The city can say all it wants about how it intends to take domestic violence seriously and how sorry it is that they cooked the rape statistics and blah blah blah blah.

In the end, all the people of Nashville can go by is what the city actually does.

And what the city actually does is, when Adult Swim is all, "Oh, hey, can we put a big statue downtown of a convicted rapist who beat his wife?," we apparently say, "Oh, sure! I bet the tourists will love that."

I laugh bitterly, knowing that there's seemingly nothing Mike Tyson can do that will prevent him from continuing to be a star. Adult Swim is giving him a cartoon and a huge publicity push:

"Mike Tyson" and "scavenger hunt" might not be two things you'd naturally pair together, but this weekend Adult Swim is making this unlikely duo one. To promote the new Adult Swim series Mike Tyson Mysteries the network will host a scavenger hunt in 10 major U.S. cities, Saturday, October 25, through Monday, October 27.

And, if you want to go stand with a big statue of him and get your picture taken, it's located at "Nashville: Broadway between 3rd St. and 4th St. [sic]"

Fine, Mike Tyson is destined to continue to be a professional famous person. The city of Nashville doesn't have to help. We could say, "You know, we've lately had some deep fuck-ups when it comes to how the city treats rape victims. Maybe it doesn't look right for us to give a convicted rapist sidewalk space to support his latest endeavors."

That no one involved considered our history and Tyson's and then politely declined leads me to believe that the city's great message of change and renewed seriousness toward these kinds of crimes hasn't permeated every level of city government.

It's a systemic problem that needs a systemic solution. The system is not ready to acknowledge a problem, let alone work out a solution. Because the system is busy being all, "Oh, cool, sure, we'll help a rapist and wife-beater!"

Remember that the next time the city talks about how seriously it takes the issue. It doesn't take it seriously enough to decline this "honor."