Kristin Colella is a senior majoring in English and is a Daily Collegian columnist. Her e-mail address is kac395@psu.edu.
My Opinion
Education is essential in preventing rape
I just found out the urinal cakes in the men's bathroom in the HUB contain an anti-rape message.
"You hold the power to stop rape in your hands," to be exact.
All I can say is, "Thank God." Penn State is finally starting to get it.
I am so sick of our society constantly putting the burden to stop rape on women by telling us to protect ourselves from men.
Let's face it -- the only way rape will ever stop is if rapists stop raping.
How many times have women been told the long list of things we must do to prevent ourselves from being attacked?
Don't go out late at night, never walk alone, don't drink too much, don't dress too provocatively, carry Mace.
I've seen those reminders written on posters in women's bathrooms all over campus, so yeah, I'm overjoyed the message to stop rape is finally being sent to men.
I know most men who read the urinal cake message are not rapists, but we have to acknowledge the fact that some men on this campus do rape.
You might have the image of a rapist embedded in your mind as a man dressed in black lurking in the bushes at night. While some rapes are committed by strangers, most are committed by someone the victim knows. We have to let go of the stereotype of the lurking man and realize the guy you sit next to in class or party with on the weekends might be the perpetrator of a rape or sexual assault.
As I learned in my women's studies class last semester, telling women to lock their doors and stay inside at night are reactive responses. They do not reach the source of the problem -- the men who rape. We are simply limiting the things women are allowed to do instead of seeking proactive solutions. What our society should do is explore the reasons why men rape and educate boys and men that they cannot rape because rape is wrong. This message has to reach Penn State students in every way possible, and that includes urinal cakes. One of our readers sent a letter to the editor last Friday about the urinal cake message. He insinuated the message was ridiculous because he alone cannot stop all rape. Here is a piece of his letter: "It was informing me that my penis was so powerful that it could all by itself stop rape -- not just some rape but all rape could be stopped if my magic wand just willed it so."
The reader completely missed the point. The message is not meant to accuse him of being a rapist or suggest he alone can stop rape.
Rather, its purpose is to reach as many men as possible and try to change some of their attitudes toward rape.
Some men who read the message might have always thought sexual crimes were the victims' responsibility to prevent; others might have even committed a rape or sexual assault.
While one man certainly can't stop all rape, one man can stop raping. And one man's changing attitude toward rape can help create a society that places blame on the perpetrator rather than the victim.
I know I've been talking a lot about crimes against women, but it's important to realize that men can also be the victims of rape and sexual assault. In both cases, though, men commit the majority of offenses.
Look, I'm not trying to man-bash here. I think men have a tremendous amount of power within themselves, but this power should be used in a positive way.
There's been a lot of talk these days about female empowerment, but what about male empowerment?
Men truly have the power to stop rape. It's in their hands.
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