Rape is a crime where people often blame the victim in a way they wouldn’t had another crime occurred — for example, the theft of a wallet. Caitlin Kelly, a web producer for The New Yorker, tweeted what conversations about rape would look like if they were conversations about a stolen wallet — and the results are eye-opening. "I think that guy I know stole my wallet." Well, do you have proof? Were you drinking that night? What were you wearing when this happened? November 20, 2014 “[The metaphor] just came to me,” Kelly told The Huffington Post in an email. “Probably somewhere out of frustration at all of the recent horrible stories about rape…
Rape is a crime where people often blame the victim in a way they wouldn’t had another crime occurred — for example, the theft of a wallet.
Caitlin Kelly, a web producer for The New Yorker, tweeted what conversations about rape would look like if they were conversations about a stolen wallet — and the results are eye-opening.
"I think that guy I know stole my wallet."
Well, do you have proof? Were you drinking that night? What were you wearing when this happened?
� Caitlin Kelly (@atotalmonet) November 20, 2014
“[The metaphor] just came to me,” Kelly told The Huffington Post in an email. “Probably somewhere out of frustration at all of the recent horrible stories about rape and seeing so many people doubt victims, almost as a reflex, in ways that people who are victims other crimes rarely seem to face.”
Asking victims what they might have done to encourage their rapist, or using their personal history to invalidate their claims, is truly baffling — and unique to sexual crimes. Kelly’s tweets are a compelling illustration of this problematic double standard. See the rest below.
But he seems like such a nice guy. Plus, he already has already has a wallet. Why would he need YOUR wallet?
� Caitlin Kelly (@atotalmonet) November 20, 2014
Are you sure that you didn’t just GIVE him your wallet, and now you’re embarrassed about it? Maybe there was just some miscommunication.
� Caitlin Kelly (@atotalmonet) November 20, 2014
Have you lost wallets before? Just curious, just trying to get a better sense of what’s going on here. He has such a bright future.
� Caitlin Kelly (@atotalmonet) November 20, 2014
You know, there are other ways of giving people money besides having them steal your wallet. Did you think about that?
� Caitlin Kelly (@atotalmonet) November 20, 2014
Nobody is going to want to hang out with the girl who cried stolen wallet. You should really think hard about what you’re saying here.
� Caitlin Kelly (@atotalmonet) November 20, 2014
All guys want wallets, it’s just in their nature. Maybe you shouldn’t have had a wallet in the first place.
� Caitlin Kelly (@atotalmonet) November 20, 2014
See the article here:
If People Talked About Stolen Wallets The Way People Talk About Rape
