Rampage’s Rampage

The Race Factor
It seems impossible to discuss the case without considering the race factor. Is Quinton’s skin color going to do him any favors here? Probably not.

As with the O.J. Simpson case, with ridiculously over-the top and over-priced lawyers (remember Johnny Cocraine?) in your corner, you don’t need any extra help. That’s what’s great about living in our time. It doesn’t matter if your skin is black or white because the only color that matters is green (yuk-yuk).

It Wasn’t a Baby Yet
I read that a woman miscarried as a result of being in a vehicle that was struck by Quinton’s truck. This is going to stir a lot people’s emotions or at least it certainly should.

It’s my understanding that in the state of California you can’t be charged with manslaughter in this situation because the fetus is not legally considered a person. Whether or not we want to consider the fetus to be a sentient being with the same rights and considerations as an already-born human being is an interesting question for another website entirely! For this situation here, such is the law.

I think this is damn serious business. As a male, I cannot comprehend the trauma this woman must feel, but I believe she’s entitled to be as upset as she wants to be. And seeing as there’s no way to give her back what she lost, it’s difficult to come up with an appropriate resolution to her predicament.

What’s important to me is that I want to see to Quinton punished for this regardless of what she wants. Selfish as this is, I want to see him made an example of for being so damn reckless. In Rampage’s position as a celebrity, he should be setting a better model for those fans who admire him, or at the very least, he should be facing up to the consequences of his behaviour. That’s why I’m so sad to think about the possibility that he can use his money to wrap up this whole mess into a nice little package.

Mitigating circumstances?
There’s much to be said about the favorable treatment of celebrities in the media, particularly in the United States. Oh yea, I also hear that Rampage had been fasting and drinking nothing but energy drinks for days after the Griffin fight and that played a big factor…give me a break. Would I get any sympathy from the courts for stabbing someone if I said I was pepped up on Red Bulls? I certainly hope not.

Money, as ever, the real X-factor
It is common knowledge that Quinton is one of Dana’s favorite sons, figuratively speaking. Just ask former UFC fighter Jesse Taylor and his non-existent publicist how much that statement is true! So, whether it’s Dana White, a high priced lawyer or simply an orgy of currency flying out of his briefcase he’s going to get out this predicament with a minimal amount of jail time. You can probably guess how I feel about this whole thing and I’ve tried to be subtle (by my standards).

Conclusion?
What I really want to happen is to see him treated the way any other human being with an income of less than six figures a year would be treated. As of this writing, the only rumour I’ve heard about his jail sentence is that it will be less than a year. Wow, even by American standards that seems pretty weak. I’m not familiar enough with the California system to be able to suggest the appropriate sentence. All I want, though, is to see him punished to the full extent of the law, without buying his way out. And sadly, I don’t think the law extends its reach as far as it should in these scenarios.


October 14, 2008:
The UFC doesn’t appear to mind that Rampage may be going to jail on several felony charges (including hit & run and reckless endangerment). Although he’s pleading not guilty, there seems to be a fair amount of evidence to the contrary! The UFC however is rumoured to be considering him to headline a show with Wanderlei Silva in the new year. How’s that for justice!?!

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