Internet Lynch Mob - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya - The modern day equivalent of a lynch mob is sweeping the Internet. Instead of wielding pitchforks and torches, they brandish mouses and motherboards. Take the case of a 21-year-old junior at Portland, Oregon's Lewis & Clark University. A 19-year-old former girlfriend contacted him one night resulting in an invitation to come to his room. She went there willingly. Both admit to drinking and say the visit turned sexual. What happened after that is unclear, but days later the woman told some friends she felt forced. Instead of going to the police, her friends started a Facebook group naming the man and labeling him a rapist. Irresponsible Internet bloggers then picked up the story and postings spread like wildfire across the country. Just like that, the man's reputation is destroyed forever. In response to the Internet traffic, University administrators asked the woman to come forward and press charges. Only then did she file a complaint. The man was suspended from school. Even though sexual assault allegations are supposed to be confidential, the man was very publicly hung out to dry. Keep in mind, he has NOT been arrested or charged with any crime. This woman did not go to the police immediately following the alleged incident when some physical evidence could have been recovered. The two have a sexual history, she initiated contact, willingly went to his room and was under the influence of alcohol despite being underage. Instead of going through proper channels, her friends went to the Internet and hundreds of anonymous bloggers piled on to destroy this guy without a trial or proof that he did anything wrong. I do not know if this man is guilty or innocent of rape. The fact is, none of us do. What makes America great is that we are supposed to have due process. The accused are considered innocent until proven guilty. You can't throw people in jail without charging them and you can't toss them in prison without a conviction. Citizens are also not allowed to take the law into their own hands. You can't gather up a posse and lynch someone because you think they did something wrong. So how is an Internet lynching different than one with a rope? In one the victim dies. In the other his reputation and freedoms die. Other than that there is no difference. Our society needs to address this issue. All our freedoms suffer while this can go on. Kent Ninomiya