the r word

why the word "rape" should never be used casually

rip also uses this word casually (usually in the context of playing video games). which, obviously, bothers me.

i've never been raped. though i do know someone who was raped. it wasn't a violent thing with a stranger, it was the common way women get raped, by someone she knew and trusted. on a bed, not in a dark alleyway. the incident made me angry, but beyond that, i don't think it actually affected me very much.

in the last year, i've watched a couple movies that had violent rape scenes: the last house on the left and the girl with the dragon tattoo. i had a really bad reaction during the first movie and i was unable to finish the movie, which was okay since it was a dvd and it didn't seem like it was going to be a great movie anyway. i watched the girl with the dragon tattoo in movie theaters and started crying. not really sure why?

anyway, i just wanted to remind you that 1 out of every 6 american women are victims of rape or attempted rape. i'm sure you know more than six women. you're probably pretty close to more than six women. and more than just females, 3% of males are also rape victims. and even beyond the direct victims of rape there are all the others who are affected. friends, family, everyone.

so the next time you're about to casually use the word rape, think about what it really means.

to learn some more horrifying but important information about rape, go here.