Sorry for starting the day off with a depressing story, but I think this is important to be aware of. Yesterday, the New York Times posted an article about a rape that occurred in Montclair, New Jersey. Three young boys sexually attacked a 16-year-old girl - who is suspected to be mentally disabled. They raped her with a broomstick and forced her to perform sexual acts on them. Today, the NY Times reported new findings in the case - apparently, when the rape was happening, the house was filled with a dozen young people.

Jason Josaphat, 17, a student at Montclair High, said he had spoken to a friend who was at the house that day. The friend was watching television while one or more boys were with the girl in a bedroom, he said, and the friend told Mr. Josaphat that he had heard a girl screaming.

Seriously, if you hear a girl screaming while she's alone in a room with a couple of boys... check and see what it is. Common sense. Another aspect of this story that deeply saddened me was something the grandmother of one of the boys involved in the rape said:

She said the girl was a friend of Mr. Roberts's and had been at the house many times. And she defended her grandson. "It’s not a rape," she said. "They didn't force her to come over."

She cannot possibly be serious. How does the fact that the girl willingly went over to the house make it NOT a rape? Was she supposed to know that she was going to be sexually assaulted? She knew the boys, and perhaps she knew that there would be a lot of people there, and therefore thought she would be safe. It doesn't matter that they didn't "force" her to come over... they still forced her to perform sexual acts on them and they still forced a broomstick inside of her. Sorry, grandma, but your grandson is a genuine rapist.

Full story here.