File this under "Oh, for fuck's sake."
Someone hilarious in Dallas is liveblogging the Public Safety Committee Meeting (note to self: congratulations on not becoming a beat reporter, seriously) and the chief of police, David Brown, has a lot of good news to share: murder is down, car theft is down, and robbery is down. Hooray, Dallas! If I ever feel remotely interested in coming to Dallas again (after a brief stopover at Taco Cabana on my road trip back from the East coast) I'll feel safer knowing that, as long as I'm sober, the police probably won't blame me for being the victim of crime.
Unfortunately, rape is up a staggering 23% in the Metroplex this year, and the chief had the following suggestion as to why:
"We're needing to create a message to the victims of this type of crime, related to, you know, someone you don't know that well, you having a little bit too much to drink," explains Chief Brown, suggesting women, "have your friends watch you" if you intend to drink in front of a man.Sigh. To review: rapists cause rape, not women drinking. Not women dressing in a sexy way, either. Women walking alone on the streets late at night? Also not responsible for rape. Rapists are responsible for rape. They understand this in Scotland--why not Dallas? If you want to call the Police Department's Review Board and suggest that their Chief get a clue about sexual assault, here's their number: 214-670-3246.
This so totally disgusting. Yet, not really that surprising.
ReplyDeleteMy only issue with this is the girls who do drink a bit make a bad decision and then call it rape after the fact. The only reason I mention this is that a couple of my male friends who wouldn't hurt a fly have been accused of rape because the girl felt guilty after the fact and when pressured by peers for a reason the girl claimed rape or coercion.
ReplyDeleteBy no means do I think this is a majority or that rape is not a serious issue but it's something to think about especially when teaching about how serous rape is.
I am a survivor of rape. And I find it appalling that mr Texas policeman thinks that's the only reason but if he was referencing this class of girls I mentioned you may see where it comes from.
LC, I understand the concern about 'fake' rape accusations, and there is lots of good writing out there about it. But for a law enforcement officer--whose job it is to enforce the law, and last I checked, rape was a crime no matter how much a lady (or man) has had to drink--is appalling. And while someone who may 'regret' sex they've had while drunk (who hasn't made choices they know they wouldn't make sober, like eating an entire pizza, or driving home after 6 beers, etc.) men who otherwise might be aware of when a woman is saying no through body language or just not being into it may not notice that stuff when drunk. One of the first things to go when intoxicated is a person's ability to pick up on social cues, like a sex partner's unspoken "not into it"-ness.
ReplyDeleteOh come on. Women are responsible for everything! Those poor menz, they can't help themselves and their insane sex drives. Everybody knows that if a man commits rape, the woman is really the criminal, she's the one forcing him to rape her by her immodesty or insobriety.
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