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From: sed408@ihlpg.UUCP (s. dugan)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: charges of rape, and good points
Message-ID: <569@ihlpg.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Jun-85 12:48:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpg.569
Posted: Fri Jun  7 12:48:35 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Jun-85 03:30:27 EDT
References: <446@ttidcc.UUCP> <603@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP> <2515@randvax.UUCP> <732@burl.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 63

> In article <2515@randvax.UUCP> edhall@randvax.UUCP (Ed Hall) writes:
> >
> >A short while back there was a comparison of robbery with rape.  The
> >comment was made that rape is much harder to prove than robbery.  I
> >think this belief is a perfect illustration of this myth-based attitude.
> >
> >
> >I've had to deal with sales people who certainly are what I'd call
> >aggressive concerning getting my money, but I doubt I'd have nearly as
> >much of a problem proving robbery if one of them decided just to
> >*grab* the money and leave, as a woman would have proving a charge of
> >date rape, for example.  There is no myth regarding the acts of
> >sales people like there is regarding the acts of the ``male animal''...
> >
> >		-Ed Hall
> >		decvax!randvax!edhall
> 
> (yeah, bunches of stuff was deleted, but I trust I kept enough to
> avoid taking Ed's comments out of context)
> 
> One major (maybe THE major) problem with proving rape is that there are
> very often NO WITNESSES.  If I go to the police and say that you robbed
> me and had no bruises to show and no witnesses that you robbed me, they
> would say 'sorry 'bout that, bub'.  If a woman was just threatened but
> not beaten (i.e., no bruises) and raped, she would also have a very hard time
> proving rape.  In spite of this I do NOT believe in taking her word for
> it.  If you don't have some good evidence, you don't have a case.  If
> you were pissed at me for some reason, I wouldn't want you to be able to
> go to the police and say I robbed you, and have that be sufficient
> evidence to send me away for a few years.  I am sorry if it seems I am
> siding with the rapist rather than the victim;  I certainly don't feel
> that way.  The potential for abuse of one person's word against another
> is just too great.
> 
> 	'Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely'
> 
> 			geoff sherwood

I think you've made a really good point here.  Several people have made
similar comments.  I think most of us agree on the following points:

     1)  Rape is repulsive
		 2)  Rape shouldn't happen to anyone
		 3)  Although I SHOULD be able to walk anywhere anytime, it's just
				 plain stupid to be certain places at certain times.
     4)  It's DAMN hard to prove rape

What's to be done?  I don't think we're going to change the fact that there
are crazy, sick people out there.  Maybe we can't change the way people are
now, but what about the next generation?  I am assuming that most of us on the
net are either currently parents or will be within the next few years.  Why
not concentrate on teaching the next generation respect and caraing for
others?  I think the biggest gift I can give society is a conscientious,
caring person (my daughter).  I hope to instil in her a love of humanity.
What more can I do?

Sarah E. Dugan
(a friend of Dr. Bob and Bill W.)
"One Day At A Time"
-- 
                                        Sarah E. Dugan
																				(a friend of Dr. Bob and Bill W.)
																				"One Day At A Time"