Sexism on Nancy Grace

It is no secret that I am a huge admirer of Nancy Grace. Every weeknight I eagerly tune in to her program on CNN and I have read-- and thoroughly enjoyed-- most of her books. Her quest to obtain the truth, expose the flaws in our justice system, and serve as a voice for victims everywhere is simply unparalleled. Some may argue that her on air presence is over the top, to which I say she has found a formula that brings the audience and she's sticking to it. However, in recent weeks, I have found myself to be quite offended by Nancy's discussion of the murder of little Sandra Cantu.

As a mugshot of her alleged killer, Melissa Huckaby, flashes across the screen, Nancy announces that it is a "Female sex predator" that has killed this young girl. The emphasis on 'female' is loud, dramatic, and said in an incredulous voice. Nancy mentions time and time again that Ms. Huckaby is a Female, and how it is particularly shocking and atrocious that a Female has committed such crimes.

Considering Nancy's staunch position as an advocate for the rights of women and children, I find this behavior to be not only contradictory, but blatantly sexist. A dead horse has been beaten into the ground as we are all aware that Ms. Huckaby is indeed a Female. This constant reference to the suspect's gender is detrimental to all who hear it.

For obvious reasons, it is offensive to males. The way Nancy constantly cries Female implies that 'sexual predator' and 'male' are synonymous. Statistically speaking most sex offenders are male; however, the Center for Sex Offenders Management [CSOM] estimates that approximately 20% of sexual offenses against children are committed by women (CSOM 1). That translates to roughly 1 in 5, which is not a staggering discrepancy in terms of gender ratio.

In addition to the sexual predator label forcibly imposed on males by this emphasis on Female, it is almost glorifying women in a sick way. Are women incapable of committing crimes, especially those of a heinous nature against children? Certainly not as evidenced by other high profile cases in the media. Does anyone recall a woman by the name of Susan Smith? Although women may be less inclined to act on their sick fantasies or demented impulses, that does not mean their minds are any less twisted than that of their male counterparts.

There are two major problems Nancy has with this suspect in addition to the fact that she is a Female. It surfaces repeatedly that Ms. Huckaby is a mother of a five year old who was a playmate of Sandra Cantu's and also that she was a Sunday School teacher. The CSOM states that over 80% of sexual assaults against children are committed by somebody they know personally as opposed to a stranger (CSOM 1).

What seems to upset most people is the fact that not only was this an adult Sandra Cantu knew and supposedly trusted, it was her friend's mom. This personally is something I find very disturbing, and it leads me to question if the Huckaby child has experienced any form of abuse at the hands of her mother. Yet I do not understand why so many people find it incomprehensible that a mother can hurt a child. Of course this idea is appalling, and the vast majority of mothers [or people for that matter] would never do such a thing. What most people cannot fathom is the fact that just because you give birth to baby does not mean you have a conscience. There are sociopaths out there who are parents. Being a parent has nothing to do with the part of your brain-- or even the unexpected and unplanned impulses-- that is hardwired for committing a crime.

As for Ms. Huckaby's involvement with religion... does that somehow deem a person incapable of crime?! Absolutely not. Do you have any idea how many criminals file into church every Sunday morning, many of them after a Saturday night rife with illegal activities? Church attendance is almost a 'bonus' activity for many criminals because if all those who have posters of Jesus, prominently displayed crosses, or utter any type of public prayer to a Heavenly Father constitute religious activity this world is rife with Christian criminals. Ms. Huckaby's role as a Sunday School teacher may be an attempt to divert suspicion from her criminal activities, or she may be so mentally ill that she is able to view this as two separate spheres of her life.

One of the most unsettling aspects of this case is the fact that amongst the charges levied against Ms. Huckaby are "rape with a foreign object" and "lewd and lascivious conduct against a child" (Huckaby 1). Again, I reference my above argument that women are just as capable as men of committing such vulgar and repulsive acts against a child. Hearing these details of the case lead me to believe, unequivocally, that Ms. Huckaby is in need of serious mental help...and I'm sure there is no argument that both men and women can be mentally ill.

Nancy, I thank you for everything you do. I respectfully urge you refrain from using language that is sexist, especially when so much of your crusade involves women. Take crimes for what they are, and please, remove the unncessary gender bias.

WORKS CITED:

"Huckaby linked to previous abduction, police say." CNN. April 2009.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/22/california.slain.girl/index.html?iref=newssearch

"Myths and Facts About Sex Offenders." CSOM Publications. August 2000.
http://www.csom.org/pubs/mythsfacts.html

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