Welcome to Rape Culture
I just read a post on bitchmedia entitled “Rape: Still not an “official crime,” still making us stabby” and you better believe that the fact that a rape victim who was not able to obtain a rapekit because the local hospitals and authorities would not authorize it makes me angry. Do you know why? Because they thought she was intoxicated.
Hello! Isn’t not being able to legally consent sort of the definition of rape? And we all know that being intoxicated negates one’s legal ability to consent so does that not make this even more of a case for rape?
But, no, we live in a rape culture where rape is not seen for what it is. Where the victim is blamed (“She was asking for it”). Where personal responsibility is a thing of fairy tales. Where we are taught that men are animals who just cannot help themselves. Where people are entitled to sex because someone has crossed the threshold of a bedroom. Where “no” doesn’t apply if someone is unconscious. Where the fear of being raped is so prevalent that I, as a woman, don’t even realize it’s there (because it never leaves). Where everyone laughs at jokes about rape and sexual assault because it is acceptable to do so.
I call “bullshit.”
Tags: rape culture, victim blaming
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 at 12:58 am and is filed under Rants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
What century do we live in? Isn’t blaming the girl for the rape, something they used to do back in the 1700′s and before? Sheesh.
I’ve lived through both rape and the condescending aftermath (“you got what you deserved for ____________”); NEVER let that bullshit get in the way of your feelings, let alone the reasonin behind how it happened in the first place. (Shit DOES happen, but nobody has the right to use another person for their own ends…)
I’m sorry to hear that but I do agree!