BIden: Rape is Rape!

[nmbluesky]

In a recent speech at the University of New Hampshire, Vice President Joe Biden recounted the story of a college freshman he called Jenny.

Jenny was raped after a party on campus. She tried to pursue a case against her rapist only to be asked if she had been drinking, what she was wearing, and whether she was dancing. The university never took action against her assailant.

As Biden said, "Rape is rape is rape."

Yet each year the FBI omits hundreds of thousands of rapes from its Uniform Crime Report (UCR) because it’s using an 80-year-old definition of rape.

The FBI’s outdated definition of rape is limited to "the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will."

Sign the petition to tell the FBI to update their definition to include all forms of rape.

The FBI’s flawed definition of rape excludes any form of sexual assault that falls outside of the narrowest understanding of heterosexual sex, including the rape of men and boys as well as transgender people.

The emphasis on "forcible" rape also means that the rape or assault of women with physical or mental disabilities and those who were unconscious or under the influence of drugs and alcohol – like Jenny -- are often excluded.

The FBI’s 2007 Uniform Crime Report listed 91,874 "forcible rapes," but some estimates suggest the actual number may be 24 times higher.

The FBI's underreporting of rapes translates to less federal funding for police departments nationwide to test rape kits -- and fewer investigators bringing rapists to justice.

Sign here to tell the FBI to update its definition of rape to address and end sexual assault:

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-the-fbi-rape-is-rape

Thanks for taking action,

- Shelby and the Change.org team

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-the-fbi-rape-is-rape?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&alert_id=WqIorhKQzm_zsazZryZMS

[pnwmom]

1. So we change the law so that it doesn't specify "female" -- good.

And then we change it so that people who are "under the influence of drugs or alcohol" can't give consent.

So what happens when a male and a female, both under the influence, have sex? Are they both guilty of rape?

[Fearless]

3. One must be accused of rape to be charged with rape.

Either party COULD charge the other with rape. Yes. In fact it already is true in many states.

[pnwmom]

6. But if there is no force involved,

and both parties are drinking, how would it ever be decided that one of the two woozy-consenters was a rapist?

[saras]

11. Who cares? If they're both too impaired to consent, let the law deal with them both.

[KT2000]

2. Good for Biden

I wish he was our president.

[nmbluesky]

4. Well I still love Obama

Biden still best Vice President ever

[Beacool]

5. Rape on campus is a widespread problem and occurs far more often than universities care to admit.

Excessive use of alcohol is prevalent at frat parties and any other party I ever went to while in college. One year a girl was gang raped by several frat boys and they almost closed every fraternity and sorority. I remember a study that had been done by another university and the findings were scary. They had asked male students whether they would force a girl to have sex if they knew that they could get away with it. The shocking result was that 48% responded yes. These were the future doctors, lawyers, architects, etc.

Because rape is so rampant, girls and women in general should exercise caution and common sense. Don't go to a party alone if you don't know the people. Don't get so drunk that you lose the ability to be aware of your actions and surroundings. I live in a town that is full of yuppies in their 20s and 30s. On Friday and Saturday nights there are girls on the streets who can't even stand up by themselves. This is dumb behavior. Have fun, but know when to stop drinking.

;)

[pnwmom]

7. Excellent advice for the girls.

And for the boys, I would add: don't have sex with a willing girl who is drinking. Because she could end up charging you with rape -- and the fact that you were drinking, too wouldn't be a defense.

Doesn't seem fair to me, though . . . .

[Beacool]

8. Someone who is very drunk is obviously not thinking clearly.

When in doubt, a guy should stay away because a semi conscious girl cannot consent. Women need to learn to use common sense, but that applies to men too. Guys need to realize that no means NO and stop. They need to think before they act or they may live to regret their behavior for years to come. A moment of gratification does not make up for a lifetime of regrets. One careless act is not worth one's future.

:(

[pnwmom]

9. And a guy who is very drunk isn't thinking clearly, either.

If the law is changed to recognize that a man can be raped, and a woman has sex with him - and they're both under the influence -- why would he be a rapist and she a victim? Why couldn't she be the rapist and he the victim? Or maybe, if there's no force, they're just a couple of drunk people having sex?

[LiberalFighter]

10. Campus security need to take their job seriously.

[Odin2005]

12. K&R