Walking Alone in a Park at Night

In a rape trial, that the woman was walking alone in a park at night has been considered relevant – presumably it’s a mitigating circumstance: the accused can be excused for thinking she wanted it if she was walking alone in a park at night.

What!?  Why? Why is it that a woman walking alone in a park at night is understood – by men – to be implying consent to sex with any and all men?

Are parks designated sex zones?  I suppose in a sense they are.  Lovers often meet there for clandestine encounters.  Yeah, for consensual clandestine encounters.

Okay, but parks at night are also popular mugging zones, perhaps because of the poor lighting which makes escape easier in the event they are policed.  Okay, but a woman walking alone in a park at night is more at risk for rape than for purse-snatching.

So why is a woman walking alone – ah, is that it?  A woman unaccompanied by a man is unowned?  Up for grabs?  Literally?

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    • Droog on May 14, 2012 at 5:27 pm
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    The problem at the root of this is marriage. That fraudulent socialist tradition, inherently designed for a militant neurotypical society, makes life hard for free-minded and individualist elves, whether they are female or male.

    • Droog on May 14, 2012 at 5:28 pm
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    Though of course, given the Freudian overly mental sexuality of NTs, female elves undoubtedly have it harder.

    • Uni on September 3, 2012 at 6:11 pm
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    As a teenage girl who is thoroughly jealous of her guy friend’s ability to go out alone wherever he wants as late as one am solely because he is a guy and looks capable enough to protect himself, I could not agree more. It’s not that I want to do anything bad, but the night sky view is nice. At least, that’s what my friend tells me.

    • ptittle on September 4, 2012 at 12:37 am
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    Not that it’s the best solution, Uni, but take a self-defence course, get some legal defensive weapons, and perhaps find a friend to accompany you. The night sky is gorgeous, and it’s a fucking shame for you to miss it just b/c you’re living female in a patriarchy.

    • Uni on September 8, 2012 at 7:08 pm
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    I have taken years of taekwondo and I’m capable of protecting myself, but my mother apparently thinks I’m still at risk. She says that bad people use weapons like tazers, so I’m apparently helpless. I’m only allowed to go outside if I’m with my little brother, which makes no sense since he’s more of a burden than a help because he’s very weak.

    • ptittle on September 8, 2012 at 8:50 pm
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    Wow, what a good example (the little brother thing) of the stupid mental gymnastics people go to in order to maintain the patriarchy, the attitude that men are better than women, period.

    I kayak 10 miles a day, and still, a man thought I was too weak to move a small fallen tree. And he SEES me kayak every day.

    The tasers point is reasonable, but the response would be for women to carry tasers as a matter of routine. Wouldn’t that change things?!

    • Uni on September 8, 2012 at 10:20 pm
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    Considering that I’m a particularly young teenage girl, with protective Asian parents that would be horrified if I even held a weapon, tasers are so out of the question. But I admit, that would be hecka cool. Though a full on broadsword would be so much more awesome to carry around, and no one would ever mess with me if I had one of those strapped to my back.

    • ptittle on September 9, 2012 at 1:22 am
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    Then again…it’s often the case that the more competent a woman appears (mentally, physically), the more, not less, she is challenged by men. Not saying it’s right…just saying… So be smart with your strategy!

    • ptittle on September 10, 2012 at 1:26 am
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    Uni, have you read any of Jessica Valenti’s books?

    • ptittle on September 11, 2012 at 2:35 am
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    Hey Uni, check out http://feministfrequency.com./ and http://geekfeminism.org/

    • Uni on September 11, 2012 at 6:20 am
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    No. I’m pretty new to this “feminism” thing. I have been a tomboy my entire life and only learned of the term for standing up for female rights in middle school.

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