A New York City councilwoman has appeared on TV to shut down a conversation with a victim-blaming news anchor.
Speaking to CNN anchor Pamela Brown, NYC councilwoman Laurie Cumbo didn’t pull any punches when discussing the alleged gang rape of an 18-year-old earlier in January.
Five have been arrested and charged in the rape, but at the time news outlets discussed allegations against the victim that she was drunk, and that she bit a policeman.
“There is a way that people respond to violence against women and it’s not appropriate. We feel that it needs to be stronger, it needs to be more effective,” Cumbo said.
“There needs to be legislation, there needs to be strategy, there needs to be implementation as well as enforcement. Every woman in the city of New York should feel safe whether they are coming home late at night, early in the morning, coming from a party, or going to work extremely late.”
She was then asked by Brown: “Law enforcement sources have told CNN that this alleged victim in this case was drunk, combative, and bit a police officer and that she initially refused treatment. What can you tell us about that?”
After which Cumbo totally shut down any victim-blaming.
She
retorted: “I would say that that’s typical of just what I just spoke
about. That individuals often talk about the woman. They rarely talk
about the individuals who actually committed the rape. Those are the
individuals that need to be focused on right now.”
“We shouldn’t talk about whether she was drunk, whether she was properly dressed, we shouldn’t talk about the time of the evening that it happened,” she continued. “That is too typical of the situation of how we discuss rape in this city, the nation, and really the world. We need to focus in this situation on those five individuals that committed this heinous crime, and what were the bad decisions that they made all throughout the day. Have they been drinking? Have they been smoking?”
It’s fair to say Brown looked a little taken aback after Cumbo’s response.
Speaking to CNN anchor Pamela Brown, NYC councilwoman Laurie Cumbo didn’t pull any punches when discussing the alleged gang rape of an 18-year-old earlier in January.
Five have been arrested and charged in the rape, but at the time news outlets discussed allegations against the victim that she was drunk, and that she bit a policeman.
“There is a way that people respond to violence against women and it’s not appropriate. We feel that it needs to be stronger, it needs to be more effective,” Cumbo said.
“There needs to be legislation, there needs to be strategy, there needs to be implementation as well as enforcement. Every woman in the city of New York should feel safe whether they are coming home late at night, early in the morning, coming from a party, or going to work extremely late.”
She was then asked by Brown: “Law enforcement sources have told CNN that this alleged victim in this case was drunk, combative, and bit a police officer and that she initially refused treatment. What can you tell us about that?”
After which Cumbo totally shut down any victim-blaming.
“We shouldn’t talk about whether she was drunk, whether she was properly dressed, we shouldn’t talk about the time of the evening that it happened,” she continued. “That is too typical of the situation of how we discuss rape in this city, the nation, and really the world. We need to focus in this situation on those five individuals that committed this heinous crime, and what were the bad decisions that they made all throughout the day. Have they been drinking? Have they been smoking?”
It’s fair to say Brown looked a little taken aback after Cumbo’s response.
Totally in agreement with the NYC Council women, I feel it is completely irrelevant if the raped woman was drunk, dressed in a short skirt, had a super-tight blouse on, was on drugs or whatever!
ReplyDeleteThe individuals raping the woman are the criminals, not the woman who dressed as she was, what intoxicated state she was in or she was not in, if she had used drugs or not, or whatever!
A rapist is a rapist, and is taking advantage of another persons situation,whatever that may be!
Abusing someone is bad, sick and foul, abusing someone who is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs is even more worse, raping someone while that person is unable to defend her/him-self is the lowest of the lowest, and even when an individual crawls over the streets or the floor because she/he is so off-the-earth then raping or taking advantage is low, sickening and non-excusable!
Anyone claiming or stating that anyone who is drunk, or is dressed provocatively, or is under the influence of drugs of whatever kind or sort, has called being raped upon her/him-self is, in my opinion, conspiratory guilty to the rape committed on that individual!
No one asks to be raped, regardless of or in whatever state one is, no one allows by being in a certain state to be raped, and everyone raping someone who is in a state of being unable to make and or take correct judgements is, again in my opinion, to be held fully and totally accountable for his or her actions towards such a person!
As to how being dressed..... even when an individual is naked, it does not mean that anyone can rape that individual!
If and when a women wears a short skirt, it is her choice to be wearing that type of skirt, and it is not the right of anyone to rape that women!
We live in a society were people have the right and the freedom to be wearing whatever one wants to wear, we are living in a free society were women are not forced to cover their bodies completely!
Like it or not, that is our society!
And besides, societies were women are forced to cover their bodies totally, rapes are happening!
It has nothing to do with how people dress, it has to do with the position of women, and how others respect or disrespect women!
If a male has no respect for a woman, then he feels it ok to rape that woman, if a male has no respect for a women, he rapes women!
Raping another individual (male or female) IS per definition wrong, sick and must be punished severely, without mercy and or pity!
And especially when a rapist comes up with the excuse of being provoked, or been given the opportunity, that rapist must be punished even more severely, being banned from public places for life would be a good sentence I think, being castrated would be a good sentence I think, being forced to pay 1000 percent compensation to the rape victim must be included, being forced to pay for the treatment (physically and mentally) must be part of the sentence, and being forced to pay for the care of the child that possibly is the result of a rape must be included!
A rapist has a sick mind per definition, and a sick mind comes not from birth or circumstances, a sick mind comes from one's own free will and choosing!
My opinion!