Comments on: Sweet Sixteen, Chapter 20 http://srsuleski.com/queen-of-seven/volume-3-chapter-20/ by Sarah R. Suleski Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:47:54 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Kitty http://srsuleski.com/queen-of-seven/volume-3-chapter-20/comment-page-1/#comment-2333 Kitty Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:49:56 +0000 http://srsuleski.com/?p=393#comment-2333 <p>Well . . . I mean I've KNOWN this was coming for a long time, and it still "surprised" me.  Well, not surprised, but . . . I still find it hard to believe that Elly really went through with it, but that's because I, like Russ, tend to want to keep seeing her as the little girl in the first part of the book XP</p> <p>I'd agree with some of the others that Elly is, indeed, being a bitch ATM, but I'd rather not be disappeared, so I won't.</p> Well . . . I mean I’ve KNOWN this was coming for a long time, and it still “surprised” me.  Well, not surprised, but . . . I still find it hard to believe that Elly really went through with it, but that’s because I, like Russ, tend to want to keep seeing her as the little girl in the first part of the book XP

I’d agree with some of the others that Elly is, indeed, being a bitch ATM, but I’d rather not be disappeared, so I won’t.

]]> By: Donna http://srsuleski.com/queen-of-seven/volume-3-chapter-20/comment-page-1/#comment-2171 Donna Sun, 16 Nov 2008 02:20:02 +0000 http://srsuleski.com/?p=393#comment-2171 <p>Elly's a word that rhymes with hunt.  That stupid bitch.  I know it's fiction but she really pisses me off.  It's stupid women like that that need some other means of addressing their own guilt by passing it off onto someone else.  It's women that do this that make it that much harder for real rape victims to come forward.  Because of women like that, rape victims are stigmatized and aren't necessarily believed until their claim's proven, something that can be god awful traumatic for a real rape victim.  And they're put through the ringer in order to prove themselves not lying because so many others have lied about it just to get out of breaking curfew or escape the guilt in sex that shouldn't have happened in the morning.  I don't care what Elly's been through, what she's done.  She's a heartless little bitch for doing that.</p> <p>Sam's a pig.  There's no doubt about that but no guy, regardless of how much of a pig he is, deserves to be labeled a rapist because of a night of consensual sex because the bitch didn't want to be anything less than Daddy's Little Girl in her father's eyes.  Sam's mental competence when he was 15 can be questioned.  As far as we know, his attraction has only been to Elly, not anyone else and he has no other (that we know of) incidents like that which happened earlier in the story.  If he were a true pedophile, Elly would have no longer interested him the second she got too old (probably around 12).  His attraction has always been with Elly.  Doesn't excuse his actions but it doesn't make him a textbook pedophile either and it doesn't mean he deserves to get murdered for a crime he didn't commit just because he's a pig.</p> <p>My tirade isn't mean to impune your writing, Sarah.  Not at all.  Obviously it's very good to elicit such strong reactions in people.  It's just a touchy subject, I guess.</p> <p>And FYI, statutory rape laws vary by state.  The age of consent varies from 14 to 18 in any given state so the blanket age of 18 does not apply.  In Connecticut it's 16.  In New York it's 17.  I believe in Arkansas it's 14.  It just so happens, in California age of consent is 18 and even if Elly's parents agree to the arrangement, the authority to prosecute lies with the law, not the parents.  Here's a good website that lists ages of consent across the country— http://teenadvice.about.com/library/weekly/qanda/blageofconsentchart.htm Don't assume it's always 18 because it's not.</p> <p>Anyway, yeah, Elly's a bitch.  She's got a lot of redeeming to do in my eyes—like fessing up to her dad that Sam didn't rape her.  That'd pretty much be all she could do to fix the situation.</p> Elly’s a word that rhymes with hunt.  That stupid bitch.  I know it’s fiction but she really pisses me off.  It’s stupid women like that that need some other means of addressing their own guilt by passing it off onto someone else.  It’s women that do this that make it that much harder for real rape victims to come forward.  Because of women like that, rape victims are stigmatized and aren’t necessarily believed until their claim’s proven, something that can be god awful traumatic for a real rape victim.  And they’re put through the ringer in order to prove themselves not lying because so many others have lied about it just to get out of breaking curfew or escape the guilt in sex that shouldn’t have happened in the morning.  I don’t care what Elly’s been through, what she’s done.  She’s a heartless little bitch for doing that.

Sam’s a pig.  There’s no doubt about that but no guy, regardless of how much of a pig he is, deserves to be labeled a rapist because of a night of consensual sex because the bitch didn’t want to be anything less than Daddy’s Little Girl in her father’s eyes.  Sam’s mental competence when he was 15 can be questioned.  As far as we know, his attraction has only been to Elly, not anyone else and he has no other (that we know of) incidents like that which happened earlier in the story.  If he were a true pedophile, Elly would have no longer interested him the second she got too old (probably around 12).  His attraction has always been with Elly.  Doesn’t excuse his actions but it doesn’t make him a textbook pedophile either and it doesn’t mean he deserves to get murdered for a crime he didn’t commit just because he’s a pig.

My tirade isn’t mean to impune your writing, Sarah.  Not at all.  Obviously it’s very good to elicit such strong reactions in people.  It’s just a touchy subject, I guess.

And FYI, statutory rape laws vary by state.  The age of consent varies from 14 to 18 in any given state so the blanket age of 18 does not apply.  In Connecticut it’s 16.  In New York it’s 17.  I believe in Arkansas it’s 14.  It just so happens, in California age of consent is 18 and even if Elly’s parents agree to the arrangement, the authority to prosecute lies with the law, not the parents.  Here’s a good website that lists ages of consent across the country—
http://teenadvice.about.com/library/weekly/qanda/blageofconsentchart.htm
Don’t assume it’s always 18 because it’s not.

Anyway, yeah, Elly’s a bitch.  She’s got a lot of redeeming to do in my eyes—like fessing up to her dad that Sam didn’t rape her.  That’d pretty much be all she could do to fix the situation.

]]> By: Gavin Williams http://srsuleski.com/queen-of-seven/volume-3-chapter-20/comment-page-1/#comment-2138 Gavin Williams Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:57:48 +0000 http://srsuleski.com/?p=393#comment-2138 <p>Unfortunately, I saw something like this coming way back in the garage when Elly was seven.  I don't like Sam, but Elly has a bit of a mean streak herself.</p> <p>It's just a question of whether this is rock bottom for her, or if she's going to spiral out of control even more.</p> <p>Makes me sad, but that's good writing.</p> Unfortunately, I saw something like this coming way back in the garage when Elly was seven.  I don’t like Sam, but Elly has a bit of a mean streak herself.

It’s just a question of whether this is rock bottom for her, or if she’s going to spiral out of control even more.

Makes me sad, but that’s good writing.

]]> By: Sarah http://srsuleski.com/queen-of-seven/volume-3-chapter-20/comment-page-1/#comment-2133 Sarah Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:41:05 +0000 http://srsuleski.com/?p=393#comment-2133 <p>Hi Erik — no problems.  I think (I hope?) that the story itself makes this apparent, but I agree completely with your observations.</p> <p>I realize that I've touched on a controversial social topic, and as long as no crazy flaming goes on I'm fine with some reasonable discussion. :-)</p> Hi Erik — no problems.  I think (I hope?) that the story itself makes this apparent, but I agree completely with your observations.

I realize that I’ve touched on a controversial social topic, and as long as no crazy flaming goes on I’m fine with some reasonable discussion. :-)

]]> By: Josh http://srsuleski.com/queen-of-seven/volume-3-chapter-20/comment-page-1/#comment-2128 Josh Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:47:16 +0000 http://srsuleski.com/?p=393#comment-2128 <p>must . . . have more . . . queen . . . of . . . seven . . . </p> must . . . have more . . . queen . . . of . . . seven . . . 

]]> By: Ty http://srsuleski.com/queen-of-seven/volume-3-chapter-20/comment-page-1/#comment-2127 Ty Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:25:33 +0000 http://srsuleski.com/?p=393#comment-2127 <p>Erik: Amen.</p> Erik: Amen.

]]> By: Erik http://srsuleski.com/queen-of-seven/volume-3-chapter-20/comment-page-1/#comment-2126 Erik Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:23:42 +0000 http://srsuleski.com/?p=393#comment-2126 <p>Some people have commented that Ellie was raped. This seems wrong to me.</p> <p>Rape is when someone removes your right to consent in a sexual situation.We have the advantage of seeing inside Ellie's head and knowing that this didn't happen. She regretted not having someone else to have sex with but it was all her choice all the way. Even if she regretted it afterwards that's just bad judgement on her part. Rape requires a victim. She isn't one. In this case Sam's actually the victim but since it's a story and we don't like him, we pretty much don't care. :)</p> <p>Statutory rape is totally age based. Sam's guilty of that. It would still be statutory rape if Sien cleaned up his act and made wild, passionate love with Ellie an hour before midnight on the day before her 18th birthday. The consent stuff above isn't involved at all.</p> <p>Normally I'd shrug off a difference of opinion like this but in the real world rape is an important topic to understand. When someone is forced into a sexual situation against their will, they're a victim. Falsely accusing someone of raping you for selfish reasons makes it harder for those who actually need help to get it.</p> <p>@Sarah: Kinda had to type this out for personal reasons. Don't really have any right to expect you to keep it on your page though so if any part of it or how I worded it tweaks you the wrong way, please delete it. I won't mind, the writing of it was the thing for me.</p> Some people have commented that Ellie was raped. This seems wrong to me.

Rape is when someone removes your right to consent in a sexual situation.We have the advantage of seeing inside Ellie’s head and knowing that this didn’t happen. She regretted not having someone else to have sex with but it was all her choice all the way. Even if she regretted it afterwards that’s just bad judgement on her part. Rape requires a victim. She isn’t one. In this case Sam’s actually the victim but since it’s a story and we don’t like him, we pretty much don’t care. :)

Statutory rape is totally age based. Sam’s guilty of that. It would still be statutory rape if Sien cleaned up his act and made wild, passionate love with Ellie an hour before midnight on the day before her 18th birthday. The consent stuff above isn’t involved at all.

Normally I’d shrug off a difference of opinion like this but in the real world rape is an important topic to understand. When someone is forced into a sexual situation against their will, they’re a victim. Falsely accusing someone of raping you for selfish reasons makes it harder for those who actually need help to get it.

@Sarah: Kinda had to type this out for personal reasons. Don’t really have any right to expect you to keep it on your page though so if any part of it or how I worded it tweaks you the wrong way, please delete it. I won’t mind, the writing of it was the thing for me.

]]> By: Bacchante http://srsuleski.com/queen-of-seven/volume-3-chapter-20/comment-page-1/#comment-2125 Bacchante Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:05:34 +0000 http://srsuleski.com/?p=393#comment-2125 <p>I agree, Luna, about the defensive wounds. She clawed his face up, too.</p> <p>I am hoping Russ doesn't kill Sam, and for everyone BUT Sam's sake. Russ and his family don't need another big secret dividing them, and the guilt of it would probably be much heavier for Marc and Elly, and Elly's already pretty much crushed.</p> I agree, Luna, about the defensive wounds. She clawed his face up, too.

I am hoping Russ doesn’t kill Sam, and for everyone BUT Sam’s sake. Russ and his family don’t need another big secret dividing them, and the guilt of it would probably be much heavier for Marc and Elly, and Elly’s already pretty much crushed.

]]> By: Milene http://srsuleski.com/queen-of-seven/volume-3-chapter-20/comment-page-1/#comment-2124 Milene Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:53:27 +0000 http://srsuleski.com/?p=393#comment-2124 <p>Whatever happens it's Sam's fault, he is suposed to be the adult, and he knows that having sex with a 16 years old girl is not right. </p> <p>As for the state of mind, I agree that she wasn't in a good state of mind, she knew what she was doing, but in her mind it wasn't having sex with Sam, it was getting back at Sien and proving that she's not the Queen of Seven, so I think that rape still applies.</p> Whatever happens it’s Sam’s fault, he is suposed to be the adult, and he knows that having sex with a 16 years old girl is not right. 

As for the state of mind, I agree that she wasn’t in a good state of mind, she knew what she was doing, but in her mind it wasn’t having sex with Sam, it was getting back at Sien and proving that she’s not the Queen of Seven, so I think that rape still applies.

]]> By: Jonny Nowhere http://srsuleski.com/queen-of-seven/volume-3-chapter-20/comment-page-1/#comment-2123 Jonny Nowhere Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:57:57 +0000 http://srsuleski.com/?p=393#comment-2123 <p>Yeah, I had to come back and check out new comments as well.  ;)</p> <p>Hurry up and get that next chapter up!!! :D :D</p> Yeah, I had to come back and check out new comments as well.  ;)

Hurry up and get that next chapter up!!! :D :D

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