I Was a Victim: The Steubenville Rape Case is Not Isolated!!

I often put myself out there for others to see and judge. In my willingness to put a spotlight on the social issue of rape in our culture, my intention is to awaken many who deny that we have a huge problem in our society.

In my life, I have been many things, including a victim of rape and molestation.

The trial of the Steubenville Rape Case has reopened the wounds I have dealt with my whole life. I am not going to go into detail about my assaults. I am only here to have an open dialogue in defense of victims everywhere.

Statistics show according to RAINN: The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization: RAINN

EVERY 2 minutes, someone is sexually assaulted. EVERY 2 MINUTES!!!!!

Cases over the last few years:

India police arrest 5 in gang rape case
Feds charge man in gang rape of girl on cruise ship
Richmond High gang rape defendant gets 27 years
Meet Jane Doe
Just to name a few.

The facts in the Steubenville case are horrible and atrocious! But this is not the first time an incident like this has occurred in this country! Gang rape has been around for a while and while it makes news, I keep hearing the same old crap every time:These women are our mothers, daughters, sisters etc etc..... REALLY? What if we are not? What if we do not have a mother, sister or daughter? What does that make us??

WE ARE PEOPLE, NOT COMMODITIES!!!!!!

The Steubenville case had one woman who lives in the town and went on a mission. She wrote a blog and screen saved twitter posts from the perps...
Am The Blogger Who Allegedly “Complicated” The Steubenville Gang Rape Case -- And I Wouldn't Change a Thing

She writes about how she has been made to be such a horrible person to post and "gossip" about the towns CHERISHED football allstars...she writes:

I could not believe some of the things this young man was saying about this young girl. Things like “some people deserve to be peed on #whoareyou” and “you don't sleep through a wang in the butthole." I also knew that there was a 12:29-minute-long video as I had found a copy of the thumbnail on Google cache, and was mortified that it had been tagged with words such as “drunk” “rape” and “offensive.”

She continues her story highlighting how some of the perps actually tried to sue HER!!

Back to the whole mother, sister, daughter thing, one blogger so eloquently writes:
bellejarblog

The Steubenville rape victim was certainly someone’s daughter. She may have been someone’s sister. Someday she might even be someone’s wife. But these are not the reasons why raping her was wrong. This rape, and any rape, was wrong because women are people. Women are people, rape is wrong, and no one should ever be raped. End of story.

END OF STORY!!!
What are we doing wrong in this country and all over the world? Why are women seen with so little value? Is it ingrained in our DNA? Is it abuse in the family? Why are these young boys getting off in my opinion with a slap on the wrist?? WHY is the MEDIA DOWNPLAYING IT ALL to include the POTUS????

This victim will grow up and hopefully not fall into a hole of self destruction like I had done for years before pulling myself out and realizing that yes I was a victim and it wasn't my fault. People would say mean things to me like, if I wasn't so beautiful, or I must have asked for it, or what did I do to the guy?? Pathetic and dehumanizing.

How many victims are here on ATS? I bet a lot! How many here have thought about it themselves, or god forbid HAVE BEEN a perpetrator to the act? I care not to know actually. Just know that if you are and are reading this, WE ARE PEOPLE!!

I do not mind coming out about what happened to me. Maybe even people in town will recognize me, but I do not care. No one can hurt me anymore. If I can help just ONE person by this than it is worth it!

Women are not put on the Earth to be victims. If man and woman were created equal why don't WE AS A COLLECTIVE SPECIES started acting like it?

Blessings, Starwise

No means NO.
If a person is incapable of saying NO, that also equals NO.

In my more controversial militant far-fetched and impractical musings, I sometimes consider how nice it would be were someone to design an effective communicable airborne high-mortality plague keyed to target anyone and everyone with a Y chromosome.

Thoughts like this are of course wrong as there's nothing wrong with most men.
Still, it's abstractedly amusing to consider burning most to the field down to the soil to destroy all the weeds where an entirely new culture could be cultivated in its place.

It'd solve more problems worldwide than just sexual violence.
The entire geo-political theater and global political infrastructure as well as what issues are important and how they're addressed would change with an overwhelming majority population of Women.

It's a Science Fiction scenario that won't happen, but, a 80-90% female demographic would very definitely be quite different.
I don't think the boys left over would mind so much either; surrounded by girls, every boy would have a constant stream of variety to pursue and enjoy.

reply to post by Starwise


Starwise,

I, too, am a rape SURVIVOR. (I was never a victim), Some of the threads on ATS the last couple of days have brought back painful memories. I guess that's what living with PTSD will do to a person.

I, too, am outspoken (here) about my experience. Specifically, what it's like years later, how a single sound or smell can trigger a flashback, how even now I mistrust most men (not because they are untrustworthy, but because I'm afraid).

Sharing your experience can do wonders for your own healing and may even help someone who's struggling with similar experiences.

S&F

Rape only happens to women? and its always Men who do it?

I did not know that. Interesting.

Yeah Men can't get raped, they like sex.

That's pretty biased and sexist people don't even realize it.

If Men complains about rape... you get "man up".. i guess that's fair.

___

Steubenville rape victim was dumb. Period. I was a bit angry but i still feel it could have been avoided.

If a person is going to get drunk beyond their limit, without friends to have their back, men or women, they should be expecting things like this, especially at a party filled with horny teenagers.

Originally posted by smyleegrl
reply to post by Starwise

 

Starwise,

I, too, am a rape SURVIVOR.

Thank you, YES I am a SURVIVOR!

I'm a man, I was raped.

By a woman, too.

Don't try and tell me it can't and doesn't happen.

reply to post by TokiTheDestroyer


They usually say how most women don't come out with it to the authorities, NOW imagine how many men kept it in themselves?

because socially, Its okay for men to get raped. and its not a big deal

Originally posted by TokiTheDestroyer
I'm a man, I was raped.

By a woman, too.

Don't try and tell me it can't and doesn't happen.

Yes, men can be raped. And, if I dare suggest it....may suffer more psychologically bc of the stigma associated with male rape.

Originally posted by luciddream

If a person is going to get drunk beyond their limit, without friends to have their back, men or women, they should be expecting things like this, especially at a party filled with horny teenagers.

Well I did state that every 2 minutes someone is violated, if you check the RAINN link, it includes men and boys.
Men can be victimized too, but you never hear about a bunch of women gang raping a man, but I am most sure it happens in prison with men on men.

As far as your quote above, that is EXACTLY my point....your viewpoint of them having it coming is what is wrong!! Do you really think like that? How about if someone slipped a date rape drug into someone you care abouts 1 drink? Your reply is hurtful and typical of what is seriously wrong here.

We need to address this epidemic (yes it is) with courtesy and compassion.

Originally posted by luciddream

Steubenville rape victim was dumb. Period.

If a person is going to get drunk beyond their limit, without friends to have their back, men or women, they should be expecting things like this, especially at a party filled with horny teenagers.

Blame the victim. Always blame the victim.
She was just asking for it the way she was dressed.
She should have known better than to go that part of town.
She shouldn't have gone to the party alone.
Associating with those kinds of people was an invitation.
...

Essentially we should all wear burkas, and be escorted everywhere we go, and only then to approved places to do approved activities, otherwise we're asking for it?

It's attitudes like this that cause me to entertain scenarios illustrated in my previous post.

If most of the men on this planet were just ... gone, we wouldn't have this problem at all.
The left over men could be like domestic animals.

There were no winners in the trial.

My hope is that this becomes a learning tool for others.

It is not OK to take advantage of someone who is incapacitated under any circumstances.

I would like to see this become a conversation point for young people. We can all learn from the reporting of this crime.

reply to post by smyleegrl


Yeah, having a judge tell you that men are incapable of being raped messes you up pretty bad.

Although that being said, I have overcome and am married to a gorgeous woman and have a beautiful son.

reply to post by Druscilla

If most of the men on this planet were just ... gone, we wouldn't have this problem at all. The left over men could be like domestic animals.

I bet no body will ever see this message as vial and disgusting. Because it is but we are socially conditioned to look otherwise. Now fill the male with skin colour, race, religion.

Originally posted by TokiTheDestroyer
I'm a man, I was raped.

By a woman, too.

Don't try and tell me it can't and doesn't happen.

Who is trying to tell you it doesn't happen?
My statistics link speak of ALL statistics otherwise I would not have added the link.
Men can be raped too...

If our dialogue can help anyone then its worth speaking about.
Thanks for your reply

reply to post by Starwise


A judge told me it doesn't happen and is basically impossible.

Originally posted by luciddream
reply to post by Druscilla

 

If most of the men on this planet were just ... gone, we wouldn't have this problem at all. The left over men could be like domestic animals.

I bet no body will ever see this message as vial and disgusting. Because it is but we are socially conditioned to look otherwise. Now fill the male with skin colour, race, religion.

Yes it was harsh. But that is also what I am trying to focus on. What is wrong with us as a species? Why do we feel certain ways and why do we act out? Was it our upbringing? Is it in the DNA?

Now, I do not hate men. Quite the opposite. I am happily married for 13 years now with children. I teach them both about respecting everyone. But I also have them learning self defense and do teach them about real life scenarios so they can either be prepared or know what signs to watch for regarding the safety of their friends and family. You just never know. Like I said before, rape is rape period.

Originally posted by TokiTheDestroyer
reply to post by Starwise

 

A judge told me it doesn't happen and is basically impossible.

How horrible! It is not impossible. See the culture we live in? It is BANKRUPT!

I saw on CNN Threads this morning that FOX, CNN and MSNBC, leaked the victim's name. Wow and today a 15 yr old a 16 year (both female) are in lock up for making death threats. I love my family unconditionally,but I would NEVER attack a victim if a member of my family raped them. You are right this happens every day. I wonder how many schools, coaches and towns protect "sport stars" rapist?
I also think, she is someone's daughter, sister, mother & so on, is said because people try to get the idiots who protect these type of people to think what if? What if she was my daughter, sister, mother etc... As long as the guilty, who have given someone a life sentence, only get smacks on the hands, this kind of thing will keep happening. Until people who walk away knowing someone is being raped, until people who are required to report and don't, until people who know from word of mouth and text messages do nothing but joke about a rape are all held responsible for the parts they play, it will still take place. I know it won't stop it all together but it sure could save some. PTSD, is a life sentence!

Yea it does suck for a woman , however, fat,ugly and woman that don't wear clothes like they are in a MTV video don't usually get raped as often.

It's weird, its like the males of all species on this planet, animals alike. They all want the desirable mates. Is it right for a female to be clubbed and tossed over a guys shoulder like a caveman, NO, but one wonders why nature made the urge to pro-create so strong in males.Temptation and lust is a very powerful emotion. A lot of males have problems containing themselves when they see a desirable female.

Originally posted by Wildbob77
There were no winners in the trial.

My hope is that this becomes a learning tool for others.

It is not OK to take advantage of someone who is incapacitated under any circumstances.

I would like to see this become a conversation point for young people. We can all learn from the reporting of this crime.

Yes agree.