Do we live in a Rape Culture?

[fredtoast]

Let me try to point out a couple of facts about both sides of these arguments.

On one extreme are people who want to blame the victim.

On the other extreme are people who treat every allegation of rape as if were true.

I know a lot about claims of rape because I have death with so many of them on my job. There are definitely false claims of rape, and the alleged perpetrator can really be put through the wringer. But in the end it is hard to actually a convict a person of rape without more evidence than just a dispute over consent to the sex.

On the other hand when there is not a lot of physical evidence then the alleged victim can really be put through the wringer and beaten up by the process.

And finally let me say that years ago I dated a woman who had been raped. It was a total stranger who broke into her apartment. He was caught and convicted. If any of you have ever known a rape victim you would realize how much it can mess with a woman's head. This woman I am talking about was actually one of the more mature and level headed women I dated in my youth. She was not messed up with a bunch of weird hang ups that I had to deal with. But if the issue of rape ever came up on the news or in movie it would mess with her.