A horrific gang rape in Acapulco, Mexico, in which six women were gang raped after the seven males who were with them were tied up and beaten, has Acapulco Mayor Luis Walton worried about one thing: Tourism.
The masked men broke into a beach home where the seven Spanish couples were staying in the wee hours of Monday morning. They tied up all of the men and raped all but one of the women. As yet, it's unclear why one woman was spared. The story is sending ripples of fear throughout the world since Acapulco is a popular vacation destination for Americans and travelers from around the world.
It's a nightmare. But it's a nightmare made worse by the mayor's dismissive attitude. It could happen anywhere, right? At least that is what Walton has to say. His comments set off a firestorm. See below:
We know that it's very unfortunate what has happened, but it happens anywhere in the world.
Oh yes. He said that. What he doesn't know is that the rape of six tourists ranging from ages 20 to 34 is an absolute nightmare scenario for most women.
We all know to be careful walking at night and be careful what we wear and be careful who we talk to; otherwise, some jerk will say a rape is our fault. After all, we were out after dark or we were doing whatever else (can you see my eyes rolling from there?). But now we have to be careful when we are lying in beds with our husbands?
The reality is rape CAN happen anywhere. We have recently seen horrific rape cases as far away as India and as close by as Steubenville, Ohio. Women aren't safe anywhere in the world. If he wanted to say it that way, then fine. It's true. And it's wrong. But the mayor's comments come on the heels of a year where American politicians and foreign politicians alike are making incredibly dismissive comments about rape.
We have Todd Akin questioning the validity of pregnancies stemming from rape. We have judges saying women "enjoy rape" and we have Steubenville football players laughing about rape on camera. I am sorry, but when does it end? Can we make some kind of international law that men must learn what rape is really like? Because women know. Even those who have been lucky enough to never have been assaulted understand instinctively what it must feel like to lose your power and autonomy and control over your own body. It's awful.
Why do men not seem to get that? How many more of these dismissive comments must we hear?
Would you travel to Acapulco now?
Image via Quiltsalad/Flickr
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Comments 42
I'm sure that many men "get it" and the majority of men don't rape so don't group all men together. And you do know that men can get raped too right? I'm sure if you go into any prison you can find plenty of men who have been raped...maybe they don't matter because they're in jail for doing something wrong anyhow right? And for the record, yes rape does happen EVERYWHERE even when your on vacation it can happen.
First off, is this the only comment you are trashing the mayor on? Because really, it just sounds as if he's being defensive and rightly so. He was probably being questioned and he finally said this. People really shouldn't read too much into this.
But what I take issue with in this piece of 'journalism' Sasha, is something you did write and that I am not taking out of context. And I quote "Can we make some kind of intl law that men must learn what rape is really like?"
Wow! Did you know Sasha that the FBI, in 2012, (2012!!!) had to change the definition of rape to include men because it's just as real a problem for men as it is for women?!
I knew a man, father of 2, who had been kidnapped from a parking lot in Glendale, California, in 1992, taken across the border, and raped and beaten by a gang of 5 men repeatedly over the period of 4 days. He was not right when he came back.
Please read up on the subject before submitting your misinformed opinions on the matter in the future.
Billsfan, you should probably work on your anger issues. Aiken was not the only example she used; she did call out other groups (which you probably feel is different because she didn't mention the judges or the Stubenville perps by name). Liberal or conservative, Todd Aiken is an idiot. Plain and simple. She was trying to prove a point that there are some men who seem to have a flippant attitude toward rape.
Oh, and as one of my high school English teachers was fond of saying, "Profanity is a weak mind trying to express itself forcefully."
Why don't you stop reading, then, Billsfan? If Sasha bothers you so much, why give her a pageview? You're contributing to her paycheck every time you click and everytime you respond. It's a pageview based blog. More pageviews = more author contributions. She generates traffic and The Stir relies on angry commenters in disagreement with the writer because it draws the biggest response and brings in a crapton of clicks. The best way to have her and "[those] liberals" stop writing things you don't like is to not play into it.
That being said, billsfan you REALLY need to get a life. EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE that somehow links to politics you comment on, ripping apart liberals. Let it go.