Rape isn't Nice, and We Shouldn't Do It

I realize how 'judgmental' this may sound, but in my considered opinion: Rape is not nice, and we shouldn't do it.

The Catholic Church has something to say about rape, too, including this:

"Rape is the forcible violation of the sexual intimacy of another person. It does injury to justice and charity. Rape deeply wounds the respect, freedom, and physical and moral integrity to which every person has a right. It causes grave damage that can mark the victim for life. It is always an intrinsically evil act. Graver still is the rape of children committed by parents (incest) or those responsible for the education of the children entrusted to them."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2356)

I know about the pedophile priests, and have written about that. Fairly often.

What got me thinking about rape was news about some legal trouble involving the International Monetary Fund's chief, and a hotel maid. I spent quite a bit of today, opining about that situation. (Apathetic Lemming of the North (May 17, 2011))

As I wrote in the other blog, America's legal system assumes that a person is innocent until proven guilty. That's the theory, anyway. I also mentioned that America isn't perfect. And that's another topic.

It is possible that the man who runs the International Monetary Fund, and who left his DNA and cell phone in an embarrassing place, is innocent.

That said, here's an excerpt from that other post:

"Pakistani Village Honour, IMF Executive Status, and Getting a Grip"

"Pakistani rape victim fears silence after acquittal"
"Rebecca Conway, Edition: IN, Reuters (April 24, 2011)

"A Pakistani woman who was gang-raped and became a human rights campaigner says she worries other women will not speak out after Pakistan's highest court upheld her alleged attackers' acquittals.

"Mukhtaran Mai was allegedly gang-raped in 2002 to settle a matter of village honour. Unlike most rape victims in Pakistan, who rarely speak up, she filed a criminal case against 14 men. Six were convicted and sentenced to death later that year.

"But the Lahore High court later acquitted five and commuted one sentence to life in prison in 2005. On Thursday, Pakistan's Supreme Court upheld the Lahore court's decision.

"She said the verdict could prevent other women from speaking out against Pakistan's culture of punishing women through violence, mutilation and sexual assault.

" 'I feel now women will not speak out,' she told Reuters. 'They will stay in their homes ... Other women will not speak out because people in their area will look on them badly and they will not get justice.'

"But, she said, 'it becomes like a chain -- if one woman gets justice, then the others will'...."

" 'That's different,' or maybe not so much.

"In Pakistan, you have an alleged gang-rape to uphold village honor.

"In New York City, you have an alleged attempted rape for unknown motives.

"In both cases, you have a woman who apparently lacked the social standing to be treated seriously - although I think there's evidence that the American court system is acting as though the hotel maid deserves attention....

"...I think Mukhtaran Mai got it right:

"...'it becomes like a chain -- if one woman gets justice, then the others will'...."

(Apathetic Lemming of the North (May 17, 2011))

Maybe that sounds a bit extreme: but like I said, in my opinion rape isn't nice, and we shouldn't do it.

Somewhat-related posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: Culture, Values, and 'She Asked For It' "
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (May 17, 2011)
• "Passing Through Status Symbol Land"
  (May 14, 2011)
• "Shop Class, Home Ec, and Being Catholic"
  (December 14, 2010)
• "Afghanistan's 'Family Law,' Western Mores, and Catholic Teaching"
  (August 22, 2009)
• "Eight-Year-Old Raped - Time to Think and Pray"
  (July 25, 2009)