Rape Culture, another example of.

[bicrim]

Originally posted by lavenderfrost at ...WTF.

Well, there goes my good mood for the day.

NYTimes, the bastion of quality reporting, reported on the gang-rape of an 11 year-old girl in Texas  that's led to charges against 18 high-school boys so far - all well and good so far, right?  Shit like this NEEDS publicity to raise awareness. 

Only problem is, they repeated - without refutation or critical commentary - the claims that the girl brought the rape on herself because of the way she was dressed.

Choice Quotes :

“It’s just destroyed our community,” said Sheila Harrison, 48, a hospital worker who says she knows several of the defendants. “These boys have to live with this the rest of their lives.”  As opposed to the victim, who's gonna bounce back lickety-fucking-split, right?

Residents in the neighborhood where the abandoned trailer stands — known as the Quarters — said the victim had been visiting various friends there for months. They said she dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s. She would hang out with teenage boys at a playground, some said.  TOTALLY BEGGING FOR IT.

THIS IS RAPE CULTURE, PEOPLE.

Now, what's being said and done in this community is bad enough, but the NY Times should be fucking ashamed of themselves right now.

( Here's how to contact NYT: )

Comments

[pyxiwulf.livejournal.com]

quick drive by, haven't read the post yet, would just like to say, I SHIT A BRICK when I heard one of them boy's mother's saying “this is her parent's fault, they should have known where she was”

WHAT THE FUCKITY FUCK If I were not a peaceful, moral, jailfearing and godfearing person, I'd hunt that bitch down and tear her to tiny pieces bit by bit

[ncp.livejournal.com]

I wonder if they would have blamed the parents if the girl had been run over by a car or caught in gang crossfire.

[cinema-babe.livejournal.com]

I don't expect much from the media in general but this cut me to the bone when I read the NYT article. I fired off a letter of protest to them and cc:ed several journalists I know. If this is what one of the "Old Grey Lady" will print, I can't imagine what they said in the NY Post.

[stinklefritz.livejournal.com]

I read this article and it made me cry.

Anyone, and I mean ANYONE who implies that the way a woman, man, or child dresses justifies rape frightens me. The fact that a reputable newspaper is spreading this bullshit makes me absolute irate.

Recently, a police officer was doing a talk at a local university, and told a group of law students that the best way to avoid being raped was to not "dress like a slut."

His reprimand? He had to write an apology letter.

it's scary how much blame is placed on the victim in our society.