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Upward of 200 people marched from Richmond High School to nearby Wendell Park, where speakers decried violence against women and what they see as the social forces that take such behavior in stride.Uh . . . to whom was rape ever "acceptable," Mr. Wright? But wait, there's more:
"Men need to speak to other men and say, 'Stop,' " said Richard Wright, a community activist from Oakland. "Men need to stand up in this to make a cultural change, to say that rape is no longer acceptable."
Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin . . . thanked people for bringing an affirmative message of support into her community.Way to muddle the issue, Mayor! Could you please elaborate on that "larger systemic problem"? Because I'm thinking the real problem is the criminals who committed this act. And I'm also thinking that every attempt to externalize guilt by attributing this rape to amorphous "social forces" tends toward the exculpation of the rapists.
"It's great to hear you raising your voices loud and clear against this horrible crime, and against the horrible crimes against women that go on all the time," McLaughlin said. "This is not about Richmond youth. This is a much larger systemic problem."
There's not really much that rallies and speeches can accomplish in terms of preventing rape. A more simple and useful response: Prosecute the guilty to the maximum extent of the law and, if you have a daughter, don't ever let her go near a California public school.
McLaughlin said. "This is not about Richmond youth. This is a much larger systemic problem."
ReplyDeleteThat means white racists are to blame. Somehow.
Richmond, Oakland, and most of the East Bay environs, have long been a dark and seething cesspool. California's liberal leaders as well as leaders of the black community find it cheaper to opine in generalities than face tough racial issues. My advice to those visiting the S.F. Peninsula....cross west on the San Mateo Bridge, 'cause there's nothing but risk ahead.
ReplyDeleteAd rem....
Uh . . . to whom was rape ever "acceptable," Mr. Wright?
ReplyDeleteApparently to the 20 or so passersby who watched without lifting a finger to help this girl, it was perfectly acceptable.
I'm not big on political correctness but I think it's a stretch to characterize saying rape is wrong as "PC". Social opprobrium is a powerful force in shaping societal expectations.
To me, using shame to suppress speech we don't like is PC. Using shame to say we won't tolerate criminal acts (especially in a community that apparently doesn't know its a** from a hole in the ground) is just common sense... and long overdue. :p
Never let a crisis go to waste and never let a horrible crime happen without using it to push your feminist agenda. What we're talking about here is the reaction of theocrats, seeing everything in terms of their secular religion because that's the only mechanism they have.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the great sage Charles "Pony Boy" Johnson to show us what is right and wrong in such a situation? Photos of the beach. A bike. Denounce Stacy and Belgians. Something.
ReplyDeleteYou don't understand at all. Rape is not a crime or a repugnant sin that some few individuals may commit. It is a politico-sexual means of maintaining patriarchal control over women by subjugating their bodies.
ReplyDeleteOr something like that. You need to keep up on your feminist theory to understand this. The people holding rallies are.
"Findings here suggested that greater racism (both modern and old fashioned), sexism (both modern and old fashioned), homophobia (toward both gay men and lesbians), ageism, classism, and religious intolerance were each associated with greater rape myth acceptance. Moreover, each belief system collectively added to the prediction of rape myth acceptance, although sexism has the highest overlap with rape myth acceptance. Although gender did not moderate the relationship between oppressive belief systems and rape myth acceptance, results, across analyses, did indicate that men reported greater rape myth acceptance than women did. Results point to the interrelatedness of rape myth acceptance, racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, ageism, and religious intolerance."
From:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/q04716380n1804u2/