Conservative Conspiracy, and Campus “Safety”
Filipovic would agree with Jason Katz’s “Tough Guise”; sexual assault is a gender problem, perpetrated almost entirely by males upon females. Filipovic also introduces the scary idea that there are people in the United States who are supportive of the “rape culture”. She describes the conservative religious right as waging a “war over the most basic of values: the human rights to bodily autonomy and self-determination, the role of women in society, and the construction of the family” (14). Gail Collins, writing for the New York Times, wonders why opponents of Planned Parenthood never state their support for contraceptives. Considering that they violently oppose abortions, and that easily available contraceptives have been proven the best method to reduce abortions, this is very strange. Collins suggests that “the answer is that a large part of the anti-abortion community is also anti-contraception.” She continues to say that “many social conservatives are simply opposed to giving women the ability to have sex without the possibility of procreation.” Of course, while abortions are a hot topic in the media, with strong popular support for both sides, contraceptives are universally supported. Filipovic states that “95 percent of American women will use contraception at some point in their lives” (17). Personally, I’m disturbed by the idea that there is a movement of a minority group that will intentionally obscure issues to further their unpopular agenda against women’s bodily agency.
Another scary part of the readings was Jones article, “Battering: Who’s Going to Stop It?” Her examples of men who beat and killed women who stood up for themselves were doubly horrifying in how many of the victims were high school and college students. Although we like to believe that college is a safer place than outside the “bubble,” the truth is that young women in college are at a higher risk than the general population. A 1999 study conducted by the National Institute of Justice found that 1 in 5 women experience rape in college, either attempted or completed. Although some colleges, like Jones’ example of Mount Holyoke, take the problem more seriously, they are the exception, not the rule.
Discussion Questions:
1) Do you actually believe that the conservative right “promotes an extremist ideology that enables rape and promotes a culture where sexual assault is tacitly accepted?” (17)
2) Sexual assault on campuses is a serious problem. What do you think the Bowdoin community should do to improve our culture about sexual assault?
3) The Bush administration funded $200 a year to abstinence initiatives. There is widespread opposition to any federal funding to Planned Parenthood, despite abortions being only 3% of the services they offer. Do you think that government funding should be more evenly allocated?
