The first post involved the uterus. A few weeks ago we meandered up to the breast region. Now, this week, we were going to talk about fat, but something stopped me. This stopped me.
(So, instead, let us go back to the nether region for a little more discussion. Shall we?)
If you have yet to hear about the Stuebenville rape case, then please kindly exit the rock from under which you currently reside. We (or at least I) cannot escape it because it is honestly everywhere (television, newspaper, online, etc.). If you have missed out, or need a little refresher, the New York Times has covered all the details. However, we are moving on to the slightly more pressing issue…
The odd/special thing about this rape case, though, is not anything that occurred during the rape but after. The coverage of this case has seemed to center entirely upon the two perpetrators, not the victim. The sheer amount of people who have publicly stated that they feel more sorry for the two boys whose football futures are ruined is astonishing and almost painful to see. What is worse than that, though, is the vast amount of people who have blamed the victim for what happened to her. Statements along the lines of “well she was wearing a slutty outfit” and “she drank, what did she expect would happen” have been plaguing twitter. Some blame the way in which the news was covered, which would not be an entirely false accusation. However, people should really not be digesting news so blindly.
There is a term for this whole scenario. It’s been thrown around a lot, as of late, so lets take a quick look at it. Rape culture (as defined by the Wikipedia gods) is “a concept used to describe a culture in which rape and sexual violence are common and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media normalize, excuse, tolerate, or even condone rape.” That is what society we are living in. How horrible of a thought is that? Bystanders (and much of the public) allow these things to happen, and some even encourage it at the time. However, they are really not all to blame; the bystander effect plays a large role in their actions. Or should we place a bit more focus on those who did nothing to stop it? We should really be focusing on those who committed the act, right? Either way, rape culture is a real thing. It exists, and (while many moan and groan about how they are tired of hearing about it) people don’t seem to grasp that fully. To those of you who are tired of hearing about it: we’re tired of talking about it.
I am sorry, but I have to ask: “HONESTY, AMERICA?” I mean come on. I am so genuinely frustrated (and, at this point, disgusted) with society that it’s nearly comical. This girl was raped. When did you seem to forget that? It happened, and, quite frankly, I don’t care one single bit about what will happen to these boys because of it. I also don’t care how drunk she was or how she was dressed; that DOES NOT excuse the decision these boys made in any way, shape, or form. How could it ever?! Somehow I fail to see that logic, so, if any of you do understand it, fill me in. Please. I’m all ears.
If you’re interested in hearing from another mentally stable (maybe even a bit more so than me) individual, then check out Laci Green’s new video on the topic. I always enjoy hearing what she has to say, so I thought I would throw it out there.
To close what has become more so of a ranting post than anything else (sorry about that), I am going to leave you with a picture. While scrolling through the infinite wonder than is tumblr, I came upon this post. I think these words should stick with you (and everyone else, really). It’s just a little something to remember.
(This is the source of the image.)
Look forward to the next post, we’re going to talk about body fat.
It never fails to amaze me when people blame victims in these situations. Yes, she had too much to drink and wasn’t aware of her surroundings, which is never a “great” choice to make, but that doesn’t mean she deserved what happened to her, as some people have implied. Drunk consent doesn’t even constitute legal consent by law, so an inability to even say “yes” or “no” is pretty damn illegal. I heard somewhere that these boys are only getting a year, and if this is the case then I am sorely ashamed of the way this case has been handled by the legal system.
I really enjoyed reading your post; you basically summed up everyone of my thoughts. A person could argue that it is a shame that these boys life are destroyed, but I would counter that its the victim in the case who’s life is destroyed. She will have to live with the fact that this happened to her, the humiliation, the disgust, the embarrassment, for the rest of her life; it will haunt her till her dying days. The fact that people cite the boys crying as proof that they feel guilty is ridiculous, they just feel bad that they have destroyed their own lives, nothing more. Thank you for writing this from the sane point, I really feel like this had to be said.
I’ve been living under a rock because I haven’t heard of this case until now, but I’ve seen plenty of scenarios that are identical to this from Law and Order SVU. My biggest problem with this is how the victim is blamed for what she “let” happen. My dads a sheriff and he’s told me plenty of times that guys being interrogated for a rape say “she was asking for it” which is the biggest smack in the face. Our society is truly truly living with a messed up logic, I mean everyone who drinks knows it’s because they want to have a good time tonight, not end up in jail or in the emergency room and I think that this issue can never be resolved until an educational system about rape and alcohol is introduced into curriculum, especially in college where it happens most. But then again it’s not that hard, no means no, we listened to it when we were kids why can’t we listen to it now? I really enjoyed this post Tori!
Thank you for bascially summing up my feelings on this topic…and doing so in a much more polite fashion than I ever have. This case infuriates and outrages me so much and for the first time in my life I am completely embarrassed to be an American. I could not agree more with this post, or that picture (which tied this issue back to your civic issue as a whole very well). I appreciated your rant!