Rape seems to be a
popular topic across all college campuses, but especially in California.
It means “the unlawful compelling of a person through physical force or
duress to have sexual intercourse.”[1] “No means No” has been the popular slogan for
many years, this phrase was supposed to protect individuals from unwanted sex. Yes of course, it did save some people, but now
the State of California
has come up with a new bill and slogan to help prevent rape.
“The California
Legislature passed a bill that requires any college that is receiving
state-financed student aid to change their policy from “No means No” to “Yes
means Yes”.[2] How exactly does changing a phrase help
prevent rape? “Yes means Yes”, “Now
places the burden on the student initiating sex to obtain a “yes,” rather than
on the intended partner to convey a “no.”[3] According to the new law anyone who is
drugged, drunk, or unconscious can not consent, and lack of resistance does not
count as a yes. It must be a verbal yes. Recently, a new app was launched called Good
2 Go, that documents the affirmative consent. Requirements of the new law compel, “Colleges
to provide victims with confidential reporting, counseling and access to a
victim advocate. Campus officials investigating rape complaints will have to
undergo trauma-based training, too.”[4]
This new law sounds
ideal and perfect, but will it actually work?
I have my doubts and so do many others.
Most of the time, when a rape occurs alcohol is a contributing factor effecting
one or both parties. If both partners
are drunk is one really more responsible than the other? Then later if the victim comes forward and
says they were raped, how do they prove it?
It still ultimately comes down to her word against his. Honestly, I feel the government is wasting
the tax payers money enacting this new law “Yes means Yes”, when it is going to
have approximately the same affect as the “No means No” law. I believe they should put their resources
toward the origin of the problem, and have laws about parties serving alcohol on
campus. Obviously, no matter how many
laws or different kinds of laws the government makes, the problem will always
still be there because most college kids feel it is their right of passage to
party. But the “No means No” law would work
a lot better if the two people were not in an alcoholic fog.
Maybe take on the question "why do students feel the need to party, drink and put themselves in compromising situations that might lead to rape, is it all in the name of fun" or what might be the end result if we keep accepting the ever expanding boundaries of sexuality? so many question that need to be asked and discussed here.
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