It is time for change.
Stand up and speak out.
The bullshit of not wanting to ruin the life of a young man for a "youthful indiscretion" overlooks the life long impact on the young woman. A friend brought up the Cornell rape case, and pointed out that the woman had been drinking and taking drugs, and needs to take "responsibility for her actions."
We need to teach teenagers and young adults, that consent requires conscious decisions. Someone who is impaired by drugs or alcohol is unable to give consent, even if they shuck their clothes off and say YES, YES, YES. Any sexual activity with a person who is intoxicated is non-consensual, because the person lacked the ability to truly consider the act they are saying yes to.
No one ever talked to me about this aspect of consent, until I was in law school. That is a massive failure in our educational system. It is time for change.
Take the survivor of sexual assault seriously.
Teach the concept of valid consent.
If necessary, amend the laws to recognise that a drunk or drugged yes, is a NO. Getting someone drunk and taking advantage of them is or needs to be a crime.
Hold the criminals responsible. Screw up their lives, they lacked the judgement to go onto become elected officials and judges. Their actions screwed up the life of another person.
This was not what I had planned for today, but the commentary on the Cornell case made me want to speak out.
And again, it pisses me off that white guys get away with everything. And it knows no color. Look at Clarence Thomas.
ReplyDeletePrivilege, money,
DeleteIn the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s all of my female friends were on the receiving end of verbal and physical sexual abuse; the innuendos, the bottom pinching and the groping. It was the norm; expected behaviour of men whether friends, family, schoolmates or workmates. I often heard it said that “she was asking for it “ because she’d had a few drinks, however extreme “it” was. It’s no better for young women now. If anything it’s worse now because of the internet and social media.
ReplyDeleteNo one should be treated this way.
DeleteThe most recent story from Cornell is infuriating.
ReplyDeleteYou would think in this day and age, things would change.
DeleteThis story is tragic and infuriating. I look back to my college days and then to my daughters' college days and the SSDD.(same sh*t, different day) still happens.
ReplyDeleteTime for change. Long past time for change.
DeleteI agree 100%.
ReplyDeleteNever blame the women, they are the victims.
In fact I recently read that you shouldn't even say a woman got or was raped. You say a man or men raped that woman.
Believe the women.
Survivor - a person who experienced, avoids labeling as a victim. A person lives with dementia, not suffers from it (one of my grandmothers rather enjoyed the experience.)
DeleteYes, the central principle is consent given by a person who is legally capable of doing so (therefore, must be of legal age, with mental competence, not impaired by drugs or alcohol, not under duress or force). But rape culture also thrives because of the male sense of automatic entitlement and that only his needs matter. It's all rooted in the unquestioned belief in male supremacy.
ReplyDeleteIt is past time to change this and treat all persons with equal respect.
DeleteThank you for speaking up! More people need to do that!
ReplyDeleteWe need more men to speak up.
DeleteI'm glad you are speaking up, David. I agree with all you have said.
ReplyDelete