Comments on: Miss USA and the rape culture

By: kentonian

kentonian — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 14:19:00 +0000

I agree with Miss USA. If no one else is doing anything about the problem, then you should.

By: Chris O'Connell

Chris O'Connell — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 06:33:00 +0000

“As a solution to campus rape, Miss USA suggested that women should learn to defend themselves. This implies that women get raped because they’re weak and that they get assaulted because they “failed” in a sense.” Mary Di Valerio may be inferring such a characterization, but I don’t believe it is implied. NOTHING is going to ever change certain men’s thinking about their entitlement to rape women. Awareness and self-protection are assets, they do not convey frailty or weakness. Unfortunately, there are perpetrators in this world and we just can’t round ’em all up and fix ’em. Women should be able to wear what they wish and behave the way they want to, but they can pay a heavy toll for declaring their freedom in this society which demeans them, demoralizes them, takes advantage of them, uses them and discards them. I vote for freedom, and I also vote for a paradigm shift where men’s attitudes toward women are concerned. Men simply have to try to keep up. The world is changing. We’re sick of taking their shit.

By: Mary Di Valerio

Mary Di Valerio — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 22:38:00 +0000

In reply to Woody. I apologize - that was the wording that was in the source I used. (An Associated Press article published by Yahoo.) I should have done more research and looked up the exact quote.

By: Woody

Woody — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 20:31:00 +0000

In reply to Mary Di Valerio.

You quote her as saying “take it upon themselves”
She never said that.

By: Art

Art — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 20:03:00 +0000

Here is the question asked “asked Sanchez why she thinks this is being swept under the rug and what should be done about it.”

Answer #1. “I believe that some colleges may potentially be afraid of having a bad reputation and that would be a reason it could be swept under the rug, because they don’t want that to come out into the public,”

Hmmmm, seems plausible.

Answer #2. But I think more awareness is very important so women can learn how to protect themselves. Myself, as a fourth-degree black belt, I learned from a young age that you need to be confident and be able to defend yourself. And I think that’s something that we should start to really implement for a lot of women.”

Hmmmmm
More awarness, self defense, for a lot of women.
NOT the SOLUTION. An opinion.
To be aware and able to defend yourself is Pretty smart
Especially if you believe there is a “rape culture”

By: Mary Di Valerio

Mary Di Valerio — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 12:53:00 +0000

In reply to Jim. She stated that women need to "take it upon themselves" to solve the problem, directly shifting responsibility to the victim.

By: Mary Di Valerio

Mary Di Valerio — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 12:52:00 +0000

In reply to get over yourself.

I’d like to clarify that I have in fact, experienced sexual assault. Even if I hadn’t, this topic would still be my “business” because the rape culture affects us all.
Rape culture is a term used to describe how our society glorifies and excuses rape. You can read more about it here in this fantastic article – http://www.occasionalplanet.org/2014/04/23/rape-culture-defining-it-acknowledging-it-working-to-end-it/
Self defense doesn’t work because if it gets to the point of defending yourself, the sexual assault has already occurred on some level. As I mentioned in the article – there’s nothing wrong with empowering people. But self defense does NOT solve rape, it just shifts responsibility. We’re excusing men for their actions and putting it on the target to prevent the crime.
I respect your opinion because differing opinions are part of what makes the world such a colorful place 🙂

By: guest

guest — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 06:42:00 +0000

In reply to get over yourself. This. Exactly this.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 00:15:00 +0000

I don’t feel she was saying this was “THE” solution. I mean, she only talked for 15 seconds. It was just something she felt would be a good idea. You yourself, based on your last paragraph, agree. So where’s the argument?

By: get over yourself

get over yourself — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 00:11:00 +0000

one woman can not put an end to rape. she can, however, learn to defend herself to help prevent her own rape. this does not put the responsibility on the victim, it instead makes a victim less of a target. as a rape survivor and a mother, i 100% agree with this stance. until you yourself are put in that situation, you have no business writing on this topic. and seriously, enough with this “rape culture” business. culture is defined as “the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.” so are you saying that rape is an art form or an intellectual achievement? this sort of attitude is what is wrong with this country today. writing articles like this is not doing anything to improve society. however, teaching young women to defend themselves IS.