National Review Writer's Horrendous Rape Column Sparks Backlash

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

A recent National Review column about rape has spurred a flurry of horrified reactions.

On Monday, writer A.J. Delgado attributed the rising number of rapes reported on college campuses to more women simply "crying rape."

There was plenty of backlash, with Slate's Katy Waldman calling the claim the National Review's "most wildly offensive premise yet," and Cosmopolitan managing editor Alie Martell calling the piece the "worst ever article published."

Investigations of college rape reports = EXTREME FEMINISM according to this worst ever article published http://t.co/lTStgjna7P

— Alie Martell (@aliemartell) May 21, 2014

This was even more awful than I expected. RT @NRO: 'Crying Rape': Is there really a rape epidemic? Probably not. http://t.co/nJ2I1Wf7PS

— Rachel Cohen (@rmc031) May 20, 2014

Uh oh, looks like @missAJDelgado didn't get the GOP memo to stop using the term "legitimate rape." http://t.co/tptgJd80xO

— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) May 21, 2014

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/21/national-review-crying-rape-women_n_5366009.html

[DonCoquixote]

1. Nice to know MRA stupidity

is not merely confined to Discussionist. Hoever, the idiot at National review is supposedly an educated professional that actually gets paid to spew their crap.

[surrealAmerican]

2. This is more than a "one idiot" problem.

The editorial staff (i don't know how many people that might be in this case) needed to approve this story for publication. They share in the responsibility.

[nxylas]

10. I'm sure they had heated discussions on the topic

"I reckon we'll get 10,000 extra web hits by publishing this shit!"
"10,000? Try 50,000!"

[11 Bravo]

13. I'm pretty sure that the author of this particular bit of MRA stupidity is a W.

[maggiesfarmer]

3. I am 100% positivve that I've never once heard a feminist...

"pushing the notion that women claiming they were raped should always be believed and never questioned". I don't believe it's likely, but if there are, feminists on DU who don't advocate for due process for rape cases, I'm very interested in hearing their reasoning. Note, deliberate use of terms "questioning" and "due process" in lieu of "victim shaming" and "intimidation" (which most people, never mind feminists, find objectionable).

I do agree with the author's point that current wording of laws around intoxication and consent seem to go to far. For example, I lived in Virginia for several years where, by law, an intoxicated woman cannot give consent to sex. Legally, in the state of Virginia, if my wife and I engage in what both of would consider consensual sex while she's intoxicated (something that happened more than once), I'm guilty of rape. however, i'm not aware of these laws being enforced in these situations and my intuition is that the author is painting a worst-case, what-if scenario that doesn't actually contribute to the rape statistics. The issue of intoxication and consent is interesting -- how do your word legislation that allows consensual sex between couples where one (or both) parties are legally intoxicated but protects the party who really can't make a sound decision? It's a tough issue, I'm sure -- and one that I've only given a little thought to.

[chervilant]

4. I think you know the difference

between "raping" your intoxicated wife, and having "consensual sex" with your intoxicated wife. Also, for more information about the impetus behind these laws, watch "The Bro Code."

[maggiesfarmer]

5. yes, you're absolutely correct -- I know the difference, but the laws don't seem to

[noiretextatique]

6. the laws are only "confusing" to rapists

And their apologists. Normal people do not fret about these laws.

[bettyellen]

7. isn't the standard incapacitation? Seems very clear to me.

[maggiesfarmer]

8. you're right, but I didn't understand what "inconpacitated" meant in this context until I took a

women's study class at University. "inconpacitated" doesn't imply passed out drunk which is what I had imagined, rather "is determined by how the alcohol consumed impacts a person’s decision-making capacity, awareness of consequences, and ability to make informed judgments"

I'm not having luck finding the relevant court rulings, but here's my source: http://www.virginia.edu/sexualviolence/sexualassault/

To restate what I said above: I don't know of any cases where this issue has led to prosecution of someone not guilty of what most reasonable people would consider rape. I don't see this as a problem that necessarily deserves immediate debate. My only point is that wording of the laws and court rulings (as discussed in women's study class at a state college), implies that they could convict someone of rape for having what most would consider consensual sex with a legally intoxicated person.

We had a great debate on this in my class -- I learned a lot in that course. I remember that I was excited to have an actual professor teaching over a summer session. If there are any male college students (or future students) consider if your school offers a WS program, it was much more interesting than I expected going in.

[bettyellen]

11. I'm sure if there ever was a court case where this happened- it would have been flogged all over GD

When you look at stats on how often police decline to follow up or DAs prosecute, I am sure a fair amount of cases are where the victim is incapaciated, or felt they were. Very hard to make good witnesses out of them, even when they deserve justice as much as sober victims. Look at the poor young girl from Stubenville, a lot of people claimed she was a willful participant while many many described her as sick, out cold and appearing to be dead. I guess she moved a limb and an eye flickered open, and someone mistook that for consent.

[blkmusclmachine]

9. ,

,

[BumRushDaShow]

12. Maybe the article was

meant for the "National Lampoon" instead of the "National Review"?

These RW loons just can't help themselves. The GOP can't put their evil genies back in the bottle.

[McCamy Taylor]

14. Anonymous surveys have always showed that women dramatically under report rape.

Therefore, if more women are reporting, they still probably are not getting even the tip of the iceberg.

[lark]

15. So true!

When I worked as a rape counselor, the callers almost never wanted to go to to the hospital or call the police, they were just plain terrified and often blamed themselves, especially if it was "date rape". Even one woman who got dragged off the street blamed herself for walking alone at night. I spent most of my time trying to convince them they didn't cause this and to get tested and report it, fight back.

[IronLionZion]

16. She's a blonde Ted Cruz Tea Party loyalist

who cares what A.J. Delgado thinks about anything? She's making the case that liberals are brainwashing women and coercing them towards false accusations. She claims rape culture is a liberal myth designed to indoctrinate college women to vote for liberal politicians.

National Review looks for the most radical right wing people of color they can find to speak against civil rights and they do the same for women and women's rights. Don't be surprised if you see some log cabin republican there try to make the case against gay rights or a muslim person to claim profiling isn't so bad or some nonsense.

This rag is still predicting 2014 is going to be a big win for tea party never mind their embarassing losses on super tuesday.