I was on Facebook earlier this week and I came across a video one of my friends shared. The video was for "Anti-Rape Underwear." Seeing this video reminded me of the rape in Beloved. Morrison depicts and alludes to the history of rape and the brutal abuse of slaves. Rape is one of the memories that constantly haunts the characters.
Anyways... I didn't know what to think of this anti-rape underwear. I'm sure the makers had good intentions, but I can't get over the fact that this product had to be made. It's a really sad and disturbing fact--there is a bigger problem in the world if women need to wear anti-rape underwear. Instead, individuals (men and women) should be taught not to rape. They should not be taught that they need to protect themselves by wearing anti-rape products.
As for another real-world example I came across a text post saying, "I've always been told not to give in to peer pressure but I've never been told not to pressure my peers and I think that shows how dysfunctional society is"...
Here's the link for the video: https://www.facebook.com/438823982822860/videos/751851544830369/?pnref=story
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7 comments:
Here's the thing: where there are human beings, there are violent criminals.
There's no need to think that our society (or any society) can somehow exterminate all violent crime, because we simply can't and never will.
The good people would never rape without having to be extensively taught not to rape, and the twisted criminals will break laws without remorse, so the only things left to do are caution and proper self-defense.
While I sort of see where you are coming from Jack, I agree with Abbey in that more often then not girls have been made to feel as if it is their fault for being raped. Whether that be dressing "too revealing" or having "led someone on" or "provoked them". Society is just coming to the terms with the fact that girls are not the property of men. Marital rape wasn't even illegal until 1993, which is relatively recent when you think about it. We have read several books this year in which the women have been treated like a man's property, and society is finally coming to terms with the fact that both genders are equal. Not only do women need to be taught caution in self-defense, but men need to be taught not to mistreat women.
Jack- I completely disagree- what you say has nothing to do with rape. There are plenty of "good people" who have raped because it's not something that people inherently realize as bad until lately. We've read plenty of stories that prove that in certain cultures and times men think of women as their property. Sex is just sex to them and they don't care and or think about how the woman feels. Even now, there are times when women just let rape happen because they feel like they don't have another choice or they're scared etc. we saw that many times in the Wasteland. Jack, please watch Orange is the new black. Even women sometimes don't even think about it as rape because they're in denial and the other party isn't necessarily a "bad person" it's something that needs to be taught and brought awareness to that consent is so important and there shouldn't be any assumptions. Just like you have to teach children not to lie, and to share, and to think about how other people feel- you have to teach people that you have to think about the other person even when you're overcome with lust and think that you're doing the right thing or going to make them "feel good" Rape is not something you automatically understand and it's not always how you think it goes. RAPE MUST BE TAUGHT. It still happens because people don't take it seriously or make it into a joke. It's real and it should be taken that way. Not trying to personally attack anyone. I just think you should try to look at it another way and with a little more understanding under your belt
I would also like to throw this video link into this post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP7OXDWof30. It is called "#DearDaddy" and it's about the relationship between joking about rape or feminists and its actual occurence. It shows how there is a fine line between a jokes and how people really think about these topics. Rape and other sexual abuse should be taken seriously, and if young children grow up in a society that takes these things as a joke, they won't take it seriously either. It's a good representation of how what can seem harmless can end up having bad effects if not directly addressed in a serious manner and explained in a way that anyone can understand. This video helps relate these topics to anyone with a woman in their family. It's a really good video (and only five minutes) so you guys should really watch it!
Rape is a very sensitive subject, and one must carefully approach discussing it. Jack put it perfectly when he said "Where there are human beings, there are violent criminals." Humans are by nature sinful and there will always be those disgusting individuals that we must face in the world. This "anti-rape underwear" works toward protecting people from become a victim to this horrible act, yet one must consider that it won't protect you from anything. When thinking about how a locked undergarment could protect someone from rape, I thought of the scene in beloved when the Africans were forced to participate in oral sex. As "anti-rape mouth guards" seem unlikely, we must realize that dealing with the horrible acts of other human beings is a part of life that no one should ever experience.
@cheyenne yeah, there are definitely situations where it differs, but I was referring to a situation where one person is consciously choosing to commit a terrible crime on another (what anti-rape methods seek to prevent). Of course everyone should learn what is acceptable and what isn't, but here I was just referring to the violent crime aspect of it.
So I was saying, as long as humanity remains, there will be robbers, thieves, rapists, and murderers who simply disregard laws, so it is important for us to learn self-preservation.
Also just talking about the environment we live in today, where human beings aren't property and nobody owes anybody anything when they're born.
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