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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—In a letter to long-time Washington Post columnist George Will, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and three colleagues today blasted the columnist for his June 6 piece on campus sexual assault in which he claims that survivors of the callous crime occupy a “coveted status” on their campuses that “confers privileges.” In addition to Feinstein, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Bob Casey (D-Pa.).
“Having an ongoing interest in ways to reduce sexual assaults on college campuses, we read your June 6 column on campus sexual assault with particular dismay. Your thesis and statistics fly in the face of everything we know about this issue. More egregiously, you trivialize the scourge of sexual assault, putting the phrase in scare quotes and treating this crime as a socially acceptable phenomenon. It is in fact a spreading epidemic, and you legitimize the myths that victims and victim advocates have worked tirelessly for decades to combat,” the senators wrote.
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The senators added, “We will continue our efforts to reduce sexual assaults on college campuses, and we ask that you listen to the people we are hearing from on this issue. Our efforts both in Washington and in our home states are well-documented, and we have found people to be extraordinarily willing to share their experiences as we work together to address this terrible epidemic. We believe you will find their experiences to be in stark contrast to any stories you have heard regarding people with a ‘coveted status’ and ‘privilege.’”
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Preceding provided by Senator Dianne Feinstein … Articles in San Diego Jewish World on Jewish Democratic women in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are sponsored by Laura Galinson in memory of her father, Murray Galinson.
The actual reported rape statistics are a fraction of the estimated 20% rate cited by those reporting the alarm. Let’s say 20% is accurate for discussion purposes. To maintain justice, the same standard of proof should be required for a conviction on campus as off campus.
Maybe the answer is to remove the stigma of reporting the crime. Instead of condemning George Will, ask why it’s so much more acceptable to report the crime off-campus? The example articulated in the linked article in Think Progress feared community backlash against a football player. Maybe the problem here is too much emphasis and status bestowed on college jocks. Perhaps we should rethink football scholarships.
If conservatives are skeptical of the 20% total rape rate, maybe it’s because they think campus environments that stifle conservative thought and abet shouting down and disinviting conservative speakers lack enough moral spine to cast the blame where it lies.
In any case, prosecuting the culprits responsible is the only just way. Without that, we’re begging for the standards of proof to be lowered and repeating the same scandal similar to ‘repressed memory syndrome’ we had in the 90s where adults for falsely convicted for sex abuse against children. There’s too much noise and not enough clarity.
http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2014/04/10/3425481/fear-of-media-and-community-backlash-keeps-woman-from-filing-charges-against-football-player/
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