s defense was that was the kind of punishment that had been admin- istered to him when he was a child. Nevertheless, the image of a professional football player — a high-profile star, no less — doing this to a child was distressing, and Peterson’s arrest was another dismal moment for the league. Meanwhile, three other players were on practice fields for NFL clubs despite having recent serious brushes with domestic vio- lence. The San Francisco 49ers’ defensive end Ray McDonald was charged two weeks ago with felony domestic violence after injuring his pregnant girlfriend. Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy played in the season opener after being convicted in July of threat- ening and beating up his girlfriend. (However, he was benched just prior to Sunday’s game.) And last Tuesday, the Arizona Cardinals signed running back Chris Rainey, who had been released by two other clubs, at least once due to domestic violence. Taken together, these items paint a disturbing portrait of a league ... or does it? After all, the NFL essentially markets violence due to the nature of the sport. In some ways, these off-field transgressions do not wander so far from our expectations of what happens on the field, which Americans dearly love. And the league’s docile approach to addressing such matters might suggest where its multibillion-dollar priorities really are. None of this should suggest that all NFL players are violent, abu- sive thugs — that would be grossly unfair. But is it so far of a stretch to believe that there might be more of this kind of mentality in the players’ ranks, especially based on what we expect and want to see Sunday after Sunday in the autumn? What happens on the football field each week isn’t reality. It’s just a game, and it has little bearing on life other than being a form of violent entertainment and a revenue-generating enterprise. But what happens off the field is real and has actual consequences. What we saw off the field last week, and how we saw the league han- dle itself in these processes, were sobering and sickening. But will they be enough to change our perception of the league? And will that be enough to affect the NFL’s prosperous bottom line? Sadly, those are probably the only questions that matter. kmh T HE P RESS D AKOTAN THE DAKOTAS’ OLDEST NEWSPAPER | FOUNDED 1861 Yankton Media, Inc., 319 Walnut St., Yankton, SD 57078 Tuesday, 9.16.14 ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net VIEWS PAGE: [email protected] PRESS DAKOTAN PAGE 4 views OPINION The NFL Has A Very Bad Week And for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. Genesis 50:20. Portals of Prayer, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis FROM THE BIBLE By The Associated Press Today is Tuesday, September 16, the 259th day of 2014. There are 106 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On September 16, 1974, President Ger- ald R. Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam war de- serters and draft-evaders. On this date: In 1498, Tomas de Torquemada, notorious for his role in the Spanish Inquisition, died in Avila, Spain. In 1810, Mexicans were inspired to begin their successful revolt against Spanish rule by Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and his “Grito de Dolores (Cry of Dolores).” In 1893, more than 100,000 set- tlers swarmed onto a section of land in Oklahoma known as the “Cherokee Strip.” In 1908, General Motors was founded in Flint, Michigan, by William C. Durant. In 1914, “Candid Camera” creator Allen Funt was born in New York. In 1919, the American Legion re- ceived a national charter from Con- gress. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Selective Train- ing and Service Act. Samuel T. Ray- burn of Texas was elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1953, “The Robe,” the first movie presented in the widescreen process CinemaScope, had its world premiere at the Roxy Theater in New York. In 1964, the rock-and-roll show “Shindig!” premiered on ABC-TV. In 1982, the massacre of between 1,200 and 1,400 Palestinian men, women and children at the hands of Israeli-allied Christian Phalange militi- amen began in west Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. In 1994, a federal jury in Anchor- age, Alaska, ordered Exxon Corp. to pay $5 billion in punitive damages for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill (the U.S. Supreme Court later reduced that amount to $507.5 million). Two astro- nauts from the space shuttle Discov- ery went on the first untethered spacewalk in ten years. In 2007, O.J. Simpson was ar- rested in the alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia collectors in Las Vegas. (Simpson was later convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery and sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison.) Ten years ago: Hurricane Ivan plowed into the Gulf Coast with 130- mile-per-hour wind and a major storm surge; Ivan was blamed for 92 deaths, 25 of them in the U.S. The number of foreigners kidnapped during the Iraq insurgency reached at least 100. The National Hockey League lockout went into effect. Five years ago: Sen. Max Bau- cus, D-Mt., chairman of the Senate Fi- nance Committee, unveiled sweeping legislation to remake the nation’s costly health care system. Mary Tra- vers, 72, one part of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, died in Danbury, Con- necticut. NCAA President Myles Brand, 67, died in Indianapolis. One year ago: Aaron Alexis, a former U.S. Navy reservist, went on a shooting rampage inside the Wash- ington Navy Yard, killing 12 victims be- fore being shot dead by police. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Janis Paige is 92. Blues singer B.B. King is 89. Clergyman-author Rev. Robert H. Schuller is 88. Actor George Chakiris is 82. Bluesman Billy Boy Arnold is 79. Movie director Jim McBride is 73. Ac- tress Linda Miller is 72. Rhythm-and- blues singer Betty Kelly (Martha & the Vandellas) is 70. Musician Kenney Jones (Small Faces; Faces; The Who) is 66. Actress Susan Ruttan is 66. Rock musician Ron Blair (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers; Mudcrutch) is 66. Actor Ed Begley Jr. is 65. Country singer David Bellamy (The Bellamy Brothers) is 64. Country singer-song- writer Phil Lee is 63. Actor-comedian Lenny Clarke is 61. Actor Kurt Fuller is 61. Jazz musician Earl Klugh is 61. Actor Christopher Rich is 61. Singer Frank Reed (The Chi-Lites) is 60. TV personality Mark McEwen is 60. Base- ball Hall of Famer Robin Yount is 59. Actor Mickey Rourke is 58. Magician David Copperfield is 58. Country singer-songwriter Terry McBride is 56. Actress Jennifer Tilly is 56. Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Orel Hershiser is 56. Retired MLB All-Star Tim Raines is 55. Actress Jayne Brook is 54. Singer Richard Marx is 51. Comedian Molly Shannon is 50. Singer Marc Anthony is 46. Comedian-actress Amy Poehler is 43. Country singer Matt Stillwell is 39. Singer Musiq is 37. Actor Michael Mosley is 36. Rapper Flo Rida is 35. Actress Alexis Bledel is 33. Actress Sabrina Bryan is 30. Actress Madeline Zima is 29. Actor Ian Harding (TV: “Pretty Little Liars”) is 28. Actress Kyla Pratt is 28. Actor Daren Kagasoff is 27. Rock singer Teddy Geiger is 26. Ac- tress-dancer Bailey Buntain is 25. Rock singer-musician Nick Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) is 22. Thought for Today: “You can love a person deeply and sincerely whom you do not like. You can like a person passionately whom you do not love.” — Robert Hugh Benson, English au- thor and clergyman (1871-1914). ON THIS DATE I YOUR LETTERS MANAGERS Gary L. Wood Publisher Michele Schievelbein Advertising Director Tonya Schild Business Manager Michael Hrycko Circulation Director Tera Schmidt Classified Manager Kelly Hertz Editor James D. Cimburek Sports Editor Beth Rye New Media Director Kathy Larson Composing Manager Published Daily Monday-Saturday Periodicals postage paid at Yankton, South Dakota, under the act of March 3, 1979. Weekly Dakotian established June 6, 1861. Yankton Daily Press and Dakotian established April 26, 1875. Postmaster: Send address changes to Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, 319 Wal- nut, Yankton, SD 57078. *** *** *** *** MEMBERSHIPS The Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan is a member of the Associ- ated Press, the Inland Daily Press Associa- tion and the South Dakota Newspaper Association. The Asso- ciated Press is entitled exclusively to use of all the local news printed in this newspaper. 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Brenda and Ron Shipley, David City, Nebraska I would like to thank everyone involved with having an outstanding concert and show at the WJ Ranch just south of Yankton re- cently. It takes a lot of hard work and much pride in hosting a family-oriented show like the one we experienced. This was our first time being at the WJ Ranch and we will definitely be back. I’m still singing these great songs in my head; of course, I’m a huge Ty Herndon fan. He has a quality that is missing in today’s country music. I would have never gotten to see him in a live performance this close to home if it weren’t for the Schiferls and their wonderful sponsors who put on these concerts in such a unique atmosphere. The results of the most recent Internet poll on the Press & Dakotanʼs Web site are as follows: LATEST RESULTS: Who do you support in the South Dakota U.S. Senate race? Rick Weiland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50% Mike Rounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27% Larry Pressler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15% Gordon Howie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2% Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6% TOTAL VOTES CAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .518 The Press & Dakotan Internet poll is not a scientific survey and reflects the opinions only of those who choose to participate. The results should not be con- strued as an accurate representation or scientific meas- urement of public opinion. ——— CURRENT QUESTION: Do you support the U.S. plan for taking military action against ISIS? To vote in the Press & Dakotanʼs Internet poll, log on to our website at www.yankton.net. Online Opinion BY VINCE TWO EAGLES Hau Mitakuepi (Greetings My Relatives), Lundy Bancroft, the author of “Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry Men,” writes: “The confusion of love with abuse is what allows abusers who kill their partners to make the absurd claim that they were driven by the depths of their love feelings. The news media regrettably often accepts the ag- gressor’s view of these acts, describing them as “crimes of passion.” But would could more thoroughly prove that a man did not love his partner? If a mother were to kill one of her children, would we even accept the claim that she did it because she was over- whelmed by how much she cared? Not for an instant. Nor should we. Genuine love means respecting the humanity of the other person’s self-esteem and in- dependence. This kind of love is incompatible with abuse and coercion.” The National Football League is once again being visited with struggle as it is attempting to come to terms with the actions of running back Ray Rice, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens. As everyone knows, Rice has been suspended indef- initely from the NFL because of his criminal be- havior know as domestic violence. I just want to take a second to express my gratitude for the use of surveillance cameras, or an otherwise all-too- common practice of violence against women would probably have gone unnoticed. It is too bad that we as a society have to resort to record- ing everyone’s public behavior. People resort to telling lies to escape punishment and being held to account for their actions. Kudos to the NFL for taking an exact (al- though slow in coming) course of action that sends to clear message to its members that vio- lence against women will not be tolerated. Vice President Joe Biden, in an article published in TIME magazine this week, relates: “Domestic abuse of any kind is ugly, and today there is rightful public outrage over it, whether the per- petrators are famous athletes or leaders of our communities.” We in Indian Country have to take this issue a lot more seriously. Gone should be the days of characterizing domestic vio- lence as mere jokes about so-called, “Indian love.” It is disgusting how inci- dents of partner battering get laughed off by some in Indian Country. None of us in modern society, whether it be In- dian or non-Indian, should ever toler- ate such criminal activity in our communities. Biden continues, “The American people have sent a message: You’re a coward for raising a hand to a woman or child — and you’re com- plicit if you fail to condemn it.” Hechetuado (and so it is)! Dismissing domestic violence be- cause of being intoxicated is the worst kind of cowardice there is. I hear this excuse all the time. It’s expressed as: “I don’t remember, I must have blacked out.” Yeah, right — so that makes it OK then? It is not OK for family mem- bers to treat each other with anything less than respect, support and responsible love. Our fam- ily has to be a place where we can find safety and comfort, not fear and violence. If violent be- havior exists in your family, something is defi- nitely wrong! Seek help immediately, don’t let another day go by living in such a situation. If you have trouble controlling your anger and find yourself taking out your frustrations on fam- ily members either verbally, emotionally or phys- ically, seek counseling and anger management training. If you find yourself the victim of this kind of abuse or witness your children, nephews, nieces or grandchildren being victimized, now is the time to recognize you are not alone and there is help. And now you know the rez of the story. Doksha (later) ... The Rez Of The Story On Domestic Violence Vince TWO EAGLES BY MICHAEL REAGAN CagleCartoons.com Let’s get to the burning national media issue of the week — Ray Rice and spousal abuse. All the professional media moralizers are jump- ing on the politically correct Rice soapbox to prove to each other how much they are against physically abusing women. As if anyone is in favor of it. Rice knocked out his bride-to-be Janay in a casino elevator last February. That’s about the only thing clear from the elevator footage TMZ released to the world. How he knocked her out — with a punch or a push — isn’t clear. Did she spit in his face? Looks like it on the video. Did she hit him first? Apparently. Did both of them hit or spit at the other? Maybe. Were they both drunk, stupid and nasty to each other? Seems so. All those annoying facts and nuances are not certain, and probably never will be. But they don’t matter to the old and new media. Those few seconds of silent and grainy elevator video were all the news media, the Ravens’ owner- ship and the NFL front office needed to try, convict and sentence Rice to a prime-time lynching. No one dared to say a word in Rice’s defense. I even heard conservatives who should know better saying things like “There’s never an excuse to hit a woman.” Never? Really? What if a woman is about to hit you in the face with a baseball bat? Or your wife is chasing you with a butcher knife? Or the WWE’s women’s cham- pion is about to break you over her knee? The knee-jerk reaction to what Rice did reminds me of what happened in Ferguson, Mo., when a white cop shot and killed an unarmed young black man. We immediately were assured that Michael Brown was an innocent, peaceful young man and the latest example of bad behavior by a racist cop in America. Many sensible people, especially conservatives, said, “Hold on a minute. We first need to find out what really happened before the shooting.” What did Brown do or not do to the officer be- fore he was shot? Did he punch him or try to grab his weapon? Until we get all the facts, they said, we can’t make Brown as an innocent victim and we can’t hang the cop. Fact-finding is too late for Ray Rice and his ca- reer. No trial is required. He’s guilty as charged by the media. Next case, please. Unfortunately, and without excusing a thing the Rices did to each other, Ray Rice has become, at least for this week, the dirty face of domestic vio- lence in America. When the media are done exploiting him, beat- ing up on the NFL’s “culture of violence” and pre- tending they care deeply about America’s problem with domestic abuse, they’ll move on to exploit the next hot ratings-grabber. Just as our child abuse problem disappeared in the media after the Sandusky case at Penn State, domestic abuse will quickly fall off their radar screens again. Domestic violence is a real problem that won’t go away. An estimated 1.2 million women will be abused by their husbands every year. The abuse will continue to occur in all kinds of marriages and within all age ranges, ethnic back- grounds and economic levels. Women are the victims 85 percent of the time, but men are abused verbally and emotionally, and sometimes even physically. Domestic violence is never acceptable, no mat- ter who does it or how it occurs. But until another celebrity case comes along, with video footage, you can bet the national media won’t even mention it. Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of “The New Reagan Revolution” (St. Martin’s Press). He is the founder of the email service reagan.com and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Visit his websites at www.reagan.com and www.michaelereagan.com. Send comments to Rea- [email protected]. Follow @reaganworld on Twitter. Michael Reagan The Media’s Lynching Of Ray Rice
Transcript of T D ’ O N | F 1861tearsheets.yankton.net/september14/091614/091614_YKPD_A4.pdf · shooting...
n terms of mere public relations, the National FootballLeague may well have endured worse weeks than last week— but it’s hard to remember when that might have been.
Instead, at this moment, we are left with a parade of un-seemly images that has many of us wondering what elselurks beneath the corporate-created surface.
The week started with Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens beingdropped by the team after a video showed him knocking out histhen-girlfriend (now wife) in an elevator last February in a public actof domestic violence.
A video recorded later in the sequence was leaked severalmonths ago showing Rice dragging the woman out of the elevator.For months, the events leading up to that situation were left to thepublic’s imagination — and the public pretty much had it figuredout. The NFL’s initial response had been to suspend Rice for justtwo games.
But last week’s elevator video disclosure became even more in-cendiary when police revealed that they had shared the video withthe league several months ago. Commissioner Roger Goodell’squest for the truth in the matter came under harsh question, anddeservedly so. Did he see the elevator video before he made hisrather tepid two-game suspension? Did he not see it? Did he notWANT to see it? (IT was subsequently reported that Rice had toldGoodell in June what had happened, which further makes us won-der how the league views such behavior.)
Then on Friday, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Petersonwas indicted in Texas on charges of child abuse: According to ac-counts, he had taken portion of a tree branch, removed the leavesand used it as a switch to whip his son on the derriere. Peterson’sdefense was that was the kind of punishment that had been admin-istered to him when he was a child. Nevertheless, the image of aprofessional football player — a high-profile star, no less — doingthis to a child was distressing, and Peterson’s arrest was anotherdismal moment for the league.
Meanwhile, three other players were on practice fields for NFLclubs despite having recent serious brushes with domestic vio-lence. The San Francisco 49ers’ defensive end Ray McDonald wascharged two weeks ago with felony domestic violence after injuringhis pregnant girlfriend. Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardyplayed in the season opener after being convicted in July of threat-ening and beating up his girlfriend. (However, he was benched justprior to Sunday’s game.) And last Tuesday, the Arizona Cardinalssigned running back Chris Rainey, who had been released by twoother clubs, at least once due to domestic violence.
Taken together, these items paint a disturbing portrait of aleague ... or does it?
After all, the NFL essentially markets violence due to the natureof the sport. In some ways, these off-field transgressions do notwander so far from our expectations of what happens on the field,which Americans dearly love. And the league’s docile approach toaddressing such matters might suggest where its multibillion-dollarpriorities really are.
None of this should suggest that all NFL players are violent, abu-sive thugs — that would be grossly unfair. But is it so far of a stretchto believe that there might be more of this kind of mentality in theplayers’ ranks, especially based on what we expect and want to seeSunday after Sunday in the autumn?
What happens on the football field each week isn’t reality. It’sjust a game, and it has little bearing on life other than being a formof violent entertainment and a revenue-generating enterprise. Butwhat happens off the field is real and has actual consequences.What we saw off the field last week, and how we saw the league han-dle itself in these processes, were sobering and sickening. But willthey be enough to change our perception of the league? And willthat be enough to affect the NFL’s prosperous bottom line? Sadly,those are probably the only questions that matter.
kmh
THE PRESS DAKOTANTHE DAKOTAS’ OLDEST NEWSPAPER | FOUNDED 1861
Yankton Media, Inc., 319 Walnut St., Yankton, SD 57078
Tuesday, 9.16.14ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net
VIEWS PAGE: [email protected] DAKOTANP A G E 4
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OPINION
The NFL Has AVery Bad Week
And for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it forgood. Genesis 50:20. Portals of Prayer, Concordia PublishingHouse, St. Louis
F RO M T H E B I B L E
By The Associated PressToday is Tuesday, September 16,
the 259th day of 2014. There are 106days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History: OnSeptember 16, 1974, President Ger-ald R. Ford announced a conditionalamnesty program for Vietnam war de-serters and draft-evaders.
On this date: In 1498, Tomas deTorquemada, notorious for his role inthe Spanish Inquisition, died in Avila,Spain.
In 1810, Mexicans were inspiredto begin their successful revolt againstSpanish rule by Father Miguel Hidalgoy Costilla and his “Grito de Dolores(Cry of Dolores).”
In 1893, more than 100,000 set-tlers swarmed onto a section of landin Oklahoma known as the “CherokeeStrip.”
In 1908, General Motors wasfounded in Flint, Michigan, by WilliamC. Durant.
In 1914, “Candid Camera” creatorAllen Funt was born in New York.
In 1919, the American Legion re-ceived a national charter from Con-gress.
In 1940, President Franklin D.Roosevelt signed the Selective Train-ing and Service Act. Samuel T. Ray-burn of Texas was elected Speaker ofthe U.S. House of Representatives.
In 1953, “The Robe,” the firstmovie presented in the widescreenprocess CinemaScope, had its worldpremiere at the Roxy Theater in NewYork.
In 1964, the rock-and-roll show“Shindig!” premiered on ABC-TV.
In 1982, the massacre of between1,200 and 1,400 Palestinian men,women and children at the hands ofIsraeli-allied Christian Phalange militi-amen began in west Beirut’s Sabraand Shatila refugee camps.
In 1994, a federal jury in Anchor-age, Alaska, ordered Exxon Corp. topay $5 billion in punitive damages forthe 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill (theU.S. Supreme Court later reduced thatamount to $507.5 million). Two astro-nauts from the space shuttle Discov-ery went on the first untetheredspacewalk in ten years.
In 2007, O.J. Simpson was ar-rested in the alleged armed robbery ofsports memorabilia collectors in LasVegas. (Simpson was later convictedof kidnapping and armed robbery andsentenced to nine to 33 years inprison.)
Ten years ago: Hurricane Ivanplowed into the Gulf Coast with 130-mile-per-hour wind and a major stormsurge; Ivan was blamed for 92 deaths,25 of them in the U.S. The number of
foreigners kidnapped during the Iraqinsurgency reached at least 100. TheNational Hockey League lockout wentinto effect.
Five years ago: Sen. Max Bau-cus, D-Mt., chairman of the Senate Fi-nance Committee, unveiled sweepinglegislation to remake the nation’scostly health care system. Mary Tra-vers, 72, one part of the folk trio Peter,Paul and Mary, died in Danbury, Con-necticut. NCAA President MylesBrand, 67, died in Indianapolis.
One year ago: Aaron Alexis, aformer U.S. Navy reservist, went on ashooting rampage inside the Wash-ington Navy Yard, killing 12 victims be-fore being shot dead by police.
Today’s Birthdays: Actress JanisPaige is 92. Blues singer B.B. King is89. Clergyman-author Rev. Robert H.Schuller is 88. Actor George Chakirisis 82. Bluesman Billy Boy Arnold is 79.Movie director Jim McBride is 73. Ac-tress Linda Miller is 72. Rhythm-and-blues singer Betty Kelly (Martha & theVandellas) is 70. Musician KenneyJones (Small Faces; Faces; The Who)is 66. Actress Susan Ruttan is 66.Rock musician Ron Blair (Tom Petty &the Heartbreakers; Mudcrutch) is 66.Actor Ed Begley Jr. is 65. Countrysinger David Bellamy (The BellamyBrothers) is 64. Country singer-song-writer Phil Lee is 63. Actor-comedianLenny Clarke is 61. Actor Kurt Fuller is61. Jazz musician Earl Klugh is 61.Actor Christopher Rich is 61. SingerFrank Reed (The Chi-Lites) is 60. TVpersonality Mark McEwen is 60. Base-ball Hall of Famer Robin Yount is 59.Actor Mickey Rourke is 58. MagicianDavid Copperfield is 58. Countrysinger-songwriter Terry McBride is 56.Actress Jennifer Tilly is 56. RetiredMLB All-Star pitcher Orel Hershiser is56. Retired MLB All-Star Tim Raines is55. Actress Jayne Brook is 54. SingerRichard Marx is 51. Comedian MollyShannon is 50. Singer Marc Anthonyis 46. Comedian-actress Amy Poehleris 43. Country singer Matt Stillwell is39. Singer Musiq is 37. Actor MichaelMosley is 36. Rapper Flo Rida is 35.Actress Alexis Bledel is 33. ActressSabrina Bryan is 30. Actress MadelineZima is 29. Actor Ian Harding (TV:“Pretty Little Liars”) is 28. Actress KylaPratt is 28. Actor Daren Kagasoff is 27.Rock singer Teddy Geiger is 26. Ac-tress-dancer Bailey Buntain is 25.Rock singer-musician Nick Jonas (TheJonas Brothers) is 22.
Thought for Today: “You can lovea person deeply and sincerely whomyou do not like. You can like a personpassionately whom you do not love.”— Robert Hugh Benson, English au-thor and clergyman (1871-1914).
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Kathy LarsonComposing Manager
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Great Show!Brenda and Ron Shipley, David City, Nebraska
I would like to thank everyone involvedwith having an outstanding concert and showat the WJ Ranch just south of Yankton re-cently. It takes a lot of hard work and muchpride in hosting a family-oriented show likethe one we experienced.
This was our first time being at the WJRanch and we will definitely be back. I’m stillsinging these great songs in my head; ofcourse, I’m a huge Ty Herndon fan. He has aquality that is missing in today’s countrymusic. I would have never gotten to see him ina live performance this close to home if itweren’t for the Schiferls and their wonderfulsponsors who put on these concerts in such aunique atmosphere.
The results of the most recent Internet poll on thePress & Dakotanʼs Web site are as follows:
LATEST RESULTS: Who do you support in the South Dakota U.S.
Senate race?Rick Weiland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50%Mike Rounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27%Larry Pressler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15%Gordon Howie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2%Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6%TOTAL VOTES CAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .518
The Press & Dakotan Internet poll is not a scientificsurvey and reflects the opinions only of those whochoose to participate. The results should not be con-strued as an accurate representation or scientific meas-urement of public opinion.
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CURRENT QUESTION: Do you support the U.S. plan for taking military
action against ISIS?To vote in the Press & Dakotanʼs Internet poll, log on to
our website at www.yankton.net.
Online Opinion
BY VINCE TWO EAGLES
Hau Mitakuepi (Greetings My Relatives),Lundy Bancroft, the author of “Why Does He
Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry Men,”writes: “The confusion of love withabuse is what allows abusers who killtheir partners to make the absurdclaim that they were driven by thedepths of their love feelings. The newsmedia regrettably often accepts the ag-gressor’s view of these acts, describingthem as “crimes of passion.” But wouldcould more thoroughly prove that aman did not love his partner? If amother were to kill one of her children,would we even accept the claim thatshe did it because she was over-whelmed by how much she cared? Notfor an instant. Nor should we. Genuinelove means respecting the humanity ofthe other person’s self-esteem and in-dependence. This kind of love is incompatiblewith abuse and coercion.”
The National Football League is once againbeing visited with struggle as it is attempting tocome to terms with the actions of running backRay Rice, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens. Aseveryone knows, Rice has been suspended indef-initely from the NFL because of his criminal be-havior know as domestic violence. I just want totake a second to express my gratitude for the useof surveillance cameras, or an otherwise all-too-common practice of violence against womenwould probably have gone unnoticed. It is toobad that we as a society have to resort to record-ing everyone’s public behavior. People resort totelling lies to escape punishment and being heldto account for their actions.
Kudos to the NFL for taking an exact (al-though slow in coming) course of action thatsends to clear message to its members that vio-lence against women will not be tolerated. VicePresident Joe Biden, in an article published inTIME magazine this week, relates: “Domestic
abuse of any kind is ugly, and today there isrightful public outrage over it, whether the per-petrators are famous athletes or leaders of ourcommunities.”
We in Indian Country have to take this issue alot more seriously. Gone should be thedays of characterizing domestic vio-lence as mere jokes about so-called,“Indian love.” It is disgusting how inci-dents of partner battering get laughedoff by some in Indian Country. None ofus in modern society, whether it be In-dian or non-Indian, should ever toler-ate such criminal activity in ourcommunities. Biden continues, “TheAmerican people have sent a message:You’re a coward for raising a hand to awoman or child — and you’re com-plicit if you fail to condemn it.”
Hechetuado (and so it is)! Dismissing domestic violence be-
cause of being intoxicated is the worstkind of cowardice there is. I hear this excuse allthe time. It’s expressed as: “I don’t remember, Imust have blacked out.” Yeah, right — so thatmakes it OK then? It is not OK for family mem-bers to treat each other with anything less thanrespect, support and responsible love. Our fam-ily has to be a place where we can find safetyand comfort, not fear and violence. If violent be-havior exists in your family, something is defi-nitely wrong! Seek help immediately, don’t letanother day go by living in such a situation.
If you have trouble controlling your anger andfind yourself taking out your frustrations on fam-ily members either verbally, emotionally or phys-ically, seek counseling and anger managementtraining. If you find yourself the victim of thiskind of abuse or witness your children, nephews,nieces or grandchildren being victimized, now isthe time to recognize you are not alone and thereis help.
And now you know the rez of the story.Doksha (later) ...
The Rez Of The Story
On Domestic Violence
VinceTWO EAGLES
BY MICHAEL REAGANCagleCartoons.com
Let’s get to the burning national media issue ofthe week — Ray Rice and spousal abuse.
All the professional media moralizers are jump-ing on the politically correct Rice soapbox to proveto each other how much they are against physicallyabusing women.
As if anyone is in favor of it. Rice knocked out his bride-to-be Janay in a
casino elevator last February. That’s about the onlything clear from the elevator footage TMZ releasedto the world.
How he knocked her out — with a punch or apush — isn’t clear. Did she spit in his face? Lookslike it on the video.
Did she hit him first? Apparently. Did both ofthem hit or spit at the other? Maybe. Were theyboth drunk, stupid and nasty to each other? Seemsso.
All those annoying facts and nuances are notcertain, and probably never will be. But they don’tmatter to the old and new media.
Those few seconds of silent and grainy elevatorvideo were all the news media, the Ravens’ owner-ship and the NFL front office needed to try, convictand sentence Rice to a prime-time lynching.
No one dared to say a word in Rice’s defense. Ieven heard conservatives who should know bettersaying things like “There’s never an excuse to hit awoman.”
Never? Really? What if a woman is about to hit you in the face
with a baseball bat? Or your wife is chasing youwith a butcher knife? Or the WWE’s women’s cham-pion is about to break you over her knee?
The knee-jerk reaction to what Rice did remindsme of what happened in Ferguson, Mo., when awhite cop shot and killed an unarmed young blackman.
We immediately were assured that MichaelBrown was an innocent, peaceful young man andthe latest example of bad behavior by a racist copin America.
Many sensible people, especially conservatives,said, “Hold on a minute. We first need to find out
what really happened before the shooting.” What did Brown do or not do to the officer be-
fore he was shot? Did he punch him or try to grabhis weapon?
Until we get all the facts, they said, we can’tmake Brown as an innocent victim and we can’thang the cop.
Fact-finding is too late for Ray Rice and his ca-reer. No trial is required. He’s guilty as charged bythe media. Next case, please.
Unfortunately, and without excusing a thing theRices did to each other, Ray Rice has become, atleast for this week, the dirty face of domestic vio-lence in America.
When the media are done exploiting him, beat-ing up on the NFL’s “culture of violence” and pre-tending they care deeply about America’s problemwith domestic abuse, they’ll move on to exploit thenext hot ratings-grabber.
Just as our child abuse problem disappeared inthe media after the Sandusky case at Penn State,domestic abuse will quickly fall off their radarscreens again.
Domestic violence is a real problem that won’tgo away. An estimated 1.2 million women will beabused by their husbands every year.
The abuse will continue to occur in all kinds ofmarriages and within all age ranges, ethnic back-grounds and economic levels.
Women are the victims 85 percent of the time,but men are abused verbally and emotionally, andsometimes even physically.
Domestic violence is never acceptable, no mat-ter who does it or how it occurs. But until anothercelebrity case comes along, with video footage, youcan bet the national media won’t even mention it.
Michael Reagan is the son of President RonaldReagan, a political consultant, and the author of“The New Reagan Revolution” (St. Martin’s Press).He is the founder of the email service reagan.comand president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation.Visit his websites at www.reagan.com andwww.michaelereagan.com. Send comments to [email protected]. Follow @reaganworld onTwitter.
Michael Reagan
The Media’s Lynching Of Ray Rice
