From: gt7994a@prism.gatech.EDU (ORMOND,SEAN PATRICK)
Newsgroups: talk.rape
Subject: Re: Date Rape and its aftermath
Date: 16 Oct 92 05:01:41 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <QerVkIC00iUx47Q45f@andrew.cmu.edu> sg2a+@andrew.cmu.edu (Sarah Graham Gibby) writes:
>
>Date rape is something that occurs to one out of every six college women
>and more often than not it is by someone she knows. Ninety percent of
>the time rapes involve alcohol.

It would follow that a woman can dramatically reduce her chances of being
raped by avoiding alcohol and parties where it is served.  Contrary to 
what you may have heard, this is possible.  The first advice I gave a
female freshman the other day was to avoid the frat parties and absolutely
NEVER get drunk at one.  

Are rape and date rape the same crime?  Many would argue they are. I see
rape as the woman attacked by a stranger in the parking lot, for example.
If they manage to catch the guy, I can't think of a single reason why
he should be allowed to live [unless, of course, he was wearing a condom :-( ].
It's pretty straight-forward.  On the other hand, while date rape is
probably more traumatic (violation of trust), it's got to be visciously
hard to prove in court.  Unless there was a particularly violent struggle,
the "beyond a reasonable doubt part" is nearly impossible to satisfy, and
rightfully so.  The point I'm trying to make is that date rape is not
going to be cut back by legislation, and if you think you can change men's
attitudes, you go right ahead and try.  While this really ticks off the
feminists, the most effective solution is a change in women's behavior.
I say this not out of sexism, but out of compassion.  Sometimes you make
your environment adapt to you, sometimes you adapt to the environment.

>The problem lies in understanding that "no" means  "no" and not "maybe."
>Some men don't understand that or have more trouble comprehending that
>after a few drinks. And with other men, intoxicated or not, they still
>don't get the message.

I disagree...what you've pointed out is an AXIOM - a fact of life.  The
problem is that women don't realize this, and naively assume that when
a guy wants to go back to "his place" to read poetry, that's all he
has in mind.  

>Also, I believe that people need to realize that rape has dramatic and
>long lasting effects on its victims.  While a woman is taken advantage
>of physically, thus losing control over her own body to another person,
>she also loses her own sense of self- trust, in her own life and
>activites she ivolves herself in, as well as losing her trust in others
>with whom she comes into contact with from that moment forward.  It may
>seem like nothing to those with whom it has never happened to, but
>believe me, it is a long and painful journey to recovery.

Perhaps an acquired lack of trust is the only bright side to such a dark
issue; particularly with women who so naively invest their trust in
strangers.  I've had several close female friends confide in me their
stories of victimization, and it still brings tears to my eyes.  Never
underestimate the potential for evil or good in anyone.

-- 
Sean P. Ormond
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
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Bill Clinton '92 - "Read my lips: NEW TAXES"