Earlier this month, 20-year-old Alisha Hessler went out clubbing with two male friends, who brought a third male friend with them. At some point in the evening, when that guy tried to reach up Hessler’s skirt, she slapped him. He, in turn, beat her so badly that she suffered a concision and a broken nose. Hessler went to the hospital and filed a police report, but before officially filing charges against her attacker, she gave him a choice. Either he would be arrested and likely face charges for beating her or he could opt to stand in the middle of a busy Tampa intersection for either hours, wearing a dunce cap and holding a sign that read “I BEAT WOMAN. HONK IF I’M A SCUMBAG.” He chose the latter. (Apparently, Hessler originally wanted the dickbag to sign a waiver allowing her to beat him for 10 minutes, but friends talked her out of it, given that, waiver or not, beating someone senseless, even if they hit you first, is illegal.)
While I admire Hessler’s creative punishment for this scumbag, I think pressing charges would have a bigger impact on this cretin than public humiliation. After all, violence against women is a very serious problem, and there’s something about this punishment that doesn’t match the crime. Pointing and laughing at someone who beat up a woman for resisting his physical advances is not the appropriate response, in my opinion. Sure, the guy’s mug was seen by god knows how many people walking or driving by that Tampa intersection — and all those who saw a news segment about it on TV — but does it really change anything, given how short our memories are? What do you think?
ABC News
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