Tag Archive for rape

Tight Jeans–Invitation to Rape?

April 25, 2018 Comments Off on Tight Jeans–Invitation to Rape?

Denim Day?!  How stupid is that!  Not at all when we look at how it started and what wearing denim today means.

18 years ago the Italian Supreme Court reversed a rapist’s conviction because his victim was wearing tight denim pants.  Therefore, (they guessed) she must have helped him remove them.  Therefore, ruled the court, because she had given implied consent, the sex was  consensual.  The women in Parliament wore denim the next day in support of the victim and protest at the decision.  Thus, Denim Day was born.

What does it mean?  Standing up for rape victims.  Saying that what a woman wears does NOT mean she’s asking to be raped.  That there needs to be changes in attitudes toward sexual assault.  As the Denim Day Campaign says, “There is no excuse and never an invitation to rape.”

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How to Get Away with Raping a Child

February 23, 2018 Comments Off on How to Get Away with Raping a Child

It’s easy in some states–just marry the child.  Child marriage is legal in all states, leaving an “out” for someone caught abusing a child. Next week, Florida will possibly be the first state to ban this practice.  It’s about time we stop this crime against American children and close the loopholes that some lawmakers want to keep open.

Go to America’s child marriage cover up to read more and sign a petition to ban child marriage in Florida.  It may not be your state, but the ban has to start somewhere, and politicians respond to being put into the national spotlight.  Another thing you can do is to contact your own state’s representatives and demand that they introduce legislation to enact such a ban.

For the sake of the children.

 

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Tight Denim and Rape

April 26, 2017 Comments Off on Tight Denim and Rape

Denim Day?!  How stupid is that!  Not at all when we look at how it started and what wearing denim today means.

18 years ago the Italian Supreme Court reversed a rapist’s conviction because his victim was wearing tight denim pants.  Therefore, (they guessed) she must have helped him remove them.  Therefore, ruled the court, because she had given implied consent, the sex was  consensual.  The women in Parliament wore denim the next day in support of the victim and protest at the decision.  Thus, Denim Day was born.

What does it mean?  Standing up for rape victims.  Saying that what a woman wears does NOT mean she’s asking to be raped.  That there needs to be changes in attitudes toward sexual assault.  As the Denim Day Campaign says, “There is no excuse and never an invitation to rape.”

 

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He Just “Got Some Action”

June 7, 2016 Comments Off on He Just “Got Some Action”

I’m not sure what I’m more livid about–Brock Turner’s 6-month sentence for 3 felony sex-count convictions or his father’s attitude toward the situation.

Ex-Stanford swimmer Turner viciously attacked a young woman, changing her life forever.  (Yes. The violence of rape sticks with you the rest of your life.)  Her impact statement in court poignantly and intelligently explains what she went through, how she’s feeling now, and what she expects her future to be like.  The judge heard that–and still gave Turner only 6 months in jail plus probation.

His father’s reaction?  That a long prison sentence for his son was not appropriate for “20 minutes of action.”  To be honest, I don’t know if, as many people feel, he was saying that his son “got a little action,” thus minimizing the violence to the level of a consenting sex-game.  I don’t know, either, if Mr. Turner thinks that all sentences should be  based on the length of time they took (let’s see, a man takes 10 seconds to aim and shoot the gun that kills another man…).  Or if he’s even using his brain at all.

I don’t wonder where Brock got his attitudes from.  I do wonder if maybe the dad should serve a long stretch in prison for the 20 years of child-raising that led to this woman’s being raped.

 

 

 

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20,000 of Our Military Sexually Attacked? Who Cares?

May 20, 2016 Comments Off on 20,000 of Our Military Sexually Attacked? Who Cares?

“There were more than 20,000 cases of sexual assault, rape, and unwanted sexual contact in the military in 2015.1 It’s an epidemic of sexual assault that is made even worse because the assaults are under-reported and under-prosecuted, with victims often facing devastating retaliation.

“The Pentagon has repeatedly claimed that it can handle this problem – and repeatedly tried to thwart or water-down Congress’ efforts to intervene. It’s clear that the military is failing to protect victims of sexual assault and punish perpetrators. Of the incidents in 2015, around 6,000 were reported and 543 proceeded to trial.2 And according to the Pentagon, somewhere between 40 and 60 percent of women who report being sexually assaulted experience retaliation.3″

Read the read the rest of this report (including documentation for the footnotes) at Credo’s The Military Assault Epidemic.  While you’re there, consider signing their petition to the Senate seeking justice for these victims.  The situation should not be tolerated!  We must care!

 

 

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Hotel du Pont Worse than the Grinch!

December 28, 2015 Comments Off on Hotel du Pont Worse than the Grinch!

Matt Senge,a man in Wilmington, Delaware, wanted to give a special Christmas gift.  He booked rooms for two men, a woman, and her three kids at the Hotel du Pont.  Then he wrapped the room confirmation in red ribbon and delivered it to the people at their home, under the Amtrack bridge.  He wanted these homeless people to have a warm, safe Christmas night.

Enter the Hotel worse-than-Grinch.  Management cancelled the ,duPontereservation three hours before check-in when they realized the people were homeless.  They were worried that these people would rob and rape other guests!

On the bright side, the Christiana Hilton heard about it and offered ten rooms to the homeless, plus dinner, breakfast, and a hospitality room where they could relax rather than just having to stay in their rooms..

It’s reassuring to know that not everyone in the hospitality industry has closed minds and hearts.

Read more here.

 

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Too Much Sex for Facebook?

May 29, 2013 Comments Off on Too Much Sex for Facebook?

 

Not really sex because sexual abuse is about power, not sex.  Facebook has been skittish about such matters as breast-feeding and mastectomies, not allowing pictures about them.  On the other hand, posts, pictures, and jokes about sexual abuse and rape have been just fine.  That has changed—not due to a newly grown corporate conscience but to women’s groups who knew how to fight this use of violence against women as entertainment.  They went to Facebook‘s advertisers and complained.  Advertisers put on the pressure, and now Facebook has enacted a new policy.  That is, if you choose to post something that is cruel or insensitive, you must honestly identify who you are.  This ensures your free speech while filtering out such “witticisms” as the picture (I won’t describe it) with the caption “This is why Indian girls get raped.”

Putting on my cynic’s hat, though, I can see a bunch of ways around this.  For example, most of us know someone who signed up under a false name, and Facebook isn’t wise to it.  Friends know who those people are—the friends that he plays to in his posts.  No problem, then, giving his “true” identity and posting all the garbage he wants.

But this IS a step in the right direction.  I’ll go online, find the Facebook posting about this, and punch “Like,” just to let the corporation know we’re out here watching them.

 

 

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Only Married Women Can be Raped in CA?

January 16, 2013 Comments Off on Only Married Women Can be Raped in CA?

“No, Your Honor, I couldn’t have raped her because she wasn’t married.”  In California, this is a valid defense, thanks to an old 1872 law.  Julio Morales admitted that he’s sneaked into a woman’s bed, pretended to be her boyfriend, and had sex with her until the light hit his face and she realized it was not her boyfriend.  She shoved him off of her and  reported  the incident to the police.  As his defense, he cited that old law.  He never impersonated her husband, he said, just her boyfriend.  The judge agreed and dismissed the charges.  Apparently, only married women can be raped in our fine state.

To be honest, this is a vast oversimplification.  But it goes without saying that it’s well past time to change this law.

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