I think that there is clearly a sexual bias within the law as the legal system has been and still is (for the most part) run by men. The laws against rape within our society are lax at best. Victims of rape have to live the rest of their life with the horrible memories of that event and deal with the emotional ramifications on themselves, their families, and their relationships with others. Many times the perpetrators of these crimes spend lest than five years in prison for a crime that I believe is on the same level as murder.
We consider murder to be a capital crime, punishable by death, because it is the act of taking away another person’s life. The rapist takes away a sense of security from their victims, which has led in some cases to the victim’s suicide or other self-inflictions of pain. There was a study conducted on the Penn State campus among the male students that asked whether or not they would rape a woman if they knew they could get away with it. Over 70% of those surveyed answered yes, that they would commit this atrocity if they thought they could get away with it. As a male myself I am ashamed that there are men out there who think this is right and that only the fear of punishment is preventing them from inflicting such pain upon someone innocent. What worries me most about this is that despite the progressively increasing numbers of minorities in positions of power within the government, the majority still rests with the male population. I hardly think that Penn State men are somehow an anomaly to the rest of the country. It has only been in the last 30 or so years that it has been made illegal for a man to rape his wife, which, considering how many politicians are ‘life-long’, shows that only more recently have rape laws been given serious consideration.
Judicial sexism, the results of which can be seen in the laws about rape and child molestation, hurts the entire country. The victims of these crimes are not only brutally traumatized by the act, but those who are close to them do as well.
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Rape laws are not as tough as they should be. As the author pointed out, the rape incident itself isn't all that hurt the victim but the emotional effects after, for example, insecurity. On the other hand, should rape really be held to the same level of murder? While both crimes are atrocious and should not be under-punished the slightest bit, the act of taking someones life is worse than any sex crime that does not result in the victims death itself. Where as rape victims still can live their lives to the best of their ability, victims of murder, well, are dead and cannot.
ReplyDeleteI agree that rape should be considered as serious as murder, as a rapist has forever changed their victim's life. What study was this though that said 70% of men would commit rape if they could? That is astounding, I could never fathom wanting to rape someone because it is extremely immoral and wrong. Did they do any followup with the people who answered as to why they would rape someone? I think knowing why people want to rape a woman (power or horny..-ness or something else?) would help develop ways to prevent rapes from occuring
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