Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site watcgl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watcgl!dmmartindale From: dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: Nothing ever happens to people unless they want it to Message-ID: <2036@watcgl.UUCP> Date: Sat, 21-Jan-84 15:23:27 EST Article-I.D.: watcgl.2036 Posted: Sat Jan 21 15:23:27 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 9-Feb-84 02:27:18 EST References: <3411@tekecs.UUCP> Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 15 I think that when people (it isn't just men!) who say that "a woman who is raped must have been asking for it" are pointing out that the woman does have some influence over whether she is likely to be raped. That is, by itself, true. However, these people seem to believe that it is the woman's responsibility to do everything in her power to lessen those chances - to avoid walking alone, to avoid dressing attractively - and that any man who rapes her is simply sucumbing to his perfectly-natural desires. Garbage. Women should avoid deliberately provoking rape, or any other unpleasant act against themselves, but that is as far as their responsibility should go. Men should be held responsible for their actions, and in the case of rape the blame rests pretty squarely on the man unless the woman clearly went out of her way to provoke him.