Reply #71: There's nothing wrong with your advice

[lukasahero]

Hi LeighAnn, I don't recognize your name - which means nothing in the scheme of things because it's not like I know everybody or anything but it might mean that you aren't familiar with all that's been going on in these parts lately. This forum in particular has become a stomping ground for folks who want to place responsibility for everything negative that women face in our society on the women who face it rather than on the people who perpetrate it.

Your words of advice are sound but given that they come after the girl mentioned in the OP has been raped, it does sound a little like you were blaming her for being stupid enough to get raped. With so many here now in "hyper-alert" status, I'm afraid you might have gotten caught in the cross-fire.

Yes, women should protect themselves every day. Yes, we should be smart. But no, we should never, ever, ever get raped because we let our guard down for a moment. We should be vigilant but men shouldn't rape us if we have a moment of weakness and actually trust a man. I wonder how many guys reading this understand that's how we live now when they complain about us not being open and welcoming their advances?