:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/34211035/Screen_Shot_2014-06-11_at_12.58.00_PM.0.png)
If you or a loved one is involved in an abusive relationship in the state of Iowa, call the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence's toll-free hotline at 1-800-942-0333. The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence's hotline is 1-800-799-7233. Stay safe out there. It's your right as a human being.
So, Roy Marble—the all-time leading scorer in Hawkeye basketball history and father of the best player Iowa's had in I don't know how long, Roy Devyn Marble—has been accused of domestic assault. The Gazette has the details:
Marble, 47, of 2416 Linwood Drive SW, is accused of strangling a person he lives with on June 7 while at his Cedar Rapids home, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Linn County Attorney’s office.
Marble was released on recognizance after making an initial appearance Saturday, online court records show.
An arraignment was set for July 17 and Marble was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim, court records show.
While the complaint doesn't specify the accuser, Marble appeared on Andy Garman's radio show here in Des Moines Tuesday afternoon and intimated that this stemmed from a verbal altercation with his girlfriend:
"This didn't happen. I did not do anything physically to my girlfriend." - Roy Marble on assault charges filed against him.
— Andy Garman (@GarmanSports) June 10, 2014
"We had an argument, and a disagreement - verbally. I don't even know who called the police." - Roy Marble
— Andy Garman (@GarmanSports) June 10, 2014
It's definitely possible that Marble is telling the truth. It's definitely possible he's lying. We're in no position to ascertain the truth on this one, so we won't. Roy Marble is charged with a bad, bad crime. That's all we know.
Speaking broadly, there are few crimes that are plainly beyond the pale; domestic violence is one of them. It is low, cowardly and destructive in a way that does not belong in society. It is a betrayal of intimacy, a theft of a safe haven for the purpose of acting on base impulses of violence. It is often brutal. Sometimes it is deadly. And it is difficult to read the official charge as it's listed on the state of Iowa website—"DOMESTIC ABUSE ASSAULT IMPEDING FLOW OF AIR/BLOOD"—and not feel pangs of revulsion.
Again, we don't know whether Marble is telling the truth. We hope he is, simply because we want to live in a world with less domestic violence, even on just this incremental level. But is the allegation credible? Yes. Is it shocking? No—or it shouldn't be. That's not because of anything to do with Roy Marble, mind you; in fact, that's the whole point.
There is no demographic of people who are incapable of domestic violence. If being a hoops legend prevented it we'd have a ball in every child's hands by their third birthday. Charisma doesn't prevent it. Parenthood doesn't. Intelligence doesn't. Money doesn't. Race sure as shit doesn't. If it were easy to figure out who's a threat to commit domestic violence and who's not before you get to know them, women* would have it down to a science by now.
And yes, Marble has a pretty extensive list of charges over the last several years, but most are motor vehicle things, and while that's not cool either, being a habitual offender of driving without a valid license is not a logical stepping stone to domestic abuse—nor is it an impediment. Again, if you're looking for shortcuts in figuring out Marble's guilt you're doing this 100% wrong.
Please internalize this, because it is important: domestic violence is an awful, despicable act that people of every single demographic can potentially commit. This matters. It is not a universal practice, obviously (not all men!!!111) but the capability is. I mean, god, you'd hope not, but So when you pick your heroes based on the jersey they wear or the things they do on the court, or field, or rink, or whatever, make sure the hero worship stops at the sidelines.
And hey, everyone reading this: don't hit your partner. Ever.
*Yes, men are the victims of domestic violence too, and to what degree varies based on the source. It is agreed upon, though, that women are vastly more targeted, and to that end they live in the stress of threat on an exponentially greater level than men simply by way of their gender.