I would like to discuss a topic today that I have been very conflicted about. I am not conflicted about the concept; however I am conflicted about my theory. There are times that we deal with such difficult subjects that one doesn’t want to seem to condone them in anyway. Now, to quit being so vague, my topic today revolves around rape. It is one of the worst acts of humanity and unfortunately a huge part of our everyday world. One out of three woman has been or will be sexually assaulted in her life time. Seriously? One of three? That means if you have a mother and two sisters, your mother or two aunts, or any three women you hold close – at least one of them has been sexually assaulted… and if not, then she will be. Rape tears the soul, breaks the spirit, and forces someone to rebuild themselves from a foundation of pain and degradation.
So what do I have to say about this? Well, before I got into much more detail I want to clarify a few things. Rape is about power, violence, and control. Sexual assaults more often than not lead to murders or horrendous physical assaults. It is a way of controlling another person through their most intimate of connections. A common misconception is that only “beautiful” women get raped, and “ugly” ones don’t have to worry; but when it comes down to it, the act has nothing to do with aesthetics.
This is an excerpt from Rape Prevent Education:
Question 1 - Why do people rape?
"Many people think that rape and sexual abuse is about the rapist trying to get sex. However, studies conducted with convicted rapists show that this isn't the case. Research shows that men who sexually offend often do so to gain a sense of power and authority, while women sexually offend often to either maintain or establish an emotional relationship. Sexual activity is the means by which this is achieved, not the reason for the rape."
"Many people think that rape and sexual abuse is about the rapist trying to get sex. However, studies conducted with convicted rapists show that this isn't the case. Research shows that men who sexually offend often do so to gain a sense of power and authority, while women sexually offend often to either maintain or establish an emotional relationship. Sexual activity is the means by which this is achieved, not the reason for the rape."
The motivations behind sexual assaults are grave and horrifying, far from the “sex offenders” that happen to be idiotic teenagers who made the stupid mistake of streaking across their football game. The pedophiles, the men and occasional women who use drugs, the people who coerce through physical, mental, or emotional means, not to mention sexual offenders in other dark areas are hard to compare to the hormone driven “streaker” that is trying to fulfill his “fraternity” type initiations.
What I would like to talk about today then is the rapes that occur when after the consensual sex has started and one party decides they don’t want to continue. Certainly be all means, this is request that should be carried out. My thinking here though is that it is not always easy for a man to stop after intercourse has started. I am not trying to justify anything here; rather I am encouraging a greater consideration before any relations happen. Sex is an intimate and personal act. It allows someone to literally be a part of you even if only for a few minutes. It is the beginning of life, an act of pleasure and affection, and a way to give part of yourself to another person. Because sex is such an intimate and personal act it should only be done with those we truly care for and are happy to give part of ourselves too. Sex should never be to relieve an “itch”, done out of border or obligation, or just to get it over with. This truly is the greatest gift one can give another person, and should be done so under great consideration. Even if one is only thinking about positional life, to have a child with another person connects the two individuals for life. So, does it not make sense to be sure the person you are engaging in this connection with is someone you care for deeply? That they are an individual who you would not mind always having a connection with, having part of them and vice versa, and that you are willingly to enter body and soul into this action with?
What seems to happen on too many occasions is that two people begin intercourse and after the act has begun one party realizes they are not ready and wishes to stop. More often than not this is the woman. As I said before, that is her right and if she wants to stop then it should – but that request is not always carried out easily. Years of reproduction and biological pruning have made our bodies procreating machines with the objective of creating new life. When a man becomes sexually aroused, blood must fill his genitalia for the act to occur. After some research, I found that during arousal a man has around 2.5 ounces of blood circulating through his genitalia around every 2 two minutes. That is about ¼ of a cup, it is also the same amount of blood that the average heart pumps every minute, and the same amount of blood needed to circulate so that the brain can make rational decisions. After sexual arousal, the body is also flooded with testosterone and other hormones. In women, there are more receptors for these hormones in the brain, allowing for more rational thinking however; men not only have a lack of blood but they do not absorb the hormones nearly as quickly. Could you imagine someone asking you to do stop and rationally think about something when you are losing ¼ of a cup of blood every two minutes?
So, I am not trying to justify anything here, but I am asking for more consideration before engaging in intercourse… To be clear here, there are certainly situations where one is forced into the act and may release after it has started that they do not want to continue but they have too…. That is rape, and is an act of control or anger.
There are a few more points I would like to bring up… The individuals who do carry out sexual assaults should be taken much more seriously than they are. Rape normally carries 7 to 15 year jail sentence, along with sex offender registration for life… HOWEVER there is little to no psychological or clinical evidence that sex offenders can reform their actions. It can safely be said that most if not all sex predators will act again, normally with more violence then before. As I stated earlier, sexual assaults are also a gate way to murders. So, should we really let sex offenders out only to wait for them to strike again?
No comments:
Post a Comment