There's a difference between acceptable and tempting fate.
Let's say that I'm rich. I dress up in expensive clothes, deck myself with rings and alight from my Maserati with a cool pair of shades. I don't know if you've ever had such an experience with rich people before, but when I see such overtly rich people I'll be thinking "Wao he's rich", and proceed to stare for a bit.
Or maybe I'm driving a BMW convertible. I'm driving along Orchard Road and I have my roof down. My stereo is booming non-stop and I'm oblivious to the irritation it's causing the people around me. I have to stop at the intersection for a red light, and while I'm waiting for green, everyone crossing the road in front of me turns to stare at this inconsiderate person, probably wishing for me to be robbed some day because I don't deserve the flamboyant lifestyle I'm apparently leading.
But I kid myself. This is Singapore, and Singapore is relatively safe. You can do all these without having anyone rob you off the streets just like that.
What if you're in a less secure part of the world? Would you still dare to flaunt your wealth when you know that robberies are so common that the police don't even respond to that? No, you clam up, probably don't drive at all, and you'd wear plain clothes and bring less money out even if you're filthy rich.
Is robbery acceptable? I mean, you work hard, you work smart, you've earnt yourself piles and piles of cash. Yea, you probably deserve to be rich. Nobody else should be able to usurp your riches just because they are jealous or just not capable of getting it themselves.
Which leads me to my point...
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Now, I have to say this. I think rape should be condemned. I think rapists should be hanged, and I hate the fact that rape still exists even though we're supposedly living in a civilized world. But at the same time, I'm not a feminist.
I don't think that short skirts can be blamed for igniting a rapist's intentions to defile someone else's body, and that it's really the rapist's fault that he has this psychological problem of forcing someone to have sex with him. I agree that the victim is not at fault, and not to be blamed for wanting to appear attractive.
But like the rich man I've described above, it's so much easier to not leave things in the society's hands. Don't drive your convertible into slums. Similarly, don't dress up (or down, depending on how you define dressing) to go clubbing only to get totally wasted and not have someone take care of you when you're lying on the floor totally wasted. You're just, really, seriously, asking for trouble. I hate that I have to say this, and I really think that you're still to be pitied, but if we're to look at it on a case-by-case basis, the rape victim in a war-zone is definitely much more innocent than you are. You're a victim of the same crime, but you could've taken so many more steps to avoid getting into such a compromised situation, and let's be honest here:
You did not have to put yourself in such a compromising situation in the first place.
I cannot speak for the entire male population. But whenever I see a girl dressed like a loose woman (read: slut), I'll think "she's gonna get raped some day". Look, I totally understand that she might not even be dressing up for a guy, she might be lesbian for all I know, she might not even want to attract attention, but........that's just a societal view and I hope that she won't dress like that.
The onus is still on the males to keep their penises in their pants. But do you really have to do this to tempt fate? It won't be your fault, no, it's still the guy's lack of discipline. Sluts don't deserve to be raped either, but do you have to attract the attention of rapists in the first place?
Why get raped and then play the blame game if you can choose not to get raped in the first place?
I believe that most rape cases in Singapore are date rapes or drunk girls being forced to have sex against their will. Brutal raping, like when the female victim is fully aware and abducted is rare..I think. I'm not sure, I didn't research. If you're dressed like a slut, guys would think that your inhibitions are as low as your class. They would lower your inhibitions even more by trying to get you drunk and compliant, and then get you to a hotel room when you're wasted or completely unaware of what they are trying to do to you.
And having sex with a girl who is under the effect of alcohol is considered rape.
Until the world becomes a better place with civilized people who won't take advantage of you when you're down, please stop tempting people like me. I don't have the balls to do it, but that doesn't mean that others don't.
-- 10/07/2012 11:15:00 PM