Statistics

Hi, and welcome to another episode of What Really Chaffs My Nuts. There is so much out there right now that I could talk about that rubs me the wrong way. There's this to begin with:

 So this dude is suing the rescuers who saved him from drowning. The only thing that I have to say about that is where is FEMA when you need them? What I mean by that is you'd have a better chance of surviving a gunshot wound in Detroit than receiving adequate care from that organization. In other words to make myself clear, if the man is going to sue the individuals who saved him then maybe he didn’t deserve the saving. Now that doesn’t mean he should have died, but maybe if he hadn’t received the help that saved his life then perhaps he wouldn’t be behaving like such a scum bag. 

Then there is the woman in North Carolina. Check this one out:

This woman dialed 911 all because of marinara sauce. I can't even image what that incident was like, but it probably involved cottage cheese thighs, daisy dukes, Mountain Dew, and Oxycontin. I think I went the wrong way with that one, but still it was kinda funny. It does make you wonder though. At least I do. What would she do if someone coughed? Would she give them tracheotomy?  If she got bleach on her hands would she call poison control? A little water in her basement, would she call FEMA? It makes you wonder what she would be willing to do if there was a real emergency doesn't it? Who knows? But that's not what I'm gonna be focusing on. This topic is going to be issue of rape on college campus.

Rape is a horrific crime. It's a deep volition that can rip apart the victims life. It is estimated that every two minutes someone is sexually assaulted. 237,868 are victims of crime every year. However that may not be the worst of it. 60% of rapes are not reported, and 97% of rapist never sees a day in jail. Then to top it a friend or an acquaintance of the victim commits all off most rapes, which is probably why most rapes are not reported. Those statistics I obtained from RAINN (rape, abuse, and incest national network). Here is the link you can go to for those statistics: sexual-assault-victims.

That is a mouthful, all those number. However, they are statistics and in all honesty, they aren't completely accurate. Still, it is pretty appalling that there is some truth to those numbers. Those numbers also sound like Jimmy Page's wet dream. If you don't know who I'm talking about then look him up. Here are a few key words: Led Zeppelin, kidnapping, underage, and Stockholm syndrome. I'm emphasizing the key words kidnapping, rape, and Led Zeppelin.

Anyway, a light has recently been shown on these incidents that have been occurring on college campus for so long. It is an epidemic that has result in Title IX complaints and lawsuits around the country. I'll explain what Title IX in a moment. A White House task force (The White House Task Force To Protect Students from Sexual Assault to be specific) to combat this epidemic has issued guidelines that emphasis on bystander intervention, transparency for all allegations, and nationwide surveys. They are very good starts towards educating, solving, and preventing a crime that has become an epidemic on many college campuses. Another positive aspect of the task force is the focus on the need to change the attitudes of young males, and college officials. In this case changing the idea that holding a "Pig Party" doesn't mean that ugly girls need your loving no matter what. It means changing the idea that booze and roofies do not equate to the word yes, or a proper first date. It also means changing the idea that being a star athlete is a viable reason to be excused from the consequences of your actions. These are great ideas, but to me there still seems to be a larger issue that isn't being identified. That is Social standing.

What I mean by social standing is some one's place in the pecking order. When College officials cover or excuse actions because of a student's/staff's importance to the school itself there is a problem. When the president of the United States has to choose the members of the task force that in this case is taking on the issue of sexual assault in colleges, there is a fuckin' problem.  When being in a relationship with Chris Brown on PCP seems to be more promising and secure than higher education something just isn’t right. What could be said to be even more troubling is that it is mirrored back to us by norms incidents in the military, and even at high schools.    

I think that one of the problems, and please do not interpret this as me being self-righteous, are that those goals of the task force need to be extended out from the college to the rest of the world.  Like I had mentioned, with numerous cases having cropped up at high schools, and the military as well it would seem that there needs to be more public awareness. Don't get me wrong; many have taken steps to try to make changes, as this task force is proof of as well as the work of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY. Sen. Gillibrand had drafted a letter to the task force asking for greater transparency into title IX investigations. Title IX is part of a federal law that requires schools that receive federal funds to treat male and female students equal. It includes everything from educational opportunities to safe environments for the students to coexist in. For more information on Title IX her is a link to check out: www.titleix.info. My point is that it says a lot about who we are as a society when pro athletes 

can do everything short of take over the world with a death ray, but a gay athlete comes out and the very 

Heavens shake. That kind of makes you wonder.

When it is okay for a prestigious college to cover up the actions of one of their football coaches, a 

pedophile, to prevent a media circus rather than shining a good light on the situation by doing the right 

thing. That college by the way is Penn State. So in this case maybe it's the consequences of privilege.  

What I mean by the consequences are the advantages of privileges. For example The Penn State child sex scandal. While that had to deal with staff, it still is a perfect example of how privilege was used as an excuse for excusing horrific actions. A case that is exactly what I am talking about is The Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston rape case that revealed cover-ups on both the schools and the law enforcement's part.

Another example that is outside of guidelines of this rant but that still illustrates my point would be Sean Penn. Sean Penn is just a prick first off. In his early days he'd beat, hit, and dangle paparazzi off of rooftops. What we really let him get away with was the binding, and assault of his ex-wife Madonna. While on a bender, Sean Penn tied up his then wife Madonna and then preceded to both verbal and physically assaulted her for hours. But it was Sean Penn, so after a couple of years of charity work and two Oscars we all forgot. By the way, Sean Penn is a bad person. Sean Penn is almost as bad a person as Rachael Ray. I swear Rachael Ray looks like she is just holding things together by a thread. I think that one day her skin will crack and shatter revealing a rage monster that will teach us how to make a 15-minute meal out of her agent rather than chicken cutlets.

 

The point that I am trying to make is that wealth, talent, prestige stereotypes, and saving face shouldn't be reasons to dismiss those who have been victimized. Youthful exuberance should not be an excuse for such things as rape. Rank also shouldn't be a reason either. Just because we think someone is the bee's knees doesn't mean it's cool. If someone commits a crime they should pay the price regardless of who they are. But more importantly maybe we need to change our attitude towards crimes like rape. Maybe if we work harder to create an environment where the victim can feels safe, and isn't possibly going to victimized again then maybe some good will come out of it. If we (as in all of us) can do that then maybe some of these brutal acts could be prevented, and those guilty of crime can be punished. The perpetrators can be punished justly regardless of who they are. Oh, and by the way, just in case you think I need to get my pedestal let me remind you that I am a colossal asshole. Just ask my wife sometime, she'll tell you.  

So before I leave you here is one last statistic to remember; a 2002 study had found that 6% of college students had raped or attempted to rape someone, and each one had committed on average 5.8 rapes each. That is a lot! So while you ponder that I will leave you. 

Until the next rash,

Lou Ford.

P.S.

Next time you see Rachael Ray remember that there is a succubi waiting to tear through her meat suit, and swallow your soul. 

FIN