Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens and a “Pound of Flesh”.

The other day, Ray Rice, the Baltimore Ravens’ former running back was suspended indefinitely. The NFL team finally caved in to the public’s demand for “a pound of flesh” in the aftermath of a video of the man’s brutality against his wife.

In an instant reaction, his wife, Janay Rice castigated the American media and public for the very harsh punishment meted out to her husband. I was among those who rushed to assume that the woman was naive, stupid or desperate.

I have since changed my mind.



Why must we, as a nation, always seek to “over-kill” in a situation such as this? Some years back, it was the same “righteous” public that sought to destroy the career of Michael Vicks (NFL quarterback) over some dogs. All of a sudden, his life and career were rated far below that of those canine “treasures”.

Each time an incident of moral nature occurs, some “perfect” people among us will promptly rise in righteous indignation to “kill a fly with a sledge hammer”. They will demand for “a pound of flesh” even in matters that do not personally concern them. Janay Rice’s public reaction to her husband’s suspension was absolutely appropriate:

"I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I'm mourning the death of my closest friend. But to have to accept the fact that it's reality is a nightmare in itself. No one knows the pain that the media & unwanted options from the public has caused my family. To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret every day is a horrible thing. To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his ass of for all his life just to gain ratings is horrific. THIS IS OUR LIFE! What don't you all get. If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you've succeeded on so many levels. Just know we will continue to grow & show the world what real love is! Ravensnation we love you!"

Yes, Ray Rice struck his wife and deserved to be sanctioned. But must an entire family, wife, children and other dependents be struck down into oblivion merely because of one man’s misbehavior? If the “sympathetic” American “pound-of-flesh-seeking” public had not put its nose in this couple’s marital affair, the man would still have a job and the family would not have been exposed to a very uncertain future as it is now! This is a family that has been living in absolute comfort. In the eye of the meddling American public, Janay Rice was a victim of spousal abuse. Sure! But inadvertently, the same American public has turned the poor woman into a worse victim, along with her family!

After all, there are millions of women out there who are living with verbally and physically abusive men. It’s the singular responsibility of each woman to take whatever action she deems fit. And there are lots of such women who insist on staying in their abusive relationships or marriages due to certain reasons best known to them and those who are very close to them. It is neither the rights nor the responsibility of the otherwise, gloating public to demand for the cancellation of Ray Rice's contract!