AYFKMWTS?!? (<-------- I'd spell that out for you, but I'd probably get in trouble.) Last week I reported about a guy who dressed up as "Domestic Abuse Ray Rice" for Halloween, complete with a blowup doll that he drug around that was meant to depict Rice's wife, Janay Rice. I thought he might be the only one stupid enough to do such a thing. I thought he might be the only person in America that would look at a case that has clearly brought intimate partner violence to light and think that it was something to joke about.

Apparenlty, I had too much faith in humanity.

How do I know? Because as it turns out, the subject of domestic abuse is so funny to some people that they think that it's perfectly acceptable to dress their young son up as Ray Rice (complete with blackface), and also have him carry around a doll that is meant to represent Janay Rice.

And then there's this guy who is totally proud of his parents for putting together "the best Halloween costume ever" in which they also don blackface and depict the Rices. He even followed it up with the oh-so-funny and not-at-all derogatory (not to mention offensive) hashtags #HitABitch #IllTakeTheElevator and #SheWasKnockedUpNowShesKnockedOut.

People, of course, defend these costumes by saying things like “It’s just a joke!” and “It’s just a costume, lighten up!” But, those people are still equating the abuse of women with a joke. And that's not okay. It has never been okay, and it will never be okay.

Maybe we should all think about what started this whole thing in the first place. And maybe, just maybe we should keep in mind what Janay Rice had to say when she saw some of these costumes.

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, contact the YWCA of West Central Michigan’s 24-Hour Confidential Crisis Line at 616-451-2744.

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