Does the Right Make Light of Rape?Rape is one of those words that often has a visceral effect when spoken aloud. It seems to hurtle through the air, hit you in the gut, and linger in your body like sudden illness. So I have to wonder: Why do the kingpins of the American right wing rely so heavily on that monosyllabic assault to describe virtually everything President Obama has done since he began his campaign?
Rape is not a word to use lightly, yet that's exactly what the likes of Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck do on a regular basis, as this video from Media Matters shows. If I were a woman, I think I'd be even more offended than I am as a man. How do you feel about it?
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Eurgh. That was pretty horrific. By the time the video was 1/3 over I was thinking "Oh god! Stop saying that word!!!" Do these pundits not understand that there are people in their audience who actually have been victims of real-life sexual assault (not the pithy metaphorical kind they keep referring to)?
And yes, you are right, I think it can be much more offensive for a woman to hear this than a man. Mostly because we women are taught for our whole lives that we are constantly vulnerable to sexual assault.
This is disgusting. I can't believe the American media, in England this kind of language would not be acceptable (not to say we're perfect) As someone who doesn't watch American news programs it really is quite shocking to hear 'rape' used so freely and with such little respect.