As stated by dictionary.com date rape is “sexual intercourse forced by a man upon a woman with whom he has a date” (“date rape,” n.d.).  The key word in this definition is ‘force’ which is what Mercie (2001) says to be “the legal line that separates rape from romance” (How is Date Rape Defined? section, ¶ 2) and also a word that women such as Camille Paglia seem to disregard. Camille Paglia is a professor at several colleges whose views on date rape are seen as an unfortunate event women should be held responsible for. Her main argument is that if women took the necessary precautions to protect themselves in everyday life then date rape would cease to exist, therefore if a woman fails to do so it can be called nothing more than sex. However let’s say that one dark night a man walking through Compton dressed in a red shirt is shot and killed by a Crip assuming him to be a Blood. In any normal case would this mans death be looked at as simply a successful suicide attempt rather than a murder? The answer is doubtful. Many women who bring themselves to such situations are either uneducated and naive or just simply looking to enjoy their lives in a carefree manner. Why should a woman's ignorance justify a man's inhumane acts of violence and humility? I fully agree that there are certain activities women should limit themselves to as means of avoiding certain dangers, however if a women fails to do so and is unjustly taken advantage of in a sexual way the title this act is given is 'rape'.

    Women are constantly accused of provoking men with their short skirts, revealing tops, and flirtatious attitudes. They show up to parties without a good group of friends, accept drinks from strangers, and send all sorts of mixed signals. More often than not, these are uneducated women making uneducated mistakes and Paglia (1991) believes that if women happen to make these blunders they “must accept the consequences and, through self-criticism, resolve never to make [those mistakes] again” (p. 541). In other words Paglia believes that these women get just what they deserve; she does not leave any room for the stupidity of women but instead chooses to greet with arms wide open the witlessness of men. First hand it would seem that Paglia does nothing but diminish women but in fact “[excusing] friendly social rapists on grounds that they are too dumb to understand when ‘no’ means no—[is] being even more insulting to men than to women” (Jacoby, 1991, p. 544).When people begin to see this side of the argument we will be another step closer to eliminating the thought of date rape as not being a crime.

    It is apparent that the way in which men and women think is quite different. For instance men might believe if a woman is being flirtatious she is sending gestures indicating she wants to have sex; however women often see flirting as simply a fun way to mingle with the opposite gender. Women tend to have a higher set of morals than men; so even in the heat of an intimate situation if a woman begins to realize that she is no longer willing to continue, a man must accept her wishes so long as she makes it clear to him. Some people choose to look at men as being a part of the untamed animal race as means of justifying their callous and violent crimes. They basically disregard the meaning of date rape. It is true that women are misleading and difficult to read and men have frequently experienced times when “flirtatious women [have] often said no, while sending strong physical signals to the contrary" (Graef, 2008). But even so, Jacoby (1991) makes a good point when she says that “even the most callow youth is capable of understanding the difference between resistance and genuine fear; between a halfhearted “no, we shouldn’t” and tears or screams; between a women who is physically free to leave a room and one who is being physically restrained” (p. 546). If a woman has made it clear that she is unwilling to have sexual intercourse with her date but he proceeds anyway, the women can rightfully say she has been raped. The events leading to the situation are irrelevnt.

    Even though women are not at fault for date rape, there are certain safety measures women on dates should take to aid in the prevention of rape. The Illinois Department of Public Health suggests “attending parties or visit bars with a group of friends”, not ever “[leave drinks] unattended”, and not “[accept] open-container drinks from anyone but a bartender or server” (“Facts about Date Rape Drugs,” n.d. , How can a woman protect herself from date-rape drugs? section).  Even if a woman does happen to be raped she must report the crime despite the “fear of being ‘raped’ again during cross-examination in the witness box” (Graef, 2008). If society as a whole would agree that women are not liable for rape, perhaps more women would feel comfortable reporting these unfortunate events and there would be less rapists roaming the streets of our civilization. 

Reference List

Blagojevich, R. Facts About Date-Rape Drugs. Illinois Department of Public Health. Retrieved October 17th, 2008.

            http://www.idph.state.il.us/about   /womenshealth/factsheets/date.htm