On the subject of Rape, and Reddit. (to better myself as a human being) [TRIGGER WARNING] (repost, cause spam filter)

I would like to start by saying, I am not an expert , nor am I very knowledgeable in the subject of Rape. I do not know very much about feminism, nor do I presume to understand it more than some one who has had to deal with it there whole life. I have attempted to garner an understanding of the subject of Rape, and I would like to better understand the entirety of feminism, rape, and rape culture as a whole.

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Let us first start with the definition of Rape. In my search for an understanding, I encountered many different definitions of Rape. For the purposes of this discussion, I would like to use the Merriam-Webster definition. (for now, unless corrected, I will use the 3:2(noun) definition)

Rape (noun)

• : unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent

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Now that we have a clear definition of Rape, I would like to put it into context, with the definition of Sexual Assault. Once again, we will use the Merriam-Webster definition, and I would like to link the definition of Sexual Offences, as stated in New York State Penal Code Article 130.

Sexual Assault (noun)

• : illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person without consent or is inflicted upon a person who is incapable of giving consent (as because of age or physical or mental incapacity) or who places the assailant (as a doctor) in a position of trust or authority

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To better understand the effects that Rape has on society, and to dispel any myths about Rape Culture, I would like to post a quick quote about Rape Culture from the Encyclopedia of Rape;

A rape culture is one in which rape and other sexual violence against women and children are both prevalent and considered the norm. In a rape culture, rape and sexual violence are accepted as inevitable and are not challenged. .. A rape culture .. 'is a complex set of beliefs that encourages male sexual aggression and supports violence against women.' A rape culture believes that sexual aggression in men is biologically determined, rather than learned behavior.

This line of reasoning can be found daily on reddit, and linked to /r/ShitRedditSays, with a main example seen here:

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• Post by female redditor on how she was attacked, and sexually assulted. The top controversial post, that tried to invalidated her rape claim on the basis that all girls just want comment karma:

My post, that I will not delete, just to show that any one can change, if they are willing;

• "The fuck is shit like this doing on reddit. No sources, No info, just a story and an unverifiable picture. I really fucking hope you are not doing this for karma.. that would be some fucked up shit. '

I would like to take the opportunity, right here, to apologize, even though apologizing really is not making amends. I don't know why I felt the need to post it, and I am very ashamed that I did.

The reason why the pseudo-intellectual logic behind this post is horrifyingly wrong, and is a tremendously terrible thing to do; I assumed that she was a liar, and that makes my entire argument rape apologetics. The most horrific part about this, in addition to the fact that I shamed a rape victim that was seeking comfort, while placing full blame on her: that it turned out to be completely true, as seen in a graphic that was made depicting the people trying to shame her, and in the video she posted, proving that most redditors are rape apologist ass holes.

THIS LINE OF REASONING SHOULD NEVER BE TOLERATED. TO ASSUME THAT A RAPE VICTIM IS A LIAR IS ONE OF THE WORST, AND ONE OF THE MOST DISGUSTING THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO.

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I would like to address "rape apologetics" as a whole now. The 2 most common arguments that you will see on reddit:

• women should expect negative consequences based on their chosen appearance and behavior

• men can not control their evolutionary and biological functions, and rape is one of them, nor can they control themselves when they are intoxicated

You have seen the posts. You know how prevalent they are on reddit alone. The fact that posts like this are popular with so many redditors, is proof that Rape Culture does in fact exist. This behavior, even when used in a "joking manner" adds to the culture, and is detrimental on society as a whole.

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As a whole, the Rape Culture must be acknowledged, in order for any change to come about. Denying that Rape Culture exists directly adds to the myths about rape, it makes the culture so much more prevalent.

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Some resources on learning more about Rape Culture, and how it can be stopped:

• The documentary 'Rape Culture', produced in 1975 by cambridge documentary films

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), 'The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization', with links to getting help for those that have been sexually assaulted, and statistics on rape

• The 'Rape Crisis Online Encyclopedia', boasting a plethora of information on the subject

• The Encyclopedia of Rape, written by Merril D. Smith (page 174, for Rape Culture)

• Toronto Slutwalk, an organization based in cannada, that does annual speeches, and demonstrations in an attempt to make the issue of Rape Culture more public

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The questions that I have;

• Where are some resources, or articles that disprove the "biological" bull shit that rape apologists love to use?

• Is there a list of excuses that people use to rationalize rape?

• What are some good books that can help me understand the subject better?