This is the last edition of Read These Comments. Thank you so much for subscribing to this newsletter and tuning in each week to hear what our readers have to say. We created this newsletter as a way to feature some of the best conversations across Post stories — and we hope we've done our best over the years. It's been rewarding to read your words and see the varied, thoughtful and, at times, deeply personal, perspectives you bring to the news. We'll still be reading, responding to and featuring comments on washingtonpost.com, so we hope you'll continue to engage there. —The Washington Post team Bill Cosby leaves a sentencing hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., in September 2018. (Matt Slocum/AP) | | What readers are talking about | Bill Cosby was released from prison on Wednesday after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his sexual-assault conviction. The judge ruled that Cosby had his Fifth Amendment rights violated during his trial. Cosby had spent more than two years in prison. In the comments, readers shared their perspectives on the decision and Cosby's case. We've featured some below. Comments have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Here's what readers said: Annie Dooley: "This is why most women don't even bother reporting their assaults." GoodNightAndGoodLuck: "When I was 16, the young man I dated briefly tried to rape me. Fortunately, adrenaline allowed me to push the dead weight of a football player off of me. I think he ejaculated on himself, sparing me of pregnancy by a rapist. I told no one for years because 'date rape' was not a concept then, I knew that I would be blamed and shamed, and that the perpetrator would not be punished. This resulted in years of trauma and difficulties with intimate partners. Spare a thought for the millions of victims rather than thinking that it's acceptable that our patriarchal institutions protect violent criminals over victims. #Metoo" Spilled ink: "As much as I hate to see a guilty person walk, the 5th Amendment was put into place for this very reason. Cosby did not have to incriminate himself. He did so on a promise by the prosecutor that it would not be used against him. Then the successor prosecutor broke that promise made by the state. The court that overturned the conviction had no choice under our Constitution. It was the right decision with a horribly wrong outcome. Cosby's actions with those women should have kept him in jail for the rest of his life, but if we choose which Constitutional rights we can abandon at will, our entire system will go down the tubes. (And yeah, you can argue that it already has gone that way....)" 1985ValleyBoyTransplant: "Ugh, ugh, ugh. Our country is broken ... just broken. The simple truth is, if you are wealthy, you can do damn near whatever you want without suffering the consequences of an average person. And of course, that is everywhere, not just the U.S. Some human things never seem to really improve. The concept of a just and fair society remains an impossible dream." Zella: "Guilty is guilty. He admitted he drugged and assaulted women. To be free on a technicality does not change the fact that he is a rapist. We all will remember him as such. That is his legacy." | Comments that caught our eye this week | The Surfside condo building in Miami. (Joe Skipper/Reuters) | CarryingOn: "As the board and occupants were trying to come to grips with how to proceed, the building's structure was quickly deteriorating. I can't help but relate this to our national infrastructure and our inability as a nation to come together to address it." LEWPDX: "I lived all the same events this writer has spoken of and there is no exaggeration. It has been beyond challenging. I have lived in Southwest Washington state for almost 15 years and this past year has been the hardest to deal with climate wise, in addition to covid. But it has been a slow steady progression of more difficult weather events, with increasing speed in the past 5 or so years. I'm really concerned that the direction will continue on hyperspeed going forward." | From your submissions | Thomas Boswell in the press box at Nationals Park. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post) | Earlier this summer, we asked readers to share their favorite stories from Thomas Boswell, a longtime Washington Post sports columnist who just retired after 52 years at The Post. See what they and many of Boz's coworkers had to say. | Join these conversations | The coronavirus upended the lives of nearly everyone around the world. For so many it resulted in tragedy and loss. But for some it also resulted in love. We want to hear from you if you have a pandemic love story, especially one with an international component. Did you find love in the world because of closed borders or quarantine centers? Did you find a partner solely because of the unexpected restrictions the pandemic imposed? We are looking to speak with couples around the world. Share your story here, and a reporter may follow up. Join some other conversations on The Post: |
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