I think we can boil it down even further.

Any community that has and does not squelch a rape crew is not an innocent community.

It's been long enough that I've forgotten details, but weren't the coach and later police involved in covering up the crime? Not ok.

I'm sure on an individual basis, they're all wonderful people, and I don't think anyone should be…

It's one thing to say "Man, he seemed like such a good kid. I can't believe he'd do something like that." It's quite another to say "He's such a kind boy who just made a mistake."

Not to mention the deference it's given in institutions that should be otherwise more concerned about academia. Why are school sports even a thing? I feel kind of embarrassed when people describe certain athletes as 'heros' (not counting the ones who do things like open children's hospitals and other philanthropy) —…

I hold grudges against all those players, and please add Ray Lewis to the mix (http://bit.ly/VXKjFK). He was at the very least involved in covering up a murder and nothing happened to him. I also think he's a hypocrite, claiming to be a devout Christian yet has 6 kids with 4 women.

And if you weren't such terrible, football obsessed people, why did you just run up the score to win by six touchdowns?

People who put their own whiny town pride feelings ahead of an actual human being who was undeniably violated in an unacceptable way are the kind of people who rape, and the kind of people who do nothing after rape happens, and the kind of people who bitch after - miracle of miracles - a rape is prosecuted and…

I agree with this. It's one thing to say "Man, he seemed like such a good kid. I can't believe he'd do something like that." It's quite another to say "He's such a kind boy who just made a mistake." I'm sorry, but no. No "kind" human being would have done what Saltsman did, and then lol'd about it. I'm not…

I'm horrified to hear that there were rape-related insults being yelled at little children. That's absolutely unacceptable. But this whole "Steubenville was destroyed" thing? Not buying it. This will go away eventually.

So, umm, when is the town going to get pissed off at the two boys who are the reason this whole shit show happened in the first place?

I went from rolling my eyes to actual outrage at this point:

And is still happening based on every single adult quoted for this piece. Essentially every comment could be boiled down to "[pay lipservice to horrible crime being committed]" and then "yeah but [insert excuse that takes away any credit for initial acknowledgment that a girl was gang raped]".

I was just about to write a long screed, but you have hit the nail on the head.

Oh, I'm sorry your christmas was RUINED because some broad got raped.

Katie: thank you for this thought-provoking article. It's critical in this digital age that we realize that old rumor mill is still alive and well and the game of telephone goes faster than ever with twitter.

Attitudes like this are exactly why I don't feel bad for them. Victim blaming and protecting perpetrators are still alive and well.

"Yes, those two boys crossed the line,” said one parent closely connected to the case.

People in Steubenville understand why the image Saltsman captured — those thick, careless hands wrapped around the incapacitated victim's dangling arms and wrists — will stick long after case particulars fade. But they still insist that Saltsman is the “kindest boy you’ll ever meet,”

Adults in Steubenville are sick of thinking about how she feels. Some locals who are now nationally recognizable thanks to the case said they couldn’t wait to talk as soon as the Grand Jury completed its investigation. “Oh, my land, are things going to roll off tongues,” one said with a wink. "We’re angry, and we want…

"Adults in Steubenville are sick of thinking about how she feels."