I really hate all of this rape talk. All of the arguments have been presented. Winston was never convicted of rape, never even charged with rape, witnesses say it wasn't rape. People saying things like "the fact that he raped her" and so forth make me completely disgusted. Maybe some folks don't understand what a "fact" is. Anyone can accuse anyone else of rape. ANYONE. It doesn't mean it happened, it doesn't mean it was rape, it doesn't mean it wasn't regret after drunk sex...THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW FOR SURE ARE WINSTON AND KINSMAN.So why are we ready to assume the worst of Winston and not give him the benefit of the doubt? Why do we have to convict the man of a crime he's never been convicted of? Why do seemingly decent folks want to automatically condemn a young man when even the victim's own accounts of the incident don't always add up?Is it because he's black? If Winston were white would people be so quick to assume that he's guilty? Is it because he had some other minor scrapes with disorder?Look, I can understand people being hesitant about a guy because he's shown a few lapses in judgment. But to convict him in public discussions of such a heinous crime as rape (and I know two actual rape victims) is a terrible, horrible thing. Her word doesn't make him guilty just like his word doesn't make him innocent.I think people should be willing to at least allow for the idea that perhaps the sex wasn't against her will. How about we take a wait-and-see attitude toward him and his immaturity and decision-making and see what he does if he DOES become a Buc?How about people say "You know, I don't like the whole history thing, but I don't know for certain what happened between Winston and Kinsman years ago, but it is true that he was never convicted of rape... now that he's a Buccaneer, I'm going to put his past behind him and wish him the best and hope that he shows the maturity and leadership and football skills we need as the franchise QB of this team"?I'm a second-chance kind of guy. I've seen guys make mistakes and learn from them and grow and become solid players, leaders, and good citizens. On the other hand, I've seen guys that were cheered by stadium crowds who, in real life, you'd never let near your kids. Do we know which kind Jameis Winston will be? No one does. But can't we give the guy a chance, whether he's a Buccaneer tonight or whether he's drafted by another team?I will find it hard to continue to frequent this forum if people find it necessary to continue to apply the "rapist" label in a factual way even though this young man was never convicted of such a terrible, terrible crime. And I say this as someone who has been close to two actual rape victims, one who was beaten severely and the other who showed no outward signs of the forced sex.I love talking Bucs with people, I really do. But this whole "rape" bias is so tiresome that I sometimes feel like it just isn't worth the effort.
