In a viral Facebook post, comedian Sarah Lane brilliantly addresses the issue of victim blaming and why it’s completely unacceptable. When someone experiences sexual assault, society often asks misguided questions like: Were you drinking? What were you wearing? Did you call for help? This tendency to blame victims shifts the responsibility away from the perpetrator and unfairly suggests that survivors are somehow at fault for their assaults.
Lane’s Clever Response
Lane’s response to victim blaming was both clever and eye-opening. She quipped, “I’m going to start taking all the belongings from random, very drunk men. Everything they own. But it won’t be my fault because they were drunk; they should have known better.” She highlighted the shocking statistic that 97% of rapists go unpunished, illustrating the severe lack of accountability in sexual assault cases. Lane continued, “If a man takes me to court for stealing his things, I’ll just argue that when he said ‘no, don’t take my car,’ I couldn’t be sure he meant it. He was intoxicated; he brought this on himself.”
Tackling Ridiculous Notions
Lane also tackled the ridiculous notion that a victim’s clothing invites assault. “Did you see how he was dressed? Those flashy shoes and fancy shirts! What kind of message was he sending? It looked like he wanted me to come steal his stuff! He was asking for it,” she wrote with biting irony.
Clarifying Consent
Finally, she dismantled the argument that consent is ever unclear. “When he said ‘no’ to me taking his belongings, I just didn’t know if he really meant it. ‘No’ isn’t clear enough; it could mean anything,” she pointed out.
Public Reaction
Since its publication, Lane’s post has garnered over 65,000 shares and 146,000 likes, with many commenters showing their support. However, some still fail to grasp her point, insisting that individuals are responsible for their own poor decisions. This line of thinking shifts the blame onto victims instead of holding attackers accountable for their actions. It’s crucial to remember that sexual assault is always the fault of the perpetrator, without exception. If society can recognize this truth, we can begin to shift the narrative and hold offenders responsible, rather than blaming victims for their circumstances.
Further Reading
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Conclusion
In summary, comedian Sarah Lane’s viral post effectively critiques the harmful practice of victim blaming in sexual assault cases. By using humor and sharp analogies, she underscores the importance of holding perpetrators accountable instead of shifting blame to the victims.