CeCe McDonald: Another Case of a Person Being Punished for Defending Herself

Details: Category: LGBT Issues; Published on Saturday, 05 May 2012 15:12; Written by Lara Landis; Hits: 386

Darnell Young defended himself against bullies. He faces a suspension from Arsenal Tech high school, but CeCe McDonald, a transgender woman in Minneapolis faced far worse charges for defending herself. As an adult, the consequences McDonald faced for defending herself from attackers were far worse. She faces jail time as a result of a plea bargain.

McDonald’s case did not receive the attention that Trayvon Martin’s case did, but at least the initial details of the event were reported correctly. McDonald received poor legal advice, and this is why she is spending time in jail when her only crime was making sure she could continue to live.

The details of the situation do not even violate states that have laws that prevent an attacker from escalating the level of force, because McDonald responded in kind to the level of attacks used against her.

Injustices where a victim uses violence to defend herself are still injustices. The weapon McDonald pulled out may have been nothing more than a pair of scissors. As a pair of scissors, it was not regulated under any law. She did not seek out or initiate the attack.

People assume that her color played into the harsher punishment McDonald received. It probably did, but there is another factor that plays in as well. The use of violence in self-defense, has increasingly been frowned upon.

For now, people can write McDonald in prison as she serves out her term. She received a lighter sentence. She could use the support, although the organizations trying to help her warn people not to send packages to the jail where she is being held.

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CeCe McDonald Deserves Our Support