I Sometimes Wonder What the Hell Is Wrong With People

[center][big]Rape is Natural … really?!?[/big][/center]

Well, this is actually my second attempt at writing this story. The first didn't meet EP's community guidelines and my appeal was unsuccessful. However, EPKimi told me to resubmit so here I am. I suspect the reason the first story was rejected was that I quoted extensively from the EP conversation that prompted me to write this story in the first place. Therefore I've removed most of those quotes and replaced them with a link to where you can find the original conversation (for as long as EP allows such filth to stay in place).

So what is all this about you ask? Well, I met someone on EP a few weeks ago by the name of Pywacket. His views on life could not be more different than mine, which, if you know me, means I wanted to understand him better. He posted a story describing a hypothetical future proof (in the form of a news article) that God does not exist. In his story, he asks Christians, “What will you do then?” So I responded, as I often do on this subject. If you want to read the original story by Mr Pywacket and all the story comments in context, go here: <a href="http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Believe-In-God/5627569" target="ep_blank">EP Link</a>

What followed was 179 pages worth of comments filled with hatred and venom and false claims and just unbelievable animosity toward anyone, especially me, that professed any faith in the Christian God. That’s fine. I run into attitudes like this every day here on campus; I’m used to it. But then Mr Pywacket started digging through my profile and for some reason latched onto my story from 2012 about my ex-boyfriend trying to force me to have sex.

He took excerpts from my 2012 story and its comments and started including them in his responses. Yup, in our discussion on whether or not God existed and whether or not Christianity was a vile and wicked faith, he started sprinkling in disgusting references to that day. I allowed myself to get way too involved in that conversation and I have since pulled out of the conversation completely. However, I need to draw attention to one aspect of it, because I have heard this same attitude toward sexual assault here on campus as well and it concerns me.

There is actually a school of thought out there that we are all just animals anyway and rape is part of the natural order. Yup, you read that right. I have heard these words uttered in person by guys standing in front of me. Of course, in person, such people profess that they would never do such a thing and that societal constructs prohibiting such behavior are mostly a good thing, but that it is none-the-less part of the natural order. Yup. I’ve had these conversations with guys. It’s scary.

It’s scary because it accepts that sexual assault is inevitable and natural and simply part of being the animal that we all are. I don’t want to put words in Mr Pywacket's mouth, so here are a couple of excerpts:
-- “If you weren't such an ignorant religious fanatic you would understand that a hard-wired biological imperative millions of years in the making, and passed down through the evolution of the species was driving his thoughts, his speech, and his actions. And there isn't a damn thing wrong with it. Your body is 'designed' through evolution to be raped and survive it.”
-- “Nature rewards female for being raped.”
-- “Not that long ago, he would have ignored your protests and simply overpowered you, as men have done for 200,000 years. And you would have gotten over it, and wanted him to do it again and again and again.”
-- “Had he accomplished the rape, you would have been all upset because of your beliefs, but you would also have the memory of how good it felt.”

Yes, folks, you read that right:
-- my body was designed through evolution to be raped,
-- nature rewards me for it,
-- if my ex-boyfriend had been successful I’d have wanted it (rape) again and again,
-- and I would have been left with fond memories
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In my original story I stopped about here intending to let you, the reader, draw your own conclusions and to hopefully start a dialog. However, I’ve since had another week of interaction with Mr Pywacket. In this extra fun-filled week, he has expressed some observations specifically about childhood sexual assault. He gets offended when I call them opinions or beliefs or even conclusions. They are simply his observations of fact. These next quotes (below) come from comments he made on my story about my love for my girlfriend: <a href="http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Want-To-Find-My-Soulmate/5672914" target="ep_blank">EP Link</a>

The story comments drifted far from anything remotely related to the original post and it bothers me that a story like this is ruined by this type of crap. I am very close to violating one of my personal standards here on EP and just going and deleting all his comments on that story. For now, they are there. So here you go, Mr Pywacket on the topic of childhood sexual abuse:
-- “So the millions of girls who had sex with adults and DIDN'T have your experience are all lying? The millions who did NOT have health problems? The millions who loved the sex? The millions who looked forward to it? All wrong?”
-- “I have told you to go to Pandora's and read what the experts have to say. About the girls who had sex starting when they were very very young ... and loved it. And didn't want it to stop. Little girls who instigated it. Initiated it. Yes, they even knew they shouldn't be doing it. But they wanted to. And they did it for years. And never got caught.”
(These comments were directed to some else, not me, who had survived childhood sexual abuse.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So where does this leave us? How do we respond to attitudes like this? And when I say “we”, I am not referring to “Christians” or to “Humanists”; I am referring to any of us that believe in a just society. I am referring to any of us that believes we all, as human beings, have a right to feel secure in our surroundings.

I currently live on a fairly well known, northeastern USA university campus. My school goes to great lengths to ensure that we all know how to be safe because there is an unacceptable level of sexual violence on American campuses, but that doesn’t even compare to what is happening around the world.
-- We are now one year out from the kidnapping and sexual enslavement of the 200+ school girls in Nigeria by Boko Haram. I hope you’ve tweeted the hash tag: #BringBackOurGirls. I did. Many times. And will continue to.
-- When ISIS stormed Yazidi Iraq, many of the men were forcibly converted to Islam but the girls were sold into sexual slavery to be raped again and again. I wonder how many of them have fond memories of their rapes as Mr Pywacket would have us believe.

I am posting this simply to raise awareness and spur discussion. I think Mr Pywacket’s perspective on and attitude toward rape is dangerous. If he were an isolated voice, then I wouldn't give it another thought, but, as I stated above, I hear this attitude here on campus. I think it is partially behind the problem we have on American university campuses now. Sexual assault is treated by some as inevitable or excusable or simply part of the human condition. Treating it as such lessens the strength of the “society constructs prohibiting such behavior” and essentially encourages it. Yup, this is just my opinion and I have no data to back it up, but I do believe attitudes like Pywacket’s to be very dangerous.

[sep][sep][sep]

[b]About me: [/b]https://similarworlds.com/sarabee1995/info

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

PYWACKET

S) I currently live on a fairly well known, northeastern USA university campus. My school goes to great lengths to ensure that we all know how to be safe because there is an unacceptable level of sexual violence on American campuses,

P) I don't know why I feel I should give a pass to to people who are totally lacking in ethics and integrity. I don't know why I should feel sorry for them, but I do.

Well, sorry or not, these issues are too important.

So apparently none of you bright young people see the problems with Sara's above statement.

" ... because there is an unacceptable level of sexual violence ..."

Sara, exactly what level of 'sexual violence' IS acceptable? Lol. How stupidly absurd.

It never ceases to amaze me when people post this shit. It SOUNDS really bad. OMG!! Sexual VIOLENCE!!!

Sara's view, shared by many Christians/feminists, is that any time a person initiates an action that is sexual in nature, such as sliding a hand under a shirt and fondling a breast or running a hand up a skirt, without having asked and receiving clear and unambiguous permission beforehand is sexual VIOLENCE.

Suddenly a criminal act has been committed. There is a sick, evil, twisted, vicious PERVERT and a poor helpless, traumatized for life victim.

All part of the Christian agenda to stamp out fornication. We are all supposed to believe that the victim is going to have nightmares and flashbacks the rest of her life.

Lucky for her, the bible doesn't mention strap-ons and dildos. In fact, since females are property in the bible, they don't even care if she fucks around with other girls.

Insane religion.

If a guy is making out with a girl and slides his hand up to her panties and the side of his finger falls below the imaginary line you would have if you laid a ruler across the outermost parts of her sex organ, even though she still has her panties on, he has committed rape. This act, without prior permission meets the new federal definition of rape. It is sexual VIOLENCE.

According to Sara and her fellow Christians.

S) but that doesn’t even compare to what is happening around the world.

P) You are so right on that one.

S) -- We are now one year out from the kidnapping and sexual enslavement of the 200+ school girls in Nigeria by Boko Haram. I hope you’ve tweeted the hash tag: #BringBackOurGirls. I did. Many times. And will continue to.

-- When ISIS stormed Yazidi Iraq, many of the men were forcibly converted to Islam but the girls were sold into sexual slavery to be raped again and again.

I wonder how many of them have fond memories of their rapes as Mr Pywacket would have us believe.

P) Except that I did not say that. And again, for you to infer that your little sex party with your boyfriend and what these girls have endured have even the slightest similarity is ludicrous.

Sarahbellas

Py…I know you think very highly of yourself, and that I have admitted that most every fact you’ve presented in regards to topics that are not regarding my friends’ character are ones that I agree with. Including those in this most recent comment you’ve made on Sara’s story post. I also think that you have made your points many times over. People can read them and come to their own conclusions. And regardless of how I think others and Sara have reacted… I think it is time for you to clear off and leave this story post alone and go somewhere else and focus on other people to correct and bother. And if Sara deletes your comments, you could always write your own story post about it on your profile.

After all you’ve admitted that you don’t care what people think about you, so you have no reason to come back to Sara’s page to defend yourself here, or tear apart comments because they are wrong and restate things, and make your points about Christianity…every time someone leaves a comment, right?

You’ve also admitted that you’ll make your points as strongly and harshly as you wish…and that you see it as permissible and useful so long as no one kills themselves over it. I guess in some ways I can understand such an attitude. But I cannot appreciate it when it is my friends involved.

Today, I am overruling any contradictory friends’ opinions (if there are any). I am done with tolerating your attitude towards my friends…so I will simply say this: Clear off talking to Sara, or on her story posts… or I will make it clear to EP that your attitude is not one they would want to tolerate on their site…no matter how right you are about certain things. And if you back away, even if you don’t back down…and EP does nothing, I will make it my mission in life for the next week to convince Sara to block you and delete everything she can that has to do with you. And even though my presumption will make her a little mad… I doubt it will be too difficult to convince her to do so…do you?

PYWACKET

S) Py…I know you think very highly of yourself,

P) No, I don't. And that is rude, and uncalled for.

S) and that I have admitted that most every fact you’ve presented in regards to topics that are not regarding my friends’ character are ones that I agree with.

P) Facts aren't especially popular around here. As far as your friends' character goes, TerrestrialWoden83 is the only male to exhibit any. Your other male friends got what they deserve. They are internet bullies, well-practiced in this dubious 'art' form. I'm not the first person they have attacked. They have no interest in truth or fairness. They don't give a damn about the people they malign.

This may shock you Sarah, but I actually have real live human friends. They know me to be fair, truthful, compassionate, and caring. They are well aware of my lack of tolerance for injustice, and for bullies. There is most definitely no shortage of either in the real world, either.

I have never hesitated to speak up if a friend says something racist, homophobic, or misogynistic. If I catch them ridiculing, demeaning, or denigrating others they hear about it immediately. If they don't like it, too bad. We ain't married.

I can only think of one female here who has shown any integrity at all. But clearly, truth takes a backseat even for her.

S) Including those in this most recent comment you’ve made on Sara’s story post. I also think that you have made your points many times over.

P) They get deleted for being 'irrelevant' ... However, Sara doesn't seem to mind keeping other irrelevant posts, does she?

S) People can read them and come to their own conclusions.

P) Not exactly fair play when she deletes mine but retains the demeaning and derogatory posts, is it? Perhaps this is a foreign concept.

S) And regardless of how I think others and Sara have reacted… I think it is time for you to clear off and leave this story post alone and go somewhere else and focus on other people to correct and bother.

P) Did you mean to say, other people who are bothered by being corrected? You don't see the irony in your words? Sarah, forgive me, but I made it clear at the outset that Sara was free to block me at any time. This is not a complicated procedure. Sara has not blocked me because she is still under the delusion that she, or one of her friends can 'put me in my place' ... It's obvious that she is used to winning arguments, and her friends are used to verbally beating up on people.

But sure. That's fine Sarah. But I suspect all of them are embarrassed and frustrated at how easily turned the tables on them. I doubt they will find my leaving a satisfactory end. I made them all look stupid, petty, and dishonest. And they all most definitely deserved it.

S) And if Sara deletes your comments, you could always write your own story post about it on your profile.

P) Oh, I already started that thread. I'm taking their comments a section at a time and tearing them apart. You see Sarah, there is no excuse for (theoretically) mature, intelligent adults to resort to the tactics they use.

Such as Sara claiming I'm ok with what is happening to the girls in the ME and Africa. Or trying to suggest or imply that their trauma equates with hers.

I'll inform you when I have finished the 'shark' account.

PYWACKET

P) If you don't mind Sarah, I will just finish responding to your statements addressed to me, then I will be on my way.

S)After all you’ve admitted that you don’t care what people think about you, so you have no reason to come back to Sara’s page to defend yourself here,

P) Sarah, that's a non sequitur. You don't commit many of those, thankfully. It's true I am not concerned what people think of me, so long as they recognize that the information I put out is the truth, fully supported by science.

As you have said (and I appreciate your integrity in saying so) my facts are sound, even if I do not deliver the information in the most agreeable manner.

I'm sure you can understand why I would not want this to get lost in the shuffle.

S) or tear apart comments because they are wrong and restate things, and make your points about Christianity…every time someone leaves a comment, right?

P) I tear apart comments because the are either nonsensical, dishonest, or demeaning. You don't find me tearing apart reasonable, factual statements.

PYWACKET

S) You’ve also admitted that you’ll make your points as strongly and harshly as you wish…and that you see it as permissible and useful so long as no one kills themselves over it.

P) Shouldn't you be having this conversation with your friends? I post factual information, and am attacked from every quarter.

I respond to those attacks harshly, but truthfully. They attack my messages repeatedly, claiming to have 'reviewed' the posts, doing everything in their power to get readers to disregard the information. Everything, that is, except actually taking a point and debating it on it's merits, as I have noted numerous times.

Your friends are most unpleasant and exceeding dishonest. Is there a reason why I should be gentle with them?

S) I guess in some ways I can understand such an attitude. But I cannot appreciate it when it is my friends involved.

P) I don't blame you for feeling this way. But you really do need to place the blame where it belongs. I won't sit still for the exceedingly bad behavior of your friends

PYWACKET

S) Today, I am overruling any contradictory friends’ opinions (if there are any). I am done with tolerating your attitude towards my friends…

P) Your intolerance is misplaced. I did not start out attacking your friends. They attacked me and I responded.

S) so I will simply say this: Clear off talking to Sara, or on her story posts… or I will make it clear to EP that your attitude is not one they would want to tolerate on their site…

P) Yes, I wanted to get to this before I left.

I have had my life threatened more times than I can count. For lying? For maligning good people? For advocating terrorism?

Nope. For exposing the lies of others. For telling the truth. For fighting against injustice.

People like your friends, as I have already said, have no interest in truth. You have announced more than once that my facts are sound. So did they back off? Apologize? Do their own research to verify my facts?

Sarah, here's the deal. The Christian majority have, throughout history, done their best to suppress speech they don't like. They do not give a damn if it is true or not.

They resort to every possible dirty, sneaky, dishonest means they can to suppress it.

How many times must we be reminded that free speech is the very foundation of our constitutional form of government?

Popular speech needs no protections. It's the unpopular speech that needs it. Now you would have a legitimate complaint if I was lying. If I was spreading misinformation. If I was just trying to cause trouble.

But that is NOT the case and you know it. People in this country are suffering under the policies of the Christian Right.

If fighting against injustice is reason to have me kicked off the site, then you are guilty of trying to suppress legitimate speech ... cuz you don't like it.

Tell you what dear. You go right ahead and make your complaint to EP about my 'attitude'. Then I guess we will find out what kind of integrity EP has.

Sarah ... you disappoint me greatly. For one, for not standing up to your jerk friends. For another, because truth obviously DOES take a back seat to other concerns in your mind.

Lastly, because your entire post is beyond stupid. Sara can block me from posting with a couple clicks of the mouse.

if defending my character, and my facts is so offensive to you ...

TELL SARA.

S) no matter how right you are about certain things.

P) I won't claim to be infallible. But I am honest. I never intentionally lie about these very serious issues.

S) And if you back away, even if you don’t back down…and EP does nothing, I will make it my mission in life for the next week to convince Sara to block you

P) No need to have an anxiety attack Sarah. Despite my real disappointment in you, I still happen to like you, and have no wish to cause you undo stress. You have been (mostly) a breath of fresh air. It took guts to acknowledge the truth of my facts. Thank you again.

S) and delete everything she can that has to do with you. And even though my presumption will make her a little mad… I doubt it will be too difficult to convince her to do so…do you?

P) Clearly, Sara has her reasons for not blocking me. Just as clearly, she does not want people being exposed to facts that conflict with her agenda. As she stated, she will not allow me to use her thread as a 'platform'. And if she is human, she doesn't want posts that make her look stupid and petty.

As a favor to you Sarah, I am now gone.