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The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Athletes Shouldn’t Get a Free Pass

When someone comes to college as an athlete, it’s easy to get caught up in the fantasy the university provides. First pick on classes, different — sometimes even better — food, free gear, scholarship, etc. With all that athletes are given, I can see how they think they are privileged. However, they shouldn’t think they are above the law.

We have all heard the stories of some Pac-12 or Division I athlete getting caught stealing (for example, Florida State’s Jameis Winston when he stole a pair of crab legs) or even robbing someone (Utah’s Dominique Hatfield was arrested in 2015, and those charges were later resolved), but those are the light stories. The stories we all know but hate talking and hearing about are the ones that involve women either being raped or beaten. Because athletes are oftentimes privileged, they get off easy on charges, and sometimes they do not even serve any time.

As of 2016, 54 percent of college athletes admit to a history of “sexual coercive” behavior like sexual assault and rape, and it’s not getting any better.

Just over the summer, Brock Turner, ex-Stanford student and swimmer, was charged and convicted of three counts of felony rape of a woman who was unconscious. Seems like an easy conviction right? Apparently not. Even after he was convicted, the ruling judge only sentenced Turner to six months of prison time, because the judge felt he shouldn’t be punished too severely due to his clean record, his good grades and his great swim times.

Wait, what?

So being a good swimmer and a good student gets him an easy pass at any real hard prison time? Whether this guy won the Nobel Peace prize, won a gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly or lives in a box on the street, he still raped a woman who was unconscious. To top it all off, after being given a nice six-month sentence, Turner only served three of those months.

Again, what? Not only did this kid get off on an easy sentence, he only served half of the time. The only good part about this whole catastrophe was the fact that Turner had to register on the sex offender list and will never be able to take his name off it.

But Turner’s story only brings me to the main attraction of this whole article — Joe Mixon.

For those of you who don’t know Mixon, he is the runningback for the Oklahoma Sooners, but most notably the man who was caught on tape beating his then-girlfriend.

Let me explain this mess of story for you before I go any further into what (and possibly why) athletes think they can get away with stuff like that. A few weeks ago, a video was released of Mixon beating up his fellow classmate and then-girlfriend, Amelia Molitor from a year ago, breaking multiple bones in her face. After the video came to light, Mixon and the Sooners played in the Sugar Bowl against Auburn. When Auburn fans began chanting that he beats his girlfriend, it appeared that Mixon was urging them to chant louder, as if to admit that he did it, and he didn’t regret it.

Sadly, domestic violence is right up there in high numbers. As of 2010, females were victims in 22 of the 125 serious charges involving basketball and football players. Where the victims were females, 14 of those involved domestic violence.

But apparently because Mixon is a good player and coaches have too much pride, he did not face any punishment for this act of domestic violence.

This explains why athletes think they can get away with anything they want if they are good enough. But the award for making Mixon feel like he can get away with anything goes to his agent, Peter Schaffer. This pompous man had the nerve to say that Mixon was no different from any other 18-year-old boy who made a mistake.

Getting caught drinking your parents’ liquor is a mistake. Getting in a car accident is a mistake. Beating a woman is a choice that he made, and he has shown no remorse for it. Schaffer also said that the video can be used as an “educational tool” if used properly.

Could you explain that for me, please? Are they going to show this video to him over and over again as a form of aversion therapy? Instead of using the video as an “educational tool,” just make him apologize, and have him suffer any and all punishments the school, team coaches and possibly the courts feel necessary.

Again, the only silver lining in Mixon’s story was that it was his then-girlfriend, which means she no longer put up with him. However, he still needs to learn. Athletes still need to learn. Whether it’s Turner or Mixon or some average Joe, they all need to learn that harming a woman in any way, shape or form is wrong.

Maybe it’s the athletic department’s fault for reinforcing this notion of privilege in athletes’ minds, but when the athletes decided to beat up a woman or force themselves on a woman who does not want it, they should be punished, not just scolded.

Turner got off easy, and although we shouldn’t be making the same mistake with Mixon, it seems like it’s heading that way. Athletes aren’t that special, and they should be punished just as severely as the rest of those who commit the same crime.

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@emileewhiteee

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