A lot of people are angry that the NFL didn't act quicker and more decisively in meting out punishment to Ray Rice for literally cold-cocking his fiancee in that elevator. But, instead of targeting the NFL, we should be more upset with a policing and justice system that failed to jail Rice that very night and subsequently file charges against him. What he did was assault and battery and, potentially, could have killed Janay Palmer. This is a crime for which Rice could have served up to 6 months in jail.
Blaming the NFL for not acting is to ignore the real villains.
How many of the thousands of battered women in this country can expect the NFL to mete out justice to their particular batterer? Are we now expecting employers, not the justice system, to intervene on behalf of battered women?
Our anger should be aimed at the Atlantic City police department and the criminal justice system in that state for not acting on behalf of the victim, Janay. It is apparent that they put Ray Rice's celebrity ahead of justice.
The NFL should only have been involved in punishment if Rice failed to show up for work because of his having to serve time for assault and battery; or, punished because of some "morals clause" in his contract. Just like any other employer.
References:
New Jersey Assault and Battery Laws: http://www.assaultandbattery.org/new-jersey/
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