Ryan said:
How is this news? A couple of young kids got on the piss, and said something to a female reporter, that leveraged off that for recognition. The seasons over, let them go.
Clearly it is not news, in Ryan’s view.
Interest rates and taxation changes are newsworthy. But, some of the finest male athletes in the land hold women in contempt? Ho hum, that isn’t newsworthy. It is commonplace, and furthermore, totally natural. In Ryan’s view.
Ryan says it was "young kids". Good spin, Ryan. Makes it sound more like harmless playtime. The reality is the words came from young men, old enough to vote, old enough to go to war, and old enough to be tried in court as adults if they break the law.
Ryan says they "said something". The comments alleged include:
"There are some ladies here to stick their heads in your pants".
"S--- me off you dumb dog".
"I want to go and punch you in the face."
The attitude revealed by these comments? Contempt for women. This is the attitude that allows men to threaten and commit violence against women … which occurs every single day of the year.
It is suggested that we should condone these comments on the basis that, after a bit of booze, men will forget to say the politically correct words and their real feelings will come out: “let them goâ€, it is the most natural thing in the world to feel contempt for women.
It is natural that women are routinely bashed in every community in the land. We all have the internet, anyone can look up some stats on the prevalence of domestic violence against women. Or the percentage of women who are subjected to rape or attempted rape over the course of their lifetime.
I wish you’d look up some of those stats, Ryan. Then come back and repeat your message to women everywhere that these attitudes are harmless fun, and it doesn't matter anyway because "the season's over".
