Let’s start with the legal definition.

Forcible rape, as defined in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, is the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. Attempts or assaults to commit rape by force or threat of force are also included; however, statutory rape (without force) and other sex offenses are excluded.
Source: FBI UCR: Forcible rape.

I start here to avoid the argument on the misuse of the term rape for any silly or perceived sexual advance by those people who have the urge to feel insulted/aggrieved/victimized for attention purposes or other petty crap.

I have read about rape and what rape victims go through. And as much as I read and try to understand, I know I simply cannot fully understand the profound feelings a woman must go through every day after a rape. I can only empathize to a small degree when a woman tells her rape story and feel my guts twist in a knot of anger for not being able to stop it somehow. Rape and any violent crimes against Children are the two items I know I have to make an extra effort to control my inner Attila-The-Hun and not go for the rope after a verdict is rendered. In that sense,  truly admire cops and pity them: the amount of self-control that an officer responding a rape call, specially if the rapist is caught, has to be equal to the hermit saints of old.

Rapist (mostly on our side of the World) are assholes with a psychological urge to exercise power over a woman by means of traumatizing them in the possible worst way: through sex and the violation of their insides. It does not get any deeper than that short of murder. A victim of rape is targeted because they are perceived to be easily overpowered and it has to do nothing with the way they act, talk, dress or play the bongo. A woman can be wearing a full suit of armor and talk like Queen Victoria, but if a rapist sees her as possible sexual fodder, he’ll attack, can opener in hand. By the same token she can be starkers and swearing like a sailor on payday, but if she is perceived as one that will cause harm, she will be given a wide berth by the sexual predator. I know I am generalizing some and there is bound to be some asshole that may make the wrong decision and attack a non-victim, but I don’t think I am out of the ballpark on this one.

This takes me to the stupid politicization of rape and the controversy that led to SlutWalk. On January 24 of 2011, Constable Michael Sanguinetti of the Toronto Police Service said during a talk on crime prevention at York University: “I’ve been told I’m not supposed to say this – however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” Yes a bonehead thing to say but the reaction to his statement, SlutWalk was equally bonehead. Instead of focusing on demanding good tactics and procedures a woman can use to defend herself against a nutjob who does not give two craps about the law that already penalizes rape, what we got is one huge political rally that covered everything but. The blog Zombietime has a great collection of pictures for San Francisco’s SlutWalk 2011 and SlutWalk 2012 (warning, some sensitive people may find pics disturbing) go check them out and come back.

So two demonstrations did nothing more than muddy the waters and perpetuate myths and stupidity through political banter. For the “protesters” the causes of rape are the system, lack of penis control, capitalism, etc. And of course, it can be fixed by imposing more useless legislation and indoctrination on subjects totally unrelated to rape. Pretty much nothing was done to address the real issues behind rape and how to avoid it. As self-defense goes, sorry but Three Stooges-Jiu-Jitsu as demonstrated in this video is the equivalent of spank away an attacking bear with feather duster.

As with the fight we are having against Gun Control foes, it is the political B.B. that gets offered as solution and not addressing the real problems. Then again playing the Victim Card elicits a stronger emotional (and therefore more fulfilling) response than actually telling women they have to prepare to counter an attack by means of both real prevention (Avoidance, deterrence, de-escalation) or any weapon and training that would cut short an attack.

Apparently it is easier and more politically correct to wave banners and shout cute slogans than acquiring the knowledge to gut the living daylights of a rapist until a colostomy bag is part of his everyday life. A free timeshare at Potter’s Field is also acceptable in my opinion since recidivism by the rapist will be pretty much zero.