Eilonnwy -
If you knowingly don't attempt to do anything to minimise risk of harm, you're certainly partly responsible if harm occurs. The other share of the responsibility of course lies with the perpetrator. Note that responsibility doesn't mean fault / blame. In other words, here's what happens when a woman knowingly neglects to take responsibility for her own safety :
Blame and responsibility for the event :
Perpetrator : Victim :
Blame : 100% 0%
Responsibility : c. 50% c.50%
Blame and responsibility for oneself :
Perpetrator : Victim :
Blame : N/A N/A
Responsibility : 100% (for himself) 100% (for herself)
What the PC brigade are doing, and which is astonishingly transparent, is putting the phrase "taking responsibility" and putting inverted commas arond it to imply and insinuate that anyone who uses the phrase actually means something else (ie that the woman is to blame). They then attack that strawman. However, when one uses the phrase 'taking responsibility" it is meant literally. The PC brigade try to exploit the fact that word "responsibility" is flexible. For example, one can say "I am responsible for all of this" (meaning "it's all my fault") or, "I'll hold you responsible if it goes wrong" (meaning "I'll blame it all on you"). In other words, "responsibility" can be interchangeable with "blame". However, the word "responsibility" in itself has a different meaning, and applied to this discussion, it means "being the one whose role it is to try one's best to look after ones own safety" and "being the one who has to deal with the event, should it happen, and therefore it being in your own best intereststo try to avoid it as much as you can". That can't possibly apply to a rapist if we're talking about your safety. In terms of your safety, the responsibility of looking out for it lies with you. The rapist isn't going to do it for you. His role is to rape you. Your role is to look after yourself. If you fail to try, and you abdicate your responsibility to yourself, you're a fool.
If you knowingly don't attempt to do anything to minimise risk of harm, you're certainly partly responsible if harm occurs. The other share of the responsibility of course lies with the perpetrator. Note that responsibility doesn't mean fault / blame. In other words, here's what happens when a woman knowingly neglects to take responsibility for her own safety :
Blame and responsibility for the event :
Perpetrator : Victim :
Blame : 100% 0%
Responsibility : c. 50% c.50%
Blame and responsibility for oneself :
Perpetrator : Victim :
Blame : N/A N/A
Responsibility : 100% (for himself) 100% (for herself)
What the PC brigade are doing, and which is astonishingly transparent, is putting the phrase "taking responsibility" and putting inverted commas arond it to imply and insinuate that anyone who uses the phrase actually means something else (ie that the woman is to blame). They then attack that strawman. However, when one uses the phrase 'taking responsibility" it is meant literally. The PC brigade try to exploit the fact that word "responsibility" is flexible. For example, one can say "I am responsible for all of this" (meaning "it's all my fault") or, "I'll hold you responsible if it goes wrong" (meaning "I'll blame it all on you"). In other words, "responsibility" can be interchangeable with "blame". However, the word "responsibility" in itself has a different meaning, and applied to this discussion, it means "being the one whose role it is to try one's best to look after ones own safety" and "being the one who has to deal with the event, should it happen, and therefore it being in your own best intereststo try to avoid it as much as you can". That can't possibly apply to a rapist if we're talking about your safety. In terms of your safety, the responsibility of looking out for it lies with you. The rapist isn't going to do it for you. His role is to rape you. Your role is to look after yourself. If you fail to try, and you abdicate your responsibility to yourself, you're a fool.
