From: ddfr@daviddfriedman.nopsam.com   
      
   In article ,   
    Aqua  wrote:   
      
   > > There's an important difference between rape and most other serious   
   > > crimes. Intercourse is, in most circumstances, legal and fairly common;   
   > > killing people isn't. The difference between legal intercourse and rape   
   > > is (aside from the special case of statutory rape) in the mind of the   
   > > parties--consent or absence of consent. There may or may not be physical   
   > > evidence, and if there is it may or may not be conclusive.   
   >   
   > That's complete nonsense.  The difference between gift-giving and theft   
   > is consent.   
      
   It is very rare for someone to hand someone else the contents of his   
   wallet, or his television and stereo, without getting anything   
   observable in exchange. So when such happens, there is good reason to   
   believe that it's theft or robbery, not a gift. On the other hand, it is   
   very common for two people to have intercourse without any payment by   
   either, and not all that uncommon for two people who are almost complete   
   strangers to do so.   
      
   > There are also a number of consented-to activities which   
   > without consent become assault.  Hey, there are consented-to activities   
   > that without consent become murder.   
      
   Yes. If you read what I wrote more carefully, you will note that   
   "killing people isn't" refers to "in most circumstances, legal and   
   fairly common." The only circumstance in which killing people is legal   
   and at all common is warfare. There are other special circumstances,   
   such as a risky medical operation, but they don't satisfy either "in   
   most circumstances" or "common."   
      
   > I believe, with Zeborah, the reason rape is treated differently is that   
   > our society is f*&ked in the head when it comes to (heterosexual) sex.   
   > There appear to be large numbers of men who genuinely think it's hard to   
   > tell the difference between having sex with a woman who's consenting and   
   > a woman who isn't.  Or who don't notice the difference in her behaviour.   
   >   Or don't think it matters.  And it seems enough women are brainwashed   
   > into certain patterns of behaviour as "feminine" when it comes to sex   
   > that that ambiguity can exist.   
      
   "Brainwashed into" meaning "hold different views on the subject than you   
   do?" Presumably animals that exhibit similar patterns of behavior have   
   also been brainwashed into them?   
      
   --   
    http://www.daviddfriedman.com/ http://daviddfriedman.blogspot.com/   
    Author of _Harald_, a fantasy without magic.   
    Published by Baen, paperback in bookstores now   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)