Was anyone else outraged by the clerics comments on Question Time last night?

Okkkaaaayyyy! That'll teach me to try and get some sleep.

Of course all men aren't rapists. I neither said that nor meant it. What a silly conclusion to reach. It is just a wilful and deliberate misinterpretation to say that I did.

Rape has been used systematically as a tool for the oppression of women for thousands of years. I would just like it to stop now. I don't think that is unreasonable nor too much to ask.

cailian, that is just absurd, i tell you what, you find the most ill-informed sexist pig you can and ask him/her

"do you think those girls put themselves in harms way in order to make a vicar sad?".

"he chose his words badly"

Yes, he did. He chose to use words that focused on victims. He could have chosen others that focused on the rapists, but he didn't. If he (or anyone else on the panel) wanted to widen the debate, they could have done so by speaking about male violence and particularly about that against women and girls. But he didn't. I wonder why. What will it take to get people other than feminists having that discussion?

Oh I feel so sorry for that cleric chairmanmeow, poor thing, starting to cry was he? Of course no one should expect a person in authority who is on tv to talk about a very sensitive case to choose his words carefully and actually think about what he was going to say in advance. I mean we all know grown men need to be protected from silly sexual abuse victims who try to make him feel bad. Those silly abuse victims should just accept people throwing around ill-though out and offensive comments and suck it up, ffs, what on earth do they have to cry about?

possibly had one whisky too many last night and was feeling a little defensive

as for derailing, i think we are all in agreement about the rapists, that means there is enevitably little so say about them and naturally the thread will evolve onto other issues around this case.

i objected to one comment, thats all, diddnt mean to 'make it all about me' but i had to keep banging on about it for the simple fact that i was being made to appear like i was blaming the victims. you all object to plenty that i say but you dont get called whinny.

i have just watched the programm again and it seemed to me that the preacher guy looked really upset like he was about to start crying, i think he chose he words badly but he shouldnt be pilloried for that.

Didn't see the prog - who was the cleric (which religion? Guessing CofE?) and who is odone (sorry not very good at this stuff).

I might watch it late but I'm not sure my blood pressure can take it!

Also wanted to say how disgusting that people come onto a thread about gang raping children to say... What? "Boohoo not all men are rapists" No of course they bloody aren't you idiot but the men we are talking about ARE RAPISTS OF CHILDREN and there are plenty more out there making life hell for children so can we talk about that HMMM? Or NOT should we all just shut the fuck up about adult fucking men who like to rape underage girls.

FFS some people are just idiots.

It is not safeguarding youngsters enough to say they can wear exactly what they want, which could be something they've just seen on a pop video. Telling them how to dress appropriately is as important as telling them to not walk home alone/ avoid certain areas, keep in touch etc..

WTF?

A woman / girl is much more likley to be raped by someone she knows and to be wearing jeans and a T shirt prior to the attack.

"Fact is, for these offenders, they saw those girls as 'other', as a group of people who were worthless and who they could exploit - and race is an issue there."

Couldn't agree more Edam. "Othering" is the essence of victim blaming: pretending that it wouldn't happen to a decent person. Sometimes I think that's why some women are quick to join in the victim blaming, as a way of mentally telling themselves that it couldn't happen to them....

Just watched QT on iPlayer. What I found quite interesting was the reaction of the panel and audience when the vicar was speaking and appeared to be blaming the victims - people were squirming and clearly very uncomfortable (and Dimbleby intervened, for once). Which is good, I guess, to an extent. But blimey, weren't they all desperately trying to pretend it had nothing to do with race. Fact is, for these offenders, they saw those girls as 'other', as a group of people who were worthless and who they could exploit - and race is an issue there. As anyone who has experienced street harassment in certain areas of inner cities will know. There are plenty of shitty men of all races, btw, but we have to be able to challenge all of them, not look away because some of them are Muslim.

I don.tt know about the law on rape in scotland and ireland, Chairman. in some states of america, rape is penetration with a penis or other object, so women can be rapists. in england and wales, rape is penetration by a penis, so by definition can only be perpetrated by men.

Yelp! Don't quote me - I'm not ready to be famous ok ok ok I retract to "a lot of public support and general nastiness!" am I gonna be hauled up before a committee?!!

I was quoting Messy, who said that there was "overwhelming public support" for the footballer.

in the context of what we are discussing here, no, your offended sensibilities do not bloody matter.

Chairman, I don't know about your life personally so I couldn't tell you what you have benefited from, but I'm sooo not asking you to take collective responsibility for men at all.

I'm just asking you, very nicely , to do what you can as a man to speak out against rape culture; call out your colleagues, friends if they make objectifying remarks , bring up your kids to not see sex as something men do to women, teach them about consent, that kind of thing. When we do it, people just roll their eyes at the mad rad fem, when you do it, someone might listen.

Which I'm pretty sure you do already cos well, you're here discussing it and you obviously have a conscience. So we're not against you, can I hammer that into your head please?! In a very non violent kind of way!

sorry chairman, you've lost my patience. Best wishes.

you too pan, it's not your sensibilities that are offended so it doesnt matter, and it's whinning, of course i'm sure you suffer in silence when you do feel offended!

Oh, OK, found it.

I'd say the victim probably found it pretty overwhelming.

reactionary fish, your just rude and here to stir shit!

#yesstopwhiningchairman

As you may tell I have recently discovered the power of the twitter hashtag...

could this trend?

Sorry, Dione, who are you quoting?

ohh basil, of course rapists are men
and of course i get defensive when someone makes out that all men are rapists , that makes me feel guilty by default even though i have done no wrong.

what do you mean england and wales? are there other sorts of rapists than men in ireland and scotland?

I understand that Messy, but to describe any support as "overwhelming support" is wrong.

Raoul Moat had support, it was by no means overwhelming support. To insinuate so would be wrong.

stop whining about yourself, meow. this is not about you.

i dont know who this footbaler is but why the media and twitter would defame the victim is totaly beyond me , does he score alot of goals or something? is he the darling of the football supporters so the press have an interest in his side?