Ms Cantarella:

We finally agree on a subject.

Rape is a crime at least as bad as homicide.  it can ruin a person’s self image, marriage, and occasionally life.  I have known people (of both sexes) who refused to report “unwanted sexual interaction” to the police, and others who did make such a report to comment that their experience at the police station was like an “earthquake aftershock.”

One 17-year-old inmate of a Juvenile facility near me(Kid’s Peace New England) was raped by another inmate, she wished to report this incident, but the facility gave the “minor’s” parents 70k to keep her mouth shut.  I don’t know about you, but 70K wouldn’t buy enough soap to make me feel clean.

I’ve worked in many institutions which have children as clients. When these children report inappropriate sexual behavior they are often accused of lying, or “bringing it on themselves.

Then there was the story about the gay man who was beaten and gang raped by a bunch of (straight?) thugs in Portland’s Deering Oaks. The police refused to take his complaint because he was “dressed like a male whore”

It’s far past time to retire “You asked for it.” or “I’m sure it wasn’t the first time.” The Muslim countries that we say are brutal to women laugh at us because of our hypocrisy.  There needs to be an END to statute of limitation for rape. there needs to be a comforting way to report this crime (preferably to female officers) and there needs to be stronger legislation so that “NO” means NO, no matter if it is a husband, boyfriend, or an off-duty prostitute who says it.

My question is “how can a man continue to feel like a man after committing such an act?”

LAPD might have more time for serious crime if they weren’t cooperating with Bush administration pot busters. A ridiculously huge waste of money and effort to lock up hundreds of thousands of people nationwide over a goddam weed. Plain STUPID waste of police manpower. If the goddam politicians in Washington weren’t such goddam gutless lifers in fear of not getting reelected they would stop the insane drug war, 99% of which is waged against the American people and not invaders from foreign shores.
Until police priorities nationwide change to crimes with victims first, rape victims are likely to wait and wait and wait until the victim just says forget the whole freaking thing. Meanwhile another thousand people will be arrested for a goddam weed.

i have to say, that is really disgusting. i take it a lot of money is spent on helping offenders get back on their feet, with ‘rehabilitiation’ programs, counselling and such? That’s usually the case anyway. How compassionate we are. To some people.