However I think Mr. Withers missed a big point that is driving this sentiment: the ridiculous imbalance in our serving out justice. Minor drug crimes like possession get jail time. We are absolutely worked up over “alcohol crimes”. Anyone who has served on a jury is very likely to have witnessed an over zealous DA trying to take away someone’s driving priveleges over a beer.

I believe many people, like me, are angry to see homophobic bashers, very violent burglars etc just go to jail for life or not too many years. I wonder why our society has people like Mathew Sheppard’s killer under our care? Why don’t we just get rid of him? Yes, we will make mistakes, so we could limit it to certain circumstances where we know for sure. Maybe I’m wrong and we shouldn’t be killing people, but the sentiment is there..he is better off in jail? Then simply get rid of him. He has shown himself to be not capable of existing in society, and our response is to give him a better life.

It is anger over unfair justice….and I’m referring to a case where the guy was caught. Too often we hear of crimes that police do not properly see as important or seem to agree with the assailant that gays should be beaten up.

So it is very tempting to call for rape when someone commits a hate crime…don’t forget the choice of punishment by these angry web posters is very specific as the homophobe would be hurt more by it, seemingly (probably not true at all).

It is tempting…but as Mr. Withers says, not a temptation we should give in to.

I remember listening to NPR once, in ’94 or so, and there was a story about the frequency of male/male rape as the civil war dragged on in Bosnia. Try to Google it sometime and you get very little that’s on-point, whether for that specific theme or for more general discussion. It happens, though, it definitely happens. Very often it’s str8 men who are violated by other men, and it has nothing to do with “gaydar” or any of that. It’s about power. In a battlefield scene, that’s about as complete a domination as you’ll get, ’cause you left the victim to live with their shame (especially in a macho culture).

Teachermahn’s got a good point. When we find the attackers in cases here, name and shame. Put their pictures out there. Let the general community draw its own conclusions.

Years later I don’t feel the same. I don’t want him raped, I want him and his “buddies” to be singled out in public so that their macho perception can be exposed and they can be humiliated like I was.

http://stuffqueerpeopleneedtoknow.wordpress.com

I think Withers was referring to gay people asking for rape as retribution for crimes against gays. He says that “Maybe the anonymity of the internets allows us the privilege to type mess [sic] we would never say in public”. Agreed, IF your premise is that they want to be flamers. However, I think it’s anger in the moment. I still think that MOST people don’t want to see someone raped as retribution for a crime. If I am wrong, I’m living in a totally different world. You can’t always believe what you read on the internet.

I couldn’t agree with the article more; although I don’t think any particular demographic is culpable for such repellent rhetoric. It crops up all over the place.

Also, as he doesn’t claim women don’t wish rape upon those who rape them. He says that’s not the proper response, and I’m sorry to say much as it is the natural human response it isn’t the evolved response.

Your attack on him is uncalled for, illogical, and off topic. If he were talking about women being raped by men anywhere in this article and sharing some opinion on that unfortunate act of violence in our society then you would be on target. Unfortunately he isn’t and you aren’t.

Withers: thank you. I don’t always agree with your perspective on issues, but I do appreciate that you put your opinions forth withOUT threats or calls for harm of any kind. I have, in fact, always appreciated your rather consistent calls to vigilance on this front, as I think this sort of vigilance is something ALL people should practice. Cheers, man. Cheers.