Debating Camille Paglias on Date Rape Essay - 768 Words

Kayla Landry Landry 1 Jennifer Dorhauer Eng 1020 L23 February 04, 2013 Debating Camille Paglia’s â€Å"On Date Rape† Date rape is a forcible sexual intercourse by an acquaintance, where one resists sexual advances either verbally or physically. The perpetrator of this crime varies from boyfriends to casual acquaintances. The Centers for Disease Control reported that eight out of ten rape or sexual-assault cases were carried out by people of these relationship statuses. Sometimes rapists claim they are given given mixed signals, or even misread simple flirtation as a woman’s sexual advance. In any situation, a woman is not†¦show more content†¦Although, according to New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, a higher percentage of Blacks (35.4%) and Hispanics (32.7%) are sexually active, 23.4% of whites are also sexually active. Paglia’s unsympathetic comparison of a car being stolen because the keys were left on the hood of the car to a girl being raped because she drank alcohol is preposterous. The loss of a vehicle is mild in comparison to the theft of a woman’s most intimate possession. Sure, you may have lost your means of transport but a stolen car can be recovered, or a new vehicle purchased upon receiving funds from the insurance provider. A rape victim goes through many psychological and emotional changes. They often blame themselves and feel unclean. Their relationships and trust of other males in their life may be terribly altered also. In many cases, victims are haunted by the memories of the actual act. Depression and an addiction to pain pills may also be acquired as a way to escape from and alleviate the painful memories. Plenty of date rape cases are unreported because the victim feels that she will be harshly judged. Landry 3 She also believes that a woman has nearly zero possibility of being raped if she remains vigilant, as did