13 REASONS WHY

Rape Culture is everyone’s predator.

by Trixie Ann B. Echavez and Mariel M. Trance

Hi! Have you already watched the top-grossing Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why” that was mainly played by Katherine Langford? Thinking of it, it is very devastating to ponder it. In today’s world, suicide cases have been rampant and have been unstoppable in existing, most especially in the lives of teenagers. The possibilities are endless ― it could be that the person is undergoing such heavy problems; or he/she finds it hard to move in his/her environment; or maybe the person just cannot fathom how suffocated someone is now ; that is why he/she just chooses to end his/her supposed to be long beautiful life in just one snap. The life of the 13 Reasons Why main character revolved around this evident issue and eventually killed herself due to the problems she has been going through; this was the theme that was focused by the team of the pop series in desire to raise awareness to the society. Moreover, if we really get to take a deeper understanding regarding the story, we would see that it is not just “suicide” that is being tackled in the story, the infamous series also is shouting for an another advocacy that was considered to be the root why Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) got depressed and killed herself ― rape and sexual harassment. The advocacy against rape is also as major as the advocacy against depression and suicide. Life is important, that is why no one is entitled to abuse nor brutalize you and the life you have been taking care of ever since you were born. Here, here are the 13 reasons why rape is and will never be right.

First of all, do not ever blame the victim of rape or of sexual harassment why they underwent such actions. No one in this world wanted to be sexually mistreated by anyone. That victim used to have a life full of beauty and purity, but the rapist was there, he/she abused her/him for their disgusting desires, and you still have the audacity to question the victim if he/she is saying the truth? No person in his/her right mind would make up such stories, so who are you to doubt the victim? Blame the suspect, not the victim.

Second, it is very much wrong to base on the victim’s clothes why it got maltreated. The way someone dresses is their business and their way to express themselves. Just because she wears short skirts and sleeveless, does not mean he or she is a candidate for rape. Look at Maria Clara, she was fully clothed and wore decent clothing, but she still got raped. It is not in someone’s clothes, but it is in someone way of malicious and dirty thinking.

Third, making jokes about rape will never be right. Yes, it is fun to be joking around your friends, but reaching the point of rape jokes is just borderline offensive. If you think rape jokes are for fun, do you think it also fun for the case of those who were victimized by sexual hurting and for those who have woke minds unlike you? That is why before you open your mouth, make sure that what you will say would make any sense and is unoffensive.

Fourth, just because the victim is drunk and helpless, that does not equate into mistreating an intoxicated person. Yes, the victim is drunk, he/she is not in the right mind anymore; he/she cannot control his/her body; she cannot make any decisions for himself/herself, but that does not give you the pass to decide for his/her own body. Being unable to say no does not mean the victim said yes. If you will make alcohol as an instrument to intoxicate and drug your victim; then molest her after he/she gets drunk; and then afterwards, you still managed to blame the situation on her, are you still a human.

Fifth, so what if the both of you is in a relationship? If he/she does not want to engage in your sexual activities, but you still persisted, that does not lessen the fact that you are a suspect for rape. You, having a relationship with someone does not automatically mean you can do everything with and to him/her. To invade his/her messages is already a violation of human rights, then what more if you invade his/her body?

Sixth, the term “men” does not equate to being powerful and dominant. Yes, men has done a lot of things for the world, but that does not mean women are the weak ones. It’s already 2019. A lot has changed for the better and part of that change was done by women. That is why men’s ego increases as time passes by because of how the society treats them. They get to find more ways to prove that they are more superior than women and they get to have more power in abusing anyone they cross upon just because they are men and they think they are the kings.

Seventh, if women comes across your mind when someone says the weaker and submissive group. Then you should be ashamed of yourselves and to your mother. Just because you think you have not seen any women work what men does, that does not mean you are right. You were just merely blinded by the things men did for the past years that you already considered it to be normal. However, if women were able to do the things you thought the male population can only do, you suddenly go blind eye. Just because you were used to the imaginative perception of the society if what and who a women should be, does not mean you would totally disregard and invalidate other women who did not meet your impossible beauty standards but actually made a history.

Eighth, “Only the weak men gets raped.” Wrong. The term rape and harassment does not only limit to women. This also happens to men and homosexuals. If you are a victim of rape, you are not weak, you are a victim of the weak. Rape can happen to anyone, anywhere, and anytime. Rapists don’t choose a specific time, place, or person to rape. There is no specific standards in able for someone to be abused or raped. One more thing, even women, there also have been cases of them raping men and women too. So anyone can be harassed by anyone. Just because you are not a woman, that does not invalidate the fact that you can be uncomfortable to such situations.

Ninth, do not base someone’s worth in regards to their job or profession. Is someone a prostitute? An escort? Okay, but that does not automatically mean you can touch him/her anytime just because you are holding on from the thought of his/her work. That is not even an almost enough reason. That is his/her body and he/she has all the right with what he/she wants to do with his/her body. Whoever it may be and whatever it does, if he/she does not want it, he/she does not want it. Yes, he/she is a sex worker, but that does not lessen someone’s worth and rights.

Tenth, never have the audacity to conclude that only the teenage girls get raped and harassed. Just like what is stated in the previous paragraph, there’s no specific time, person, and place for a rapist to conduct its action. Rapists rape all types of existing figures ― the old, the young, the infants, the handicapped, the animals, and even the dead. That is why we just cannot really say that the ones who are only raped are the young and the pretty ones that wear skimpy shorts and sheer tops. If one is a rapist, anyone can be the prey.

Eleventh, incest rape. According to Rape Prevention Education (2019), incest is defined as sexual abuse or sexual conduct between relatives in ones immediate family or extended family, however, the Crimes Act 1964 defines incest as a sexual connection between two people when their relationship is that of parent and child, siblings, half siblings or grandparent and grandchild. It is the responsibility of a member of the family to take care and nurture everyone in the family, not to ruin its life by doing malicious actions.

Twelfth, “They’re men. What do you expect?” This is one of the biggest stupidity society has ever created in favor of the males. Just because a lot of reports have been told about men having mistresses and abusing women, does not mean it is already a natural thing to consider. Being someone who has penis does not guarantee a free pass to harass people. This is why fragile masculinity worsens, men are pressured by the mythical perceptions of the society that is why they tend to be braggarts. When they tend to hear about women and/or homosexuals topping them, they get really insecure and this attitude leads them to violence.

Thirteenth, rape is rape. No means no. If you are a rapist and you persisted, there is no other way around for you but to suffer the consequences. Your victim once had a peaceful and nice life, but because of you and your actions, everything got ruined. The victim that was once happy is now left with nothing but devastation and deep thoughts if it was really his/her fault that he/she was raped. No matter how hard you try in twisting things up, if there is enough evidences that you attempted to rape someone, then by all means, making you suffer with the worst consequences is what you really deserve after all.

In today’s scene, rape cases became worse and worse. Rapists increase in population. And the rape victims’ shout for justice gets louder and louder. However, wherever angles you look at, there is no enough stand for anyone to blame the victim. Thus, you do not get to tell people what to wear or act, rather, tell rapists not to rape by providing serious discipline and lessons that would make their conscience grow. We were born in this world and lived in this world to practice our right as humans; to enjoy the things we get to see in this world; and not to be abused or violated. That is why we should practice respecting people and their rights. Rape culture lives because there are still people who are blinded and deaf by the truth. Rape culture is there because society still tends to ignore how rough everything is for the victim of rape. Rape culture still lingers in every corner of our society because of how ignorant people are thinking that there are standards that must be met in order for someone to be raped. Rape culture exists because there is rape. Rape exists because there are rapists.