Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Ben Atherton-Zeman" <>]

Kudos to American University for their strong stand against censorship!  

 

Members of American's community deserve to know BOTH sides of the sexual
assault debate.  Is it the victim's fault for being raped, as "American
Eagle" columnist Alex Knepper claims?  Or is it the rapist's fault, as Men
Can Stop Rape's Joe Vess states in his column
http://www.facebook.com/notes/joseph-vess/date-rape-is-a-crime-not-an-incohe
rent-concept/114877785191682? 

 

Sure, it's true that one in four women will be raped while in college.  But
the Eagle's editorial board did the right thing in publishing Knepper's
victim-blaming article.  As they state
(http://www.theeagleonline.com/opinion/story/a-message-from-the-eagle/), it
would be "bad form to censor opinions based solely on the controversy they
would cause."  In addition, the Eagle is hosting a forum this Monday (April
5) night where "both sides" will be presented.  

 

Well done, Eagle!  And well done, American University for supporting free
speech in this fashion.  I'll try to be at this "Eagle Forum," since I have
a few "controversial issues" of my own to raise.

 

First issue: Traffic signals.  Who says red means "stop?"  Nobody asked me -
and I'm not going to just lie back when "the man" tells me the red light
means "stop!"  To me, red light means time to par-tay!  And I gotta get to
that party - I'm going to run the red lights and stop at the green ones.
Nobody ever hears from the "red light means go" side of the question -
because of censorship.

 

Second: Breathing.  Why assume it's a good thing?  You pick up airborne
germs, for one thing.  And why this emphasis on air?  Sure, it's easier to
get your oxygen by breathing air, but why limit yourself?  Fish get oxygen
through water, and so can we - we're disempowering ourselves by limiting
ourselves to breathing air.  Personally, I've tried not breathing, but it
only works for a few minutes at a time. I'm convinced that the "breathing
police" have censored water-breathing research that could help me.  

 

Finally: Drowning kittens.  Why is it always assumed that this is a bad
thing?  In so many areas, cats are roaming free and overpopulating.
Drowning these kittens is certainly a controversial stance to take, but I
can present clear arguments in favor of kitten-drowning.  My views, and my
voice, will be heard on this topic!

 

American University - stand up for free speech!  Host a forum on
kitten-drowning, with pro and con speakers ready to facilitate an audience
dialogue.  Followed by two panels: "Red Lights - Stop or Go?" and "Breathing
- Air or Water?"

 

Or maybe.

 

Hmm.

 

Maybe some topics are not open to debate.

 

Maybe the law of the land is unmistakable in this case.  Rape is a crime,
and is the fault of the rapist - not the victim.  Maybe a better way to
spend our time is to support and believe rape victims, and hold rapists
accountable.  Maybe we should work to eliminate rape and "rape culture,"
instead of blaming victims.  

 

We shouldn't pretend there are "two sides" to every issue.  If there is a
fire in a theatre and someone yells "fire," I'm not stopping to debate
whether we should get "the other side of the issue" (maybe those flickering
flames are special effects from the movie!).  I'm getting out.  

 

Yes, I am a comedian.  But being raped is no joke.  The rape survivors I
know blamed themselves anyway, especially right after the rape happened.
They don't need the help of columnists like Knepper, newspapers like the
Forum, and administrations like American's.  By placing the victim-blaming
"voice" on a par with the consensus of our entire criminal justice system,
American University is lending credence to the concept that victims are to
blame for being raped.  Rather than giving a forum to rape apologists and
victim-blamers, American should use Monday's forum to give out accurate
information about sexual violence prevention and intervention.  

 

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.  Now more than ever, rape survivors
need our support, our belief and our help - not our blame.  We need to
support our local rape crisis center with donations of time and money.  We
need to listen when survivors and their advocates speak out against rape,
and against victim-blaming.  We need to raise our voices until women,
children and men, in college and out, are not raped because we as a culture
have taken a stand against it. 

 

Ben Atherton-Zeman is a comedian, feminist and husband.  His one-man comedy
"Voices of Men" is performed at colleges and communities - the play educates
about sexual violence and dating violence.  

 

Ben thanks the members of the anti-rape movement for helping edit and shape
this article.  He can be contacted through his website,
http://www.voicesofmen.org.  ;