After listening to the video of Chief Brown, and reviewing his statement about how his comments were taken, I’ve done some thinking.
Yes, you get more of an idea of what he was getting at, and it confirmed my gut reaction: He meant well. I don’t believe that David Brown thinks date rape is any less of a crime. But I also think that this showcases the universal importance of choosing ones words wisely. Could he have phrased his response better? Yes. Could I have, too? Yes.
If I had been at the meeting, or watching it, I admit, my response would’ve been more measured, something like the second post I made. I do think that more emphasis needs to be put on educating both men and women – because from reading the comments, I can see the debate surrounding what constitutes date rape is still very much a confusing outline in shades of grey. This may even explain why that rape number is so high – very few know what it is.
I do think that the resulting discussion was, by the whole, a good leaping off point for exactly the sort of thing Chief Brown said we needed – more preventive measures that educate both men and women. A commenter (actually, several) asked if a sober woman could be date raped. Others asked if men could be date raped. Still others pondered at what point someone is too intoxicated to be taken for their word, if they say they want to have sex.
All of these things illustrate that the city’s work should start with education – but not just for women.
