When I first heard the story of Bethany Storro, I was shocked and saddened that someone would do something so awful to this woman. In fact, I even discussed my outrage on my Facebook page. I mean, seriously, why would one woman throw acid at another woman and destroy her face? Storro said that a strange woman ~ “African American with black hair pulled into a pig tail” ~ threw acid into her face after asking if she wanted a drink. For a random attack, it seemed so personal.
Then came the reports that the whole story may be a hoax and that the African American perpetrator may not even exist. The reporters that covered the story asked the requisite questions:
- “Why did Bethany Storro do this?”
- “Will she face charges?”
- “Should she go to jail?”
But no one asked the real question, why did she blame an African American woman? What is it with these crazy women who make up crimes against themselves and then blame African Americans, Hispanics (“Runaway Bride” Jennifer Wilbanks claimed to have been sexually assaulted by a Hispanic male when, in fact, she simply didn’t want to get married), etc? And when are the laws going to start punishing these women and charging them with hate crimes? Yes, a hate crime.
These women aren’t just innocently picking a random descriptor out of the sky, they are going for what they assume to be a believable target. And their beliefs are based on deep seated racism and hatred. They are specifically targeting minorities, wasting police time and creating stress for the people in their communities. I think more than a simple fine is in order.
What do you think? Do you think women who make false charges like these should be charged with a crime? Should they be charged with a hate crime if their accusations are found to be false?
