All these people who cry "burglary!'.

Last time I was 'done over' it wasn't my house, it was my car. The burglars bashed a window in, rifled through my CD collection, and didn't steal a bloody one! I was incensed, I tell you. I felt as though the sodding thieves had looked at my CDs, judged them and found them wanting.

And another one

oh I think this thread deserves a bump.

"And people could pay to watch and the money go towards Victim Support and parrot charities."

:o

And no-one would ever quite know why...

Oh I hope to goodness they didn't rape him!

Poor Max Only positive is that he will almost certainly be somewhere safe. Parrots are expensive beasties no? So will be sold on to someone who likes parrots. I don't suppose that is much consolation to you though.

Punishment seems perfectly reasonable to me! For birdnapping and rape.

Can I just mention my parrot again? He was called Max, was green with red under his tail. If you see Max please can you shoot the person who has him and return him to me - thank you!

I think women should be allowed to carry tasers.

And both burglars and rapists should be tied up, with their willies hanging out, covered in dog meat whilst two alsations are released. And people could pay to watch and the money go towards Victim Support and parrot charities.

No, people don't consent to being robbed, but they do offer or give stuff away sometimes.

the same way, people don't consent to being raped, even though they might have had sex previously.

But "oh sorry, I just misunderstood and thought they really want to get rid of this TV" is not heard too often.

I can't think of a better one, either

HeavyHeidi, I'd say that's another reason why the metaphor doesn't work. People never consent to being robbed, but there is often that issue with sex/rape. The defence in a rape trial has to establish reasonable doubt - and I would totally agree length of skirt and sexual history should be off-limits. But I don't think many trials collapse or juries acquit because of those reasons, I genuinely think most just cannot be sure the defendant is guilty. If they do acquit for those reasons, fuck those idiots, what can we do? Keep ridiculing those who think like that? Ok, sure.

Anyway, the reason I posted here are that in some ways the metaphor works of course, but other ways it is doesn't - or does but in way that agrees that there are false claims and other cases where people 'blame the victim' - and actually undermines what it is trying to do. Mostly I like a good metaphor, and will pick apart a bad one. In another thread on this subject I put forward a flawed metaphor, and agreed it was flawed when it was pointed out, so, er, there's that too.

AnyFucker, no I can't think of another metaphor but if I do I'll post it. As I said, I already got my fingers burned trying that.

MarySue, I have never heard the counsel defending a burglar, (ok a person accused of being one), coming out with "But he could see the tv from the outside and the window was open, so of course he could have been mistaken and think that it was an invitation to take it. Besides,the owner has known to be giving gifts to other people before". Ridiculous, right?
But discussing short skirts and sex life of the victim is still totally normal in rape cases.

Very sorry by the way that Rhubarb0 lost her parrot. I do realise that burglary can be horrific for the victim, losing personal valuable items, and in this case a very beloved pet, and with the potential for personal attack also.

I still think that this is a very good way of making the point however, about how much the law seems to prioritise an owner's right to his/her property over a woman's right to say no when it comes to her own body.

I use these boards to crystallise my own thinking

I win a mean argument in RL

MarySue, it's ok to put another POV across

There is always room to hone a metaphor

Out of interest, could you think of a better one ? (not a dig)

Wonderful thread Seeker

Ok StayFrosty, good point. I can only argue that I did say I saw the humour and I waited for ages til I chose to get picky with the metaphor.

No I don't agree MarySue, I think it is an excellent metaphor.

I actually was burgled through an open ground floor window (it was very small and it hadn't occurred to me someone could get in through it) and not one person including the police ever blamed me or hinted it was my fault.

The fact that people do make false burglary claims makes it an even more poignant metaphor: the point is that even though there are demonstrably many false burglary claims, the default is to treat burglary victims (or 'accusers', since it seems to be the fashion to call rape victims that ) as if they are telling the truth.

When my parents were burgled they didn't even have any evidence to show the police as the burglars had come in through an open window and worn gloves so there were no prints; the police didn't say 'You've got no proof, why should I believe this crime even took place?'; they said 'It must have been a very professional gang' and believed every word of the account even though there were no other witnesses.

"But I don't hear many people say that these days, and I've never heard anyone say 'men are animals they can't help but rape the poor things.

I think victim-blaming, which is what this thread is all about, amounts to precisely the same thing.

If anyone has heard someone say 'he's just a man, he can't help but rape' what can I say? They are a vile idiot. But it's not a common reason for disbelieving a rape claim.

'Yes it is'

No it isn't.

And no one says that leaving your door unlocked sends "mixed messages" to potential burglars, or that it indicates that maybe you weren't actually burgled at all.

Ooh good link finding, pirate.

It hadn't really occurred to me that this would be about DSK. Just one rapist amongst thousands.