You don’t have to be a sports fan to know that the NFL’s policy concerning suspending players needs overhaul. There has been some debate about the two-game suspension of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. He received that “punishment” for knocking out his fiancée and then dragging her unconscious body outside a casino elevator. There is no question he did it. The entire scene was caught on tape.

Some of us might not really care about what the NFL does. But we have to realize that when a high profile person (athlete, actor, singer) physically abuses a woman and receives little punishment, it sends the wrong signal to society. That is why many have said that a two-game suspension is too light a punishment.

Critics point out that if he had been caught smoking marijuana, he might have been suspended for a season. As one wag put it “that’s the equivalent of knocking out eight women.” Another critic pointed to a player that was accused of getting free tattoos from his college. He faced a five game suspension. Even other critics wondered what his punishment might have been if he was caught on camera making a derogatory comment about homosexuals.

The NFL can say that it does not condone its players being physically abusive to women. Of course, that could be said of every business or corporation in America. But actions speak louder than words. A two-game suspension sends the message that physical abuse isn’t a big issue. Apparently there wasn’t even a specific NFL policy dealing with suspensions for physical abuse. There was a policy for drug use.

It doesn’t matter if you are a fan of football or not. The NFL is probably the most visible sports business in the country. What the NFL commissioner and the NFL owners do reverberates through society. When players who make their living in a violent sport bring that same mindset to society, we should pay attention. And when the NFL gives a physically abusive player a two-game suspension, we should be concerned and ask the NFL to reconsider.