This Calgary Herald column , discussing the language surrounding sexual violence in laws pertaining to sex offender registry, was brought to our attention today.
I agree; it is absolutely necessary to be mindful of our words when discussing the issue. With the innuendo that inevitably crops up upon entering uncomfortable territory, it's all too easy to follow the language to a safer, more removed area. A place where we can minimize or equivocate to our heart's content without a moment's reflection on the erasure of the many, many voices and experiences dismissed and voided in the process. Enough tone and distance, and one might even have trouble indentifying sexual assault at all . To wit:
"The college student who finds himself up on charges the night after a drunken party because a female partygoer sobered up and decided what happened between them wasn't consensual after all, is not a sex offender whose name should appear in the registry."
Apparently, you're not a real sex offender if you have the right dictionary (survivor; see also: "blaming" ), and a copy of Rape Myths Mad Libs . I'd drink to that, but then I'd have to change my mind after I sobered up.
Contact the Herald and let them know (with "precise wording") what you think about the importance of language.
(cross-posted at youth4change )
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Actually, I think it wrong for someone to give consent and then withdraw it after the event.
If the drunken woman was not *too* drunk, and did give consent (implicitely or explicitely) then, yes, it is unfair to the guy if she changes her mind the next day.
She should put it down to experience and remember the next time not to get herself in such a state.
Note that the above argument is true also if it is the guy who complains.
Seriously? When only 20% of rapes are reported, 1-2% of those are false reports, and 1% of reported rapes are prosecuted (that's in the U.S., but Canadian stats appear to be similar (http://www.elitecanada.com/pdfs/cnd_rape_stats.pdf)), this is what you're worried about? OMG TEH MENZ! MUST PROTECT TEHM FROM TEH LYING BITCHEZ!
What's the point of the lolcats speak?
I mean, it's cute when they do that, but it really makes it look like you don't have much of an argument.
No. It doesn't. That is the point. One uses it to distill an already poor argument into terms that befit it.Not to mention that I had already made my own point before I did that. Why I'm bothering to respond to you is anyone's guess, but suffice to say I'm hardly the first person to use this technique on the comments on this site and others. Here are some examples of similar use of "teh menz" or variant:
http://www.feministing.com/archives/012565.html
http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2008/04/15/conservatives-continue-to-raise-the-alarm-wives-are-escaping/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-leo/five-trends-the-advertisi_b_149354.html?page=4&show_comment_id=18708069#comment_18708069
http://easypersiflage.com/blameforum/index.php?topic=5353.0
http://thehandmirror.blogspot.com/2009/01/cross-posted-domestic-violence.html
smiley, I understand your point, but the problem with the article is that the language around sexual violence is minimizing, with shades of survivor-blaming.
That the writer would choose to play on rape myths to make a point - particularly when, as moodygirl pointed out, false reports make up for less than 2% of cases - shows a lack of understanding towards the greater issue. The last thing we need is for further perpetuation of the myths and stereotypes when it's hard enough already to enforce accountability.
Youth4Change,
You are probably right about the false reports. However, such figures should not hide the fact that it *is* unfair to withdraw consent post-event.
I was commenting on the the italicised part of the OP, mainly (maybe I should have made it clear).
I find it incredible that justice should be based on statistics - let's at least have the decency to look at the individual case (if we don't, we'll end up dismissing all murder charges against women on the grounds that, what?, 95% of murderers are men).