I am still thinking about the different ways our culture responds to assaults on property and (sexual) assaults on person. Consider the following situation:
A woman takes her purse and goes shopping, perhaps with the intent to buy something. Or maybe she is just window shopping. Maybe she hasn't made up her mind yet about whether or not she wants to buy. She goes into a store and looks at the things for sale. Maybe she takes something from the shelf or off the rack and looks at it. Perhaps she even carries it up to the shopkeeper at the checkout counter and takes out her money.
But then she changes her mind and decides she's not going to buy the item after all. The shopkeeper grabs her purse away from her and steals her money.
He's completely justified, of course:
1. She shouldn't have been shopping if she didn't want to buy.
2. She went into his shop, didn't she? Doesn't that mean she wants it?
3. She had her purse right out in the open where everyone can see it--a definite signal of intent to buy.
4. Once she's in the shop with her purse, after she's examined the merchandise, and especially after she's taken out her money, too late! Nobody could expect the shopkeeper not to grab the money at that point. He's way too far into the sale to quit now, even if she changes her mind. Sellers can't be expected to control themselves then.
5. It's just she said/he said what really happened anyway.
6. And we all know how these shopping women are--basically asking for it.
Tell me how "date" rape is different from this.
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