Men Can't Be Raped

I know, no alliteration. It's getting hard to come up with them, so . . .

Anyway, here is the problem I'm talking about. In the news, there are several men that are accusing some pastor of manipulating them into sexual encounters. There has been a great deal about this in the media and two things jumped out at me. One was that the pastor's lawyers claim that it is just a scheme to get money and his congregation believes it almost wholeheartedly. The other (and more disturbing) is the mockery they get from some people wondering how a grown man can be "manipulated" into a sexual encounter. The problem here is that if they were women, people wouldn't be questioning the claim or situation nearly as much.

It seems to me that in today's society (and for a very long time now), men cannot be raped, or in any way abused. People seem to think less of the man that this has happened to, or even think that it never happened because "it CAN'T happen." If a woman is charged with any crime that involves a male accomplish, the lawyers claim that she was manipulated into doing it and people buy it easily. "Oh, the poor dear. She can't make decisions of morality by herself and has to have a man do it." Puh-lease. Also, we cannot be hurt as readily as women by words.

In the seventies, a movie came out that touched on this very subject. It was called The Man Who Cried Rape. In the movie, the man was forced into a sexual relationship at gun point. wee learn later that it wasn't a real gun, but he didn't know that. When he made the claim, it was greeted with scorn and ridicule, as well as claims that he must be gay,, because he had to complain about it. Women would say "now men know what it was like for women in the past." That is no excuse. Other shows dealt with domestic abuse that had the woman physically abusing her family, husband included. Again, met with scorn and ridicule. "How can a big man be beaten up by a woman, the wuss."

It seems that the world thinks all men are aggressive whores who can beat up on anybody and would if needed. They don't consider the fact that A: They may be particular about their choice of sex partners, B: They are faithful to their current partner. C: They do not want to hit anybody, especially a woman. and D: Men are just as human as women and can suffer the same sensitivities and fates, even if we don't want to admit it.

I believe that it is high time for society to look at these claims with a little more credibility. That we should find an accusation by a man every bit as likely and terrible as if a woman made it. Men are not all the imposing, martial sluts that we are made out to be in the media and we can be overpowered, manipulated and cowed, even the largest of us. We are taught (at least I was) that it is wrong to hit or verbally abuse a woman, yet it is OK (and sometimes even funny) for the reverse (see Andy Capp, Beetle Bailey and Blondie). This has to stop.

Peace Up
Charles

Gott spielt nicht verful mit dem Universum. A.E.