Teen: I Was Raped by 4 200-Pound Women

[GaYellowDawg]

90. I used to think that way when younger.

I would hear "all men are potential rapists" and get mad as hell. I would think (and say), "Not me! I am not a potential rapist! I have never even kissed a woman against her will!" Which is still true.

Thing is, though, it wasn't directed to me, or about me. The statement is simply a way of saying, "be careful." It's a way of telling women to be aware of their circumstances. It's like saying, "all dark alleys are potentially places to get mugged."

Women get raped by strangers, by friends, by boyfriends, by husbands, by relatives. There's no category of relationship that a woman can have with a man that has never been involved in a rape. Hell, here's no category of relationship that a woman can have with a man that hasn't been involved in a rape yesterday, and every day.

Am I a potential rapist? Hell, no. Anyone who knows me, knows that. They know that I don't even initiate hugs unless I know someone pretty well. But if someone doesn't know me? Yes, I come across immediately as kind, and open, and cheerful, and "wouldn't hurt a fly." I'm also large and powerful, and she's smart to play it safe and assume the worst of me, because the next large guy with a cheerful demeanor could be a monster. That's just the world we live in. Having that assumption directed towards those of us who would not and could not rape, and being hurt by it, just goes to show that rape affects all of us.