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Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
"Rapists cause rape. Rapists cause rape. Rapists cause rape. Victims do not cause rape -- ever. If she didn't say yes, the answer is NO. " MGold
"Now if we can just get rapists and would-be rapists to pay attention and show some compassion." MGold
I have read more than most about this issue and am really troubled about it. My feelings about it are similar to yours. We have a world where morality has been thrown out the window. We are bombarded with messages that promote the attitude that I'm the only important one and what I want I can take, whether it's cheating on taxes, stealing, assaulting or anything else. Morality, the basis of compassion, is not taught by our society like it was 40+ years ago. If we returned to massive teaching of the social morality we've had in the distant past things would get less bad in the future.
Please look at my previous comments on who is responsible. I asked questions. I don't hear answers. Let me ask another question. You ask for compassion from would be attackers. What if men in general ask for compassion from friends and relatives? Taking the specific instance of women in the home around family and friends; what if men asked that women not parade around in front of them nude or nearly nude getting their engines started with no place to go? Is it asking too much for them to get decently dressed before leaving their bedroom? Is that asking too much?
Again, read what I said before. The attacker is responsible for his actions. Now can I have reasoned, thoughtful answers instead of just (paraphrasing) "you don't know what you're talking about?" Is it asking to much to have a dialogue about this?
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
A picture of the parade in today's (Monday) paper showed people in ordinary dress - lots of shorts but no crack whores evident - although an interview with a teen not shown indicated she was dressed provacatively and with her parents approval. Now if we can just get rapists and would-be rapists to pay attention and show some compassion.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
Either that or, you know, read the article before you comment.
Too much to ask.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
@Tammy Ctrl or Command F, search term "Fagot."
Quote from paragraph 3: "Local organizers include Becca Thomas, a legal assistant and Choice Nashville's co-founder, and ERIN FAGOT, an ob-gyn nurse and Choice Nashville volunteer."
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
Why does the last paragraph say " Fagot says", like Fagot is his last name? Is that an prank in the copy room?
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
@gast Please -- we're not blaming all males! There were lots of men at the march today, walking with us, and I'm so grateful for them.
You and @Strideraa, I beg you: Talk to the women in your lives about rape and sexual assault to try to get a better understanding. You might be surprised about what they've been through. It happens to little girls, teenagers, adults, and elders in alarming numbers. Many times it happens at the hand of a friend, neighbor, boyfriend, spouse, family member, or trusted authority figure. Not in dark alleys but in trusted spaces. One in four women have been sexually assaulted. Many will keep it secret because they're afraid of being shamed and blamed (which is what I feel you're doing in these comments). I repeat: clothing is COMPLETELY irrelevant. A woman held a sign today that said: "I was 4 years old and wearing overalls and tennis shoes. Rapists cause rape."
Rapists cause rape. Rapists cause rape. Rapists cause rape. Victims do not cause rape -- ever. If she didn't say yes, the answer is NO.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
I agree gast. Many parents allow daughters to wear clothes showing lots of skin that would work well for a whore on the streetcorner. Then wonder why we have lots of pregnancies and stds.
I wonder what these protesters want society to do. I can't control the actions of a man on a dark street watching a woman who arouses him by the way she dresses. At the same time, if she dressed differently, he might choose a different target. She could also choose to never be alone in a vulnerable situation and always be in a group of friends.
Did I say kids were asking for it? No, I said that it is the responsibility of adults to control their actions. I also said why make it harder for them by running around in front of them nude or nearly so. Why not always dress properly in the presence of the opposite sex?
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
@Jack and MGold; I'm not going to appologize for being male just because there are other males who can't control themselves. The problem here is that you two are delusional and can't recognize that some men lack self control and and want to blame all males. You need to look at yourselves as you and your slutwalking pals are only exacerbating the problem. What is the definition of slut anyway? Whore, ready to get it on with anybody. People with your attitude even have pre-teeners dressing like trashy prostitutes. Nice going.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
Hear you, Jack. It bothers me when these folks spout off about something this serious based on lazy and sheltered opinions. If they actually talked about these issues with women in their lives, they might be shocked to know how many of them have been assaulted as a child, teen, or adult. This is to say nothing of the sexual harassment girls receive from an early age. As most women can tell you, it's a steady stream of unsolicited opinions about their bodies, too fat, too skinny, too ugly, too sexy, asking for it, must be frigid, etc. You truly can't win.
Educate yourselves, people. Open your minds. Get out of your bubble. You are welcome and wanted in this movement to end sexual violence. Please just recognize that if you haven't walked in a woman's shoes, you really don't know what it's like to have to fear for your safety daily, regardless of your looks or clothing.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
Wow, there are some seriously sick and twisted comments here. On behalf of the male race, I'd like to apologize. I'm afraid some of my fellow gender members just don't get it, or are perhaps working through some issues of their own.
But still, I'm mortified. Wow.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
The Slutwalk people do the exact same thing they proclaim to fight against; pointing fingers in one directions and placing all the blame on one part of society.
In reality it's every part of our culture that is to blame, and plenty of women in the entertainment industry, advertisement and parents are to blame just as much as the men who ultimately make the decision. There are steps to protecting yourselves ladies.
We're all to blame, we're all so sex obsessed.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
I finally get it: only conservatives are responsible for their actions.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
"Regarding assaults by family and friends, how much of a temptation is it when stepdad or uncle sees a teenager running around all the time in bikini and bra or nude. It's his responsibility to resist the temptation but why put it in front of him."
Yeah! It's like those little kids running around flaunting their innocence in the face of child molesters. You know they're just asking for it.
Jesus, reading these comments, I know how the dude in the house feels in STRAW DOGS.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
Yeah America can be pretty bad about victim blaming, especially when it comes to women (trying to say it isn't rape if the woman has consumed alcohol or drugs), LGBT issues (booing a gay soldier when our policy and government/ public are doing the oppressing), socioeconomic issues (blaming the poor for being poor), and the list can go on. I like to think their aren't that many people that feel the same way giveme feels, but sadly it seems that is the way the world feels. Just turning a blind eye and dodging the real issues while we argue over meaningless distractions created by the media / government.
Re: “An ICE dragnet in Bedford County targeting Latinos wasn't subtle — which may have been the point”
With ten percent of Mexico living within our nation's borders, it's about time. In California latinos make up about forty percent of the prison population.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
If women dressed in Mother Hubbards I would think the number of rape would go down. It's evident there are a certain number of men with few constraints when it comes to the opposite sex and women in slutty clothes, to these men, would have the same effect as holding a taco under the nose of a starving man. A starving man is going to take a bite.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
Has anyone ever done a study about anonymous rapes, showing the percentage of them for various levels of skin and/or skin tight clothes. No, the attacker is responsible for deciding to assault a woman. In an anonymous assault, the only part clothes MIGHT play is in helping him choose a target. Regarding assaults by family and friends, how much of a temptation is it when stepdad or uncle sees a teenager running around all the time in bikini and bra or nude. It's his responsibility to resist the temptation but why put it in front of him.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
@Givemeabreak: Slap yourself awake for me, please. You've clearly given no real thought to what rape and assault are all about, and you're part of this inexcusable problem. Educate yourself and be thankful that you don't feel the threat of assault -- and blame for being assaulted -- every day.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
@givemeabreak:
Give us a break! Please. You must be kidding.
Re: “SlutWalk Nashville makes strides against sexual violence — literally”
In response to the last comment by Strideraa:
It doesn't matter what a woman does or does not wear that will determine if she will be raped. Small children of both sexes, old women, men and women dressed as modestly and conservatively as possible get raped. Rape is power and control over an individual. Rape not about the sex; it's about the power of being able to take something from and dominate another. Sure, I could possibly agree that in maybe some instances of sexual assault, what a person is wearing could possibly have influence over whether that particular person was assaulted. But, that shouldn't become a wholesale basis for "if women don't dress like sluts they wouldn't be assaulted," because the problem with rape and other forms of sexual assault isn't that the victim was asking for it. The problem is that someone - man or woman - felt that they could dominate someone in a very basic and immediate way, and society holds a vulgar and misplaced bias that the victim must have done something, i.e, dress "slutty," to deserve it. Removing sexual temptation from men isn't going to help prevent rape; that's a very Puritanical viewpoint feeding into this idea of sex and lust as a sin. Educating and bringing awareness to the causes of rape, and developing an environment where victims are encouraged to report rape, and feel safe to speak out about the crime is a key, in my opinion.