Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2016/10/11/a-rape-survivor-on-trumps.html
I was sexually assaulted twice in college. It’s not a secret, but I don’t like to talk about it unless I feel I should.
Now, I feel I must.
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It’s not ‘Rape Culture;’ It’s a specific powerful perp bragging about committing crime. Even RAINN (Rape and incest National Network) notes that the concept of Rape Culture is counter productive to actually getting something done about prosecuting the crimes. It’s bigoted profiling itself.
“In 16 pages of recommendations, RAINN urged the task focus to remain focused on the true cause of the problem. “In the last few years, there has been an unfortunate trend towards blaming “rape culture” for the extensive problem of sexual violence on campuses. While it is helpful to point out the systemic barriers to addressing the problem, it is important to not lose sight of a simple fact: Rape is caused not by cultural factors but by the conscious decisions, of a small percentage of the community, to commit a violent crime,” said the letter to the task force from RAINN’s president, Scott Berkowitz, and vice president for public policy, Rebecca O’Connor.”
In this particular case, if it’s a culture, it’s about the culture of abuse by the 0.1% who are nearly immune form any kind of prosecution for any crime. They are more than happy to see the rest of us tear each other down.
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This also wasn’t a locker room but a workplace environment. (Not that it makes it any better)
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You think only 0.1% of the population commits sexual assault in this country? Meanwhile, the number of their victims is conservatively estimated as being between 25-35% of the population (all genders). Those few perps really get around.
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Very brave person to share their story of rape.
On another note: tRump started a fire that he will never be able to put out, clearly he’d have to admit/correct his abhorrent behavior to do so.
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Exactly. It’s not “just talk.” It’s confessions to crimes.
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I disagree. There is definitely a cultural component. Someone brags about sexual assault because they’re pretty sure they won’t be perceived as having done anything wrong. That can only happen in a culture that encourages men to be sexual agressors and objectifies or blames victims.
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I’m not sure how you can read that from their comment.
“…who are nearly immune form [sic] any kind of prosecution for any crime…”
You think they meant all those which commit sexual assaults are nearly immune from any kind of prosecution for any crime? I thought it was pretty clear the commenter was talking about the rich and powerful (commonly called the 0.1%), like Trump, who has precipitated the current discussion on this.
I’m sure Thomas_Meacham can clarify their post for themselves - I just see so many people talking past each other with things like this and putting words in each others’ mouths that I wanted to say something. Also, I see you as a respected commenter that I almost always agree with. Apologies for not exactly on topic.
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Oooohhh…you might be right. I was thinking it followed from what came before:
…so when a percentage number was then used, I linked them together in my mind.
It doesn’t help that there’s a confusion in the post between rape statistics in general, which involve a lot more than the 0.1%, and lack of “prosecution for any crime” specific to that group.
Now you’ve got me wondering what exactly was being argued, and I also hope he comes back to explain.
Thanks for communicating with me…how else do I learn?
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When Donald Trump says that men “talk like that in locker rooms”, I wonder if the locker room he has in mind is the same one that Brock Turner uses.
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And first out of the gate…
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No, it’s just all in our pretty little heads that there is some connection between our culture being dismissive of women and rape. /s
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The criminal revealed in this tape was a specific perp. The thousands upon thousands of people downplaying the significance of his admission are the rape culture which allows men like him to get away with it.
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The last time Trump was in anything close to a locker room was when he conducted those “surprise inspections” on Miss Universe contestants while they were changing clothes.
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Yes, I only imagined a somewhat unstable boyfriend with whom I was breaking up emotionally coercing me to have sex with him, thinking that it was easier to just give in rather than argue or put up a fight. But I know for a fact that if I tried to do anything about it, it wouldn’t stop other rapes. It wouldn’t make anyone come forward. It was a split-second judgment call with which I have to live. Same with the decision to report or not. I don’t do the “coulda-shoulda-woulda” about it anymore, which is a healthy sign, I guess. But why has the process of reporting rape become such a humiliating experience for the victim? Even in this day and age. If it weren’t, more rapes would be reported, and the humiliation would fall to the rapist instead.
I don’t know. I just live on this planet.
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I’m so glad someone else said it.
Also you’re a man; so those who would arbitrarily dismiss the perspective of ‘vagina owners’ automatically might actually take your opinion into consideration.
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Hey, might as well spend this privilege on something worthwhile! 
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Good question. Our friend @Thomas_Meacham up there would have us believe that it’s not about the culture that punishes women for crimes committed against them nor that our culture devalues women in such a way as to normalize rape and prioritize men’s desires… It’s people like him who don’t take our concerns and experiences seriously and assume that they know better than we do what constitutes violations of our bodies, because… reasons? I wish I could explain this broken mindset, but I can’t.
I can only say that I’m sorry this happened to you and that it shouldn’t have and that it’s not your fault, but your exs fault.
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I wish that articles wouldn’t write about Drumpf’s admission like this:
The “grab them by the p*ssy” comment bears repeating as a singular example that summarizes decades of Trump’s degrading comments about women.I wish that they would put the full quote, because I hear people on the radio/etc who think that Drumpf just made a crude general comment ala the "Fuck Her Right in the Pussy" "meme" rather than him talking about committing assault.
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