A Note About Consent…

My last post was about the guilty verdict in the Steubenville rape case.  I saw a recurring train of thought in the comments sections of many online news sources.  This was the alcohol theme.  It’s an old and disturbing theme…girl gets drunk, girl goes with boys, certainly it’s the girl’s fault for being drunk in the first place.  I have some thoughts…

(photo source)

The defense attorneys in this case used the argument that this girl never explicitly said no.  And that this implied consent.  Huh??  Yes, the girl was so very intoxicated that she was unable to walk, was unconscious at points in the evening.  The trolls online agree that this drunkenness implies consent, even to the point of “asking for it”.

Steubenville Rape Verdict

I have to add my two cents to the many, many articles and blogs I’ve read in the last two days regarding the guilty verdict in the Steubenville rape case. I was relieved when the guilty verdict was returned, as I have followed this case ever since the beginning.

That being said, I was dismayed at the media coverage that I have seen.  And even more so at the comments by readers that followed this coverage.  Overwhelmingly, the media coverage seemed to dwell on the “promising careers” of the young men involved and the lasting impacts that this decision will have on their lives.  I have read many articles on many mainstream news sources, and I have yet to see more than a mere mention of the victim and the lasting impact this event will have on her life.