Western culture persists in seeing rape victims as somehow complicit in the crime; "What was she wearing? What was she doing alone at that time of night? She should have known something like this could happen"; and in writing off rape as somehow a part of male nature, when it's no such thing. To that extent, yes, there is a rape culture in the West. To the point that a large minority of Americans, including a distressing percentage of women, voted for a candidate who bragged on tape about committing sexual assault. They simply wrote it off as "boys will be boys".

@Paul4747 um no. “Boys will be boys” is used in the context of boys doing dumb things like dirtying up clothes their mom just washed by playing in a mud puddle. Rape is not written off as something within nature; it is human nature, considering the fact that many men and boys are the victims of sex crime, not counting those incarcerated. Who says that rape victims are complicit in their crime? That’s another strawman here. What she wearing pertains to her recollection of events and also, wearing more revealing clothing like a mini-skirt makes you a very appealing target. Also, being alone makes a woman an easy mark. It is better that she goes somewhere with a friend(s). It is funny that the term “rape culture” is thrown around but has diddly squat to do with actual rape. By the way, we live in a society that condemn rape and punished those that are found guilty of it with very harsh sentences. We also live in a society that demands a burden of proof.

@Heavykevy1985 I wonder how you would feel if you lived in a society where it was better for you if you had to go places with friends for safety's sake, or wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt in the summer made you a target for predatory (and larger and stronger) gay males. I'm guessing that you'd want these issues addressed. Whether this could be accurately be labelled "rape culture" is up for debate but I hope you can see that there are real issues here.

@Heavykevy1985

What she wearing pertains to her recollection of events and also, wearing more revealing clothing like a mini-skirt makes you a very appealing target

Again, this has nothing to do with it. Rape is a crime of violence, not sex. Rape victims range from 3 year olds to women in their 90s. They are not targeted because they're wearing sexy clothes, but because they are in a position of vulnerability. Asking questions like "What were you wearing? Why were you in the parking lot at that time? Where were you going?" is a subtle but implicit form of victim-blaming; it plants the seeds of doubt, raising the question in the victim's mind about whether she bears some responsibility for her own rape. Women have the right to wear what they want, go where they want, do what they want, without fear. And questioning otherwise is in fact what a rape culture does.

Rape is not "human nature" any more than murder is human nature. It's a crime.

And you took my words out of context; the "boys will be boys" reference was in regards to the excusers of Donald Trump after the Access Hollywood tape came out. Of his remarks about "grabbing women by the pussy", he said it was "just locker room talk". And 47% of voters apparently accepted it, even conservative Christians. Personally, I've never been in a locker room where we bragged about committing sexual assault.

@Heavykevy1985 Even when rape kits , put together by putting the rape victim through the process , after she was raped , for the most part , are NEVER processed . There would be many fewer rapes if the kits were processed and the rapists caught and jailed , or better yet , castrated .

@Heavykevy1985 there absolutely is a rape culture in the USA. To deny it would be as ignorant and tone-deaf as attempting to deny the existence of racism.

@Paul4747 no I did not. The “grab them by the pussy” pertains to the comment he made with Billy Bush in a production van. He is saying as a billionaire, he can do things regular people cannot do. Trump Derangement Syndrome is strong in you.

@Deb57 Really? Prove it.

@Cast1es Castration would be cruel and unusual punishment. Also, who are they going to test the rape kits against? You have to have a suspect. Thank goodness that we do not have people like you running things.

, @Paul4747 again, not victim-blaming. Of course she can wear what she wants but you can do things that mitigate the risk of rape. Dumb statement you made there. That would be like saying “I am not locking the door to my house because you should not be stealing.”

@Heavykevy1985

He is saying as a billionaire, he can do things regular people cannot do.

Like commit sexual assault. Multiple women have described him doing just that. He has also walked in unannounced on nude and topless beauty pageant contestants, some in their teens. He makes no bones about being a sex predator. It's beyond me how pointing this out supposedly reflects some type of hatred in me, and yet defending this behavior does not reflect a willful ignorance in his supporters; apparently you are one of them.

I'm through pointing out the obvious. Good day.

@Paul4747 um no. Those accusations were never proven. Women like Stormy Daniels are more than willing participants

@Heavykevy1985 Good grief.

[usatoday.com] None of these 19 women is Stormie Daniels. None of them are sex workers. None of them invited Trump's attentions. And they are almost certainly not the only ones, just the ones who have gone public- at great cost to themselves, when people like you question their motives, their honesty, and their complicity.

I can't decide if you're just incredibly uninformed or willingly ignorant of everything Trump has done. Because "He's a billionaire and can do things regular people can't."

Can you, in any degree of honesty, imagine if it were "Bill Clinton" and not "Donald Trump" in these allegations and then tell me you would not be outraged by his conduct?

Once again, goodbye.

@Paul4747 once again, no evidence

My first response to the original post was polite. Since then I have seen how rude @Heavykevy1985 has been to other members of our community, and I've looked at his other posts, including one where he describes former sexual partners as "fucks". He seems like your typical Trumpist misogynist right down to the "not proven" defence so beloved of holocaust deniers, creationists and delusionalists everywhere. I'm blocking him.

@Gareth
Comment retracted after correction

@Paul4747 Sincere apologies - you are quite correct. I meant the OP - "Heavykevy1985" and have corrected my post accordingly.

@Gareth Much obliged, my comment updated to reflect same.

@Heavykevy1985 how would you like that proof? The results of my last rape test be good enough?

@Deb57 anecdotal evidence is not proof. Reason that rape is so hard to prosecute is the victim is the evidence for one. I am sorry to hear about what happened to you but you getting raped is not indicative of a rape culture in this country. Rape is illegal and is punished more severe than murder, strangely enough.

@Heavykevy1985 Spare me the pretend compassion. You have made it clear that you know very little about what is involved in reporting and prosecuting a rape case. Rape culture in the United States is very real and alarmingly prevalent, and your toxic comments are certainly proof as to why.

@Deb57 no. 87% of rapes are prosecuted and the perpetrators are convicted. Without even debunking any of my points, you try to use circular reasoning to try to uphold your premise, which is patently false.

@Heavykevy1985 I don't know where you got your numbers, but I don't believe you. I don't care about debunking your "points." You don't matter enough to me to bother. I recognize the incel behavior from a distance and don't care to interact any further.

@Deb57 incel: default insult of a leftard with no argument

@Heavykevy1985 my goodness! Well, at least you keep your red flags out where women can see them. That's good.

"...Had sex with an underage woman" is one of the ugliest lies ever perpetuated. There is never an incident where that isn't rape. Call it rape.

@Deb57 I agree with almost everything said in response to the ridiculous claims made by Heavykevy, but I can't really agree with this. "Underage" is an arbitrary classification that varies significantly by location and circumstance. Would you consider a couple that can legally have sex in one location having it be classified as rape when they consensually had sex while on vacation in an area whose conservative laws deemed one of them underage? What about a couple whose ages allowed them to have sex one day, and then the very next day on one of their 18th birthdays made it a crime? It's not as black and white as you are suggesting.
That said, I don't believe anything Trump has done would classify simply as sex with an underage woman. He's pretty open about being a disgusting sexual predator.

@Gwendolyn2018

Unfortunately you are absolutely right!!!

Their declaration they are agnostic is usually just BS, they believe what their religious dogma delivered to them in their very early formative years!!!

@Gwendolyn2018

I wish I could apologize for all these deranged demented delusional maleS!!!

I am not one of those you prays upon weaker individuals of either sex!!!

I have had too live among so many mentally disabled individuals all my life!!!

Most if not all families are deranged and dysfunctional!!!

I did not have children do to that fact!!!

I did not want to have a chance of causing more dysfunction down the road!!

@Gwendolyn2018

I was not referring that you thought all men are driven that way!!!

No need to apologize!!!

Rape is all about power and control.

And rage

Besides....look at all the rapes in the bibble! Notice that "Thou shalt not rape" is NOT on the BIG TEN list!

@LucyLoohoo It's not even included amongst the other 30 + contained in the Wholey Babble btw.

Check out the 3 main Abrahamic based religions, EVERY one of them condones Rape.
Hinduism places women/females on a much lower level than they do with even the cows, Catholicism, despite all its blow and bluster still sees women as little more than walking 'baby making machines,' we all know and realize the status women have in Islam.

@LucyLoohoo I keep posting how Moses was a mass rapist. When the chosen beat the amalakites and other tribes, the spoils consisted of virgins that Moses gave to his minions and himself. As most of you probably know Sally Hemings was 13 or 14 when Jefferson started his sexual relationship with her, which most certainly was not consensual. It is now known that Madison had a child with with one of his slaves; the Madison who wrote the first amendment of free expression. Was his slave exhibiting her right of free expression by having his baby?

@LucyLoohoo, @Triphid To follow up. I could be really cynical and ask, is this what the MAGA people want? Is it so men can emulate those founding fathers??

And it's just sooooo satisfying to realize that I have a personal friend in the sky, looking at everything I do and taking notes. (I think that's satisfying.) (Or is it?)

@LucyLoohoo no, creepy!

@LucyLoohoo But...but...but, if you believe in Magical Sky Beings that might help you, then you also must believe in Deep Dark Evil Underground Monsters that go bump in the night.

@Gwendolyn2018 I'm convinced that rape got started when the first male bonked a passing female with his club and enjoyed subduing her.

@Gwendolyn2018 I'm always amused when people say "Prostitution's the world's oldest profession." NOPE! Cave-dwelling women didn't charge for sex....they were raped! I think story-telling (which includes ''ministers'' was the first profession. I'll bet they were paid when they told stories...the way it is in Africa.

@Gwendolyn2018 I'd like to think there were female story-tellers....ways to quiet the kids, etc. We DO know that many of those ''hand prints'' painted in caves were of female hands and it's not unreasonable to imagine they did the art, too.