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| Shouldn't that read Knockout Rape? |
Boston.Com - Students active in the Boston University Center for Gender Sexuality and Activism have paired with the Feminist Collective to produce a public service announcement that encourages people to “knock out” a blog called Barstool Sports. The PSA, which students shot Saturday at BU’s George Sherman Student Union, denounced what the students describe as “rape culture.” Barstool Sports sponsors the Barstool Blackout Tour, parties that have been gaining notoriety for encouraging attendees to consume enough alcohol to black out. The Barstool blog asks students to recommend venues to rent out, and Barstool then throws parties for various universities, without university administrative approval...the PSA was partially in response to the recent arrest of BU hockey player Max Nicastro, who was charged with sexual assault...Nicastro is the second BU hockey player to be arrested this school year. Teammate Corey Trivino has been accused of indecent assault and battery on a female student...he also wanted to emphasize that the response was not against party culture or having fun, just about the rape culture she believes Barstool encourages...Qari also said he was not pleased to hear Barstool was coming back to Boston. “I feel bad about that,” he said. “I hope they never come back.”
Look, far be it for me to stick up for a far more popular, far more successful blog than mine can ever dream to be, but this is complete bullshit. A misguided reaction by those seeking attention to their cause, lashing out at a well known target in order to generate buzz.
Upset about about two rapes committed by members of your campus? Protest those individuals and the community around them (namely the hockey team and it's supporters). Or take the easy way out, build up a strawman out of a popular blog and attempt to tear it down, poor debating skills-101.
What is it about people these days that they just don't get it? Those rapes, and any rapes for that matter, weren't about a humor based smut blog, in the same way that violent actions by young kids and teenagers isn't the result of movies, television shows and video games they played.
It's about personal accountability (or in the case of teens and young kids that I just described above, parental accountability). At the end of the day everyone is accountable to themselves. These two guys assaulted or raped their victims, because they're assholes who lack respect for their victims, their victims friends and families, their own friends and families, their teammates, and probably themselves as well.
But that's part of the problem these days, everyone rushes out to point fingers at some outside influence or external factor hoping to pass off the blame to someone or something who had no role in the choices these individuals made. This is counterproductive. It makes it easier for people to make bad choices, because now, it's not their own fault, it's societies fault. BULL SHIT. We live and die with our own choices, solely made by ourselves. These two guys were adults enrolled in a top university, they knew right from wrong, they didn't care. It's not because they got all jacked up after reading some blog. Millions of people a month read those blogs, these two individuals raped people...the numbers don't exactly add up.
To sum, because I'm getting a bit rambly, stop giving these dickheads excuses! Hold them, and solely them, accountable. Look them square in the face and say, "you made a horrible decision, your actions have hurt not only your victim, but everyone around you, and now you'll suffer the consequences," and be done with it. Make an example of those charged with the crimes, make it known that societal excuses are NOT VALID, and make it known that their actions will not be tolerated.
