So over on the Men’s Rights subreddit, the top post at the moment (with more than 370 net upvotes) is a link to this image:
If I might hazard a guess: that’s because IT HAS YOU NUMBSKULLS.
Sigh. Let’s look at a little chart showing the striking decline in the incidence of rape we’ve seen in the last 30 years.
This is based on data from the National Crime Victimization Survey. Some have criticized the survey’s methodology and say that it undercounts the incidence of rape, but even if that is true, the trend is clear: Rape has declined significantly over the past three decades, and I think it’s fairly obvious that increased awareness and understanding of rape, largely the result of feminist anti-rape campaigns, has contributed significantly to this decline.
Naturally, those who tried to point this out in r/mensrights found themselves downvoted.
Wow, but I thought every single western man is facing false rape claims every single day?
Oh MRAs could it be that you are full of crap?
I’m going with the second option, Yoyo.
I know kitteh helper, I can’t believe it either, do you think it’s possible that all their truthy claims about how the courts treat fathers might be a little dodgy too?
They just really want everyone to believe that rape is inevitable, and nothing can be done to decrease its frequency. Wonder why that is? [Note: I do not really wonder why a bunch of rape apologists want to do that. It’s pretty obvious actually.]
Back to the real world how do you think India could reproduce this positive reduction? I hate to sound like some western know everything (especially when I don’t), but how the f..k do we help reduce rape in other cultures?
It’s a scary terrible thought that all teh menz (brave, wise, truthy) in the MRM might be …
Mistaken?
Paranoid?
Lying?
From another planet?
(Wish the last were true, then we could send ’em back.)
Cloudia, I thought rape was just buyers remorse in MRA land.
Not knowing jack shit about a subject has never slowed these guys down.
If they only talked about things they know anything about, we’d never hear a peep from them again.
I think MRAs are an extinction burst.
Yoyo, true! So in fact, rape is BOTH something that never occurs AND an immutable fact of life.
I know this wasn’t your intention, but this comes off as pretty condescending. According to at least one article I’ve read, India doesn’t have any more of a problem with rape than England or the U.S. do: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/01/delhi-rape-damini
Moreover, feminists and allies in India already ARE doing pretty much the same things feminists and allies are doing in the West. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be part of the solution, but discussing how “we” can fix India’s problems erases the agency of the people already working on it.
whatabouthemoonz: I’m all for it if it means they’re on the way out.
I’m not sure how we can help them. They are standing up and speaking out demanding change. We can listen and let them know we are in agreement with them. If they ask for help we can give it.
A lot of organizing has been going on on Facebook. Be there if they need us is about all we can do at this point.
Eugh. They are so frustrating on so many levels, but the blatant stating of “facts” that are so easily refuted, then proceeding to act like it’s still a discussion worth having hurts my head. Stahp.
The back-story on the picture from Facebook is hilarious in the usually depressing way.
The “Why? Movement” group posted the “I need feminism because” photo with the college-age woman saying that her school teaches women how to avoid being raped but not that men shouldn’t rape. The “why” discussion was meant to be whether it’s actually useful to teach men to not rape since teaching women how “to avoid being victims” is “obviously useful.”
In the ensuing flame-war, he dudebro running the group banned everyone who handed him his ass or pointed out the obvious problems with his “question.” Eventually, he deleted the photo and discussion and tried to reframe things with an either/or poll accompanied by the comment with the pictured ‘men are always going to rape so it’s the women’s job to stop it.
laconicsax – now why am I not surprised it followed that well-worn path? ::rolls eyes::
Look – rape isn’t a real thing, there is no rape culture, it never ever ever happens.
But if it does then she was a drunk, in a short skirt, regretted it, and wants to make loads of money through one of those really lucrative false-report scams they have going.
Unless she has loads of bruises, then maybe it’s true. But then, what was she doing walking somewhere in the first place?
All men are NOT potential rapists, but you women should probably not go out after dark, or drink, or get taxis, or walk anywhere, or wear anything revealing because men can’t control themselves.
Look, would these dudes walk through a bad neighbourhood flashing their phones around? No they would not, so kindly put that flashy iVag away so nobody knows you have one ok? Oh wait…
*head explodes with the idiocy of it all*
Gametown, I desperately don’t want to sound condescending but Indians women’s groups claim the problem is really dire especially in Delhi, perhaps coupled with the increase in women making independent lives there. So yes probably I should back right off, I just wondered in a totally info seeking way if anyone had an idea. If what I can do best is support indian people’s initiatives that’s the best of all.
deezers wins an internets
Can I get a flashy ivag, mine’s only gen x maybe I should upgrade. 🙂
“flashy iVag”
Is that an iPad accessory? Where does end get one?
In semi-relevant things, I spent half the day walking around with my iPad out, no one seemed to notice (besides my mother that is)
On topic, wtf is wrong with people who think that saying “this is rape, don’t do this” is a terrible thing?! The mind, it boggles.
Where does ONE get one? (Clearly auto correct doesn’t want an iVag)
@Argenti – Requesting that rapists not rape? MISANDRY