Crazy Train

Crazy, but that's how it goes

Crazy Train of Opinions on Rape

Millions of people living as foes

Maybe. it's not too late

To learn how to love,

And forget how to hate

Okay so if some of your parents yelled at you about the audio level of music being played, you might remember, "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Ozbourne. He artistically gives a shout out to the lunacy in our society of things that get in the way of our understanding serious subjects. We seem to like our news "light" entertaining, and yes, I dare say sprinkled with our own political preferences. The last 2 years has to go on record for the Craziest trainload of runaway opinions on sexual assault that I've ever heard.  The foot-in-mouth comments have been made by everyday Joe Blows as well as some of the most educated people, who should know better.

I've Listened To Preachers

Crazy Train talk usually comes from out "of touch people" who know little to nothing on any given subject, but they're dying for an audience. This includes the religious leadership, that feels they must give a religious answer to a straight forward problem.

Jim Berg: "Sin is the cause
for your rape.

Katie Landry who attended Bob Jones University, raised as a conservative Mennonite. Her upbringing was so strict, she had never held hands with boy. Katie was raped several times by her supervisor at a summer job. It took her several years to tell her story to anyone, obviously, because of the horrific nightmare she lived. While attending the elite religious university, she confided in the Dean of Students, Jim Berg. Berg was considered to be a prominent author and counselor on Christian growth.

According to Landry, Berg asked whether she’d been drinking or smoking pot and if she had been “impure.” He then brought up her “root sin.”“He goes, ‘Well, there’s always a sin under other sin. There’s a root sin,’” Landry explained. “And he said, ‘We have to find the sin in your life that caused your rape.’ And I just ran."

“He just confirmed my worst nightmare,” she added. “It was something I had done. It was something about me. It was my fault.”Landry eventually withdrew from the school and didn’t tell anyone else for five more years. Raw Story By Tom Boggioni Wednesday, June 18, 2014

I must have missed that Sunday School lesson where "root sin" causes rape. Apparently it is easier to ridicule victims of a crime rather than to bring justice to perpetrators because in Jim Berg's head, God punishes a woman with rape because she is a sinful person. That attitude is ridiculous and is unfounded by biblical principals and just plain old common sense. Later in this same story we learn that another Bob Jones University student who was sexually assaulted off campus, was expelled because she complained too much. So there you are: Apparently the way to solve the problem is by getting rid of the victim.

George Will

To date the most noted bad rape remarks, come from noted Pulitzer Prize winning writer, columnist and Fox News contributor George Will. You might call him "the pontiff of conservative politics."

"Colleges and universities are being educated by Washington and are finding the experience excruciating.
They are learning that when they say campus victimization's are ubiquitous ("micro-aggression's," often not discernible to the untutored eye, are everywhere), and that when they make victim-hood a coveted status that confers privileges, victims proliferate."  June 7, 2014 George Will New York Post

Do I have tell you what the backlash was from Mr. Will's remarks?  He earned a not-so-coveted status of two hash tags. "Survivor privilege and Fire George Will." on Twitter. One newspaper complied with the last hash tag, and dumped good old George.

Will’s column is syndicated in newspapers across the country by the Washington Post, which bills him as “the most influential writer in America.” The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which has published Will’s column for a number of years, has had enough. In a message today to readers, the paper announced they were dropping Will from their paper and apologized for running his column on sexual assault: -Think Progress June 18, 2014

What makes remarks like these from Mr. Will and others so dangerous is that, beyond the outrage of the statement, is that it is influential. Many people who are looking for a reason to validate their already hateful attitude on this subject will now have a so-called voice of reason on the dismissal on sexual assault.

I've Listened To Fools

James Tranato Women who get raped should be held responsible

It's been said: "It's one thing for people to think you're a fool. It's another to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
James Taranto should be awarded the "Bad Boy Misogynistic" Award for stupid talk.  "I categorically reject the class by the label misogynist. I'm actually quite fond of women. You can call me Tyrannosaurus Sex." A remark about his own sexual prowess that should just set the laptops of the SNL writers on fire. Sadly he continues to double down on his misogyny by accusing women who get raped after consuming alcohol as guilty as their rapist,
every "Mad Men" thinker would deem as being a hero. Taranto accuses feminists as a group, whose purpose would be to emasculate men, tying them down to children, and making all men the iconic poster figure of rape while dismissing any woman of responsibility. Taranto says:

"When it comes to rape on college campuses both parties should take the blame.--- if two drunk drivers are in a collision one doesn't determine fault on the basis of demographic details such as each driver's sex--- but when two drunken college students collide, the male one is almost always presumed to be at fault, his diminished capacity owing to alcohol is not a mitigating factor but her diminished capacity is an aggravating factor for him---  in theory that means--- that if both parties are intoxicated during sex they're both technically guilty of sexually assaulting each other; in practice it means that women but not men are absolved responsibility by virtue having consumed alcohol."

Who says stupid people can't get employment? But actually Mr. Taranto is smart as a fox. He knows that as long as crazy talk becomes "ka-ching" for the WSJ; they could care less if he blames fires on the house instead of the arsonist with the lit match.

The Media Sells It

Taking a trip in Mr. Peabody's Way-Back Machine, we go back to the year 2012, where Liz Trotta; Fox News correspondent weighs in with her brand of Crazy Train analysis says:

Liz Trotta

"I think they've actually discovered there's a difference between men and women. ---And the sexual abuse report says that there's been since 2006 a 64 percent increase in violent sexual assaults. Now what did they expect? These people are in close contact--- the whole airing on this issue has never been done by congress--- its strictly been a question of pressure from the feminists. ---And the feminists have also directed them really, to spend a lot of money. They have sexual counselors all over the place, victims advocates, sexual response coordinators---so you have this whole bureaucracy upon bureaucracy being built up with all kinds of levels of people to support women in the military who were now being raped too much---" - Liz Trotta Guest on Media Matters For America

Ms. Trotta puts a spotlight on a very big problem with her feminist boondoggle accusations. She says "We have feminist going into the military, wanting to be warriors, and victims at the same time." Sexual assault and rape is not some made up conspiracy that feminist have thrown themselves into. But when some of these people look at it through the filter of politics, the dot connections are pretty silly and sad. To accuse women and men of joining the armed forced in order to make it a feminist empowered institution is crazy talk. In fact, many sexual assault victims do not talk about the personal living hell for years. These men for all their achievements, awards, and acclaims in other areas, fail at addressing this issue big time. It would have been more honest for them to say "I don't know." or "this really isn't my area of expertise."

I'm Goin' Off The Rails

Jon Stewart

Samantha Bee

Sometimes all you can do to combat Crazy Train talk is with a little crazy of your own. Jon Stewart host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central pushed back on Liz with his are you freaking kidding me? reaction. Seizing on her obvious gaffe of "women being raped too much" he remarked: that the Fox News commentator  "---Are you not horror-tained? Think about all the money that we've got to spend to help women who have been raped too much! Think about how much easier it would be if they were raped just the right amount..." 

His tongue-in cheek satire continued with Samatha Bee, Comedienne acting the part of an rape apologist. "Well Jon, I know you're expecting an apology and you'll get it. --- For all of this. (gesturing around her body.)  Samantha's character has resolved to feel empowered and proud, because after all women can't help what they are. And so she proudly declares,"You can rape it, or protect it, but you can't ignore it."  Sometimes you can only fight stupid with humor. And without any shame, I admit, I love The Daily Show. Their humor plus (in my opinion) their adequate fact checking is a great combo for me.

Somedays I wonder how much I can stand of this ridiculous talk from people who should know better. Some of them are well educated people, who seem to lack a degree in honest truth telling. And yet they say the most outrageous things. But as someone once told me--- "Sometimes you might as well laugh about it, than cry." 

And yet sadly jaw-dropping remarks these catch media attention.

R-AR Todd Akin

"Sometimes if it is a Legitimate rape, the female body has a way of shutting the who thing down."-Todd Akin (R-AR) 

Or “If a woman has (the right to an abortion), why shouldn't a man be free to use his superior strength to force himself on a woman? At least the rapist’s pursuit of sexual freedom doesn't (in most cases) result in anyone’s death.”- Republican Maine state Representative Lawrence Lockman

The Crazy Train has a load of passengers spouting off the wackiest stuff. Sadly our media continues to field their comments. I suppose the best thing for any of us to do is to know they're around, but as my Twitter friend, Catherine @Deja once said: "---try not to let them rent space in your head."

Eviction Notice on the Daiquiri Factory Doors

Happily Some stupid stuff does come to an end. Remember the Daiquiri Factory in Spokane Washington? The created a stir by their creation of "Date Grape Kool-aid." This moniker for a drink set the MST and sexual survivors aback with it's obvious insensitivity to victims of rape. The Daiquiri Factory boasted the sale of their mocking concoction would become popular, and a boom for their business. But now it's seems they are out of business. Apparently, Jamie Pendleton owed about $22,000 in rent, plus failure to another $30,000 eviction bond. I guess his drink didn't sell enough to keep his doors open. In the words of Humphrey Bogart "Here's looking at you kid! Cheers!"

Thanks for reading and sharing with others. It's important to stay connected and informed.

Sources

TheRawStory.Com -Bob Jones University and Root Sin

MediaMatters.Org- Liz Trotta

Washington Post- George Will

YouTube- Liz Trotta and James Taranto

Comedy Central- Jon Stewart and Samantha Bee

Inlander.Com- Daiquiri Factory Eviction

Special Thanks To

Geee Beee: Thanks Gayle on Daiquiri Factory Update

Catherine (Deja) on Twitter Thanks buddy for sharing George Will story

And Vera Santa Clara Rosie Palfy and Barbara Jackson 

For wading the alligator swamps with me on these issues.

Linor Abargil Brave Miss World

She was sexually assaulted weeks before receiving the crown of Miss World. Watch how she turns her tragedy into a triumph, spreading a message to victims all over the world. "Brave Miss World" can be seen online on Netflix streaming with Cameo appearances by Joan Collins and Fran Drescher