I Have To Pay To Do What?
Vaginas are a critical part of my job. Unfortunately not in that fun, naughty way but in more of the Law and Order: SVU sort of way. I think that is why this made me stand up and cheer. Was I angered at the fact that victims were forced to pay for their own evidentiary exams (aka rape kit)? You bet. But I found myself thrilled at the fact that this all too common situation was finally being thrust into the spotlight, even if it has taken the introduction of a bizarro Tina Fey to make it happen.
Being charged for evidence collection after a sexual assault is not new or unusual. According to a Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault survey of service providers conducted in January of 2008, only 42% of respondents said that victims in their communities do not have to pay for a forensic exam. Federal legislation has set the deadline, January 2009, for all states to finally meet the new standards which require the state and local jurisdictions to figure out how to cover the costs of an evidentiary exam for rape victims. We will now just have to wait and see if they all reach that goal. Even our own fair city has proven shamefully inept when it comes to serving victims of sexual violence and it has not been until the past couple months that concrete changes in policy have taken effect.
Sometimes I feel like this is only a hop, skip and a jump away- perhaps even inevitable? If rapists did find a magic lamp that Sarah Palin jumped out of they have already used up two wishes (click here for the second) and I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to be around for the third.
sarah palin is an evil bitch.
end of story.
Maybe it’s just me, but articles that have a shit-ton of links to pop back and forth and read really just make me not want to read them at all.
That’s why quotations and attributions were invented - so you could read without having to grab another book to check a reference.
Let’s stop being lazy people.
September 23, 2008 at 1:06 pmOr you could right-click and open link in new tab. Unless you work for the federal government and you’re stuck with IE minus 1 or something.
September 23, 2008 at 1:18 pmFits I know I can, but it’s a pain in the ass. It’s having to interrupt the chain of thought from the article I am reading to go and then read a different article to see what in the hell they are talking about, then back to finish a sentence, then off ot another article, then back, then another, and so on.
It’s pure writing laziness and it’s annoying as fuck and it’s becoming far more prevalent, especially online. I mean in a book if an author were referencing something he wouldn’t say “And so I was interested to learn that President Bush did this (see page A-19 of the Washington Post on August 12, 2007) when all along I thought for sure that he was going to do what this guy thought (see blog from Andrew Smith at http://www.andrewsmith.com on July 23, 2007). I mean, seriously.”
See?
September 23, 2008 at 1:22 pmPoint taken, Michael. It’s my first go- will keep that in mind.
September 23, 2008 at 1:24 pmI actually completely disagree. I like the link because then I get to read the article/report/whatever in context, and not just some quote from some article/report/whatever.
September 23, 2008 at 1:36 pmThanks Lucy.
September 23, 2008 at 1:37 pmI think the trick here is pull a relevant quote from the linked article or at least the title, and include it, but also include the link as well. That way the article can be read casually without interruption, and can be delved deeper into if desired.
Kinda like how I delved deeper into Michael’s mom last night. Hello!!
September 23, 2008 at 2:57 pmMy mom was raped, beaten, and killed at a rest stop on her way to see my graduation from Basic Training in 1991. Not really funny.
September 23, 2008 at 3:16 pmThis was my actual thought process:
“Did I really just type ‘delved deeper into if desired’ cause that sounds a) retarded and b) suggestive… I’ll make a joke about it… oh! howabout an intentionally lame mom joke… oh wait… I bet Michael’s mom is either not around or not living cause I’ve heard him mention something about his dad banging Stevie Nicks or something… and I don’t know, he just acts like he doesn’t have a mom or hates his mom… he seems like he needs a hug… but whatever, it’s Michael, he doesn’t take offense to anything and will realize it’s a generic joke and not a personal joke… plus it’s the internets”
Error in judgement, my apologies.
September 23, 2008 at 3:27 pmP.S. Totally kidding.
September 23, 2008 at 3:30 pmThis was my actual thought process:
“Nuh uh, he’s just fucking around. But wait. That was pretty specific. Hm. And I mean, it’s Michael, if anybody has a mom who was raped, beaten, and killed it would be him. I best assume he’s serious so he doesn’t hit me.”
September 23, 2008 at 3:33 pmPS. way to take the “dude, not cool, my mom’s dead… jk” joke to a whole new level.
September 23, 2008 at 3:34 pmthree cheers for made up rape-murder stories! Hip Hip!
Hooray!
September 23, 2008 at 3:37 pmRAPE JOKE FAIL
September 23, 2008 at 3:41 pmdark humor on this topic:
http://www.236.com/video/2008/get_your_war_on_sarah_palin_an_9028.php
Palin sux
September 23, 2008 at 3:45 pmRape is no laughing matter. Unless you’re a raping clown.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbCiac03ycQ
September 23, 2008 at 4:03 pmActually I think it worked as well as planned.
September 23, 2008 at 4:44 pmi love how comments about an article on rape went from noise about links to raped mom jokes. comments FAIL.
anyway, fuck sarah palin.
September 23, 2008 at 8:21 pm
“As long as it’s inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it,” said Clayton Williams in 1990.
ha ha, Clayton. thanks for your support. oh, and fuck you.
September 23, 2008 at 12:23 pm