Some women matter

But not this one. After all, she's just a whore.

This story highlights some of the more horrifying rape myths that still circulate in this society.

The basic myth that some girls matter. Other girls don't. You can't rape a ho. Or if you do, it's really no big deal.

Police Officer Scott Antoniak (pictured above) was working a prostitution sting when he groped Michelle Wright. After that he picked up another prostitute and gave her three options: Point out crack houses, perform oral sex on him or go to jail. She initially refused to point out crack homes or perform oral sex, but as he drove closer to the jail, she gave in. But she was smart.

"When she was done, she spat his semen onto an identification card. The next day, Omaha police tested the semen - and it matched Antoniak's DNA. Omaha police fired him six weeks later."

Hmmm, first question...? SIX WEEKS? REALLY?

"Antoniak denied assaulting the victim or groping Wright."

Of course he did.

The irony only gets stronger...

"Wright, a recovering crack addict, has been handcuffed and carted to jail every time she has been arrested for prostitution, a misdemeanor. Yet, as she sat outside a courtroom she couldn't comprehend why a judge declined to slap any handcuffs - or jail time - on a former Omaha police officer convicted of sexually assaulting a prostitute in his cruiser."

You heard right, sexual assaulting a woman and groping another while working on the city's dime is really no big deal. Antoniak lost his job but his first-degree sexual assault garnered him no jail time, even though he was eligible for 50 years. Instead he received 5-years probation.

According to Antoniak's lawyer, Mike Fabian, the sentence was completely appropriate due to the cop's "spotless record before this incident and letters of support from 35 friends and family members." You see, the prostitute has a less than spotless record and apparently no caring family, so she's just screwed. According to a psychologist, Antoniak is a low risk to re-offend or be violent. Because forcing a woman to perform sex on you while wearing a gun and abusing a severe position of power is clearly not violent in the first place.

The judge's wrist slap is perhaps most offensive of all:

"For about 21/2 hours, you abused your authority. As a result of that, you lost your job. You shamed yourself. You embarrassed your family. And you disrespected your wife."

What about the OTHER woman he disrespected? What about the damage you did to this woman and the shame you caused her? Yeah, why bother mentioning her? It was just a regular Tuesday for her, right? Except she didn't get paid.

"The judge also ordered Antoniak to read the victim's statement of how the incident affected her. He then ordered Antoniak to write a letter of apology to the woman, to Wright and to Omaha police."

Good idea in theory. The cop had other plans.

"Antoniak apologized to the judge, to his family and to the department for the 'shame and embarrassment and pain I've caused everyone.' He didn't apologize to the assault victim."

But then why would he apologize? He clearly viewed this woman as less than human. Someone he could degrade, disrespect and terrorize without any second thought. And this sentence completely validates that.

This story reminds me in many ways of the media reaction to the Duke case. There's no way you can rape a stripper, or a whore... or if you take it any further... you can't rape a woman with a questionable reputation... or really any woman, since we all know that women are hussies who are responsible for all violence committed against them.

But you could take the Duke connection a step further and witness AGAIN how the sports culture can validate and even condone these attitudes.

"Mike Denney came to Antoniak's defense. The University of Nebraska at Omaha wrestling coach attended the sentencing, then threw his arm around Antoniak's father as they left the courtroom, teary-eyed.

Denney said character was never a question with Antoniak, a two-time All-American wrestler.

'I've been coaching for 38 years,' Denney said, 'and have been around hundreds of people. All I can say is he's a great young man.'"

A GREAT YOUNG MAN? That's the label you give to someone who sexually assaults women?

But once again, she was a ho, so it doesn't matter.

Ugh, I could just puke.