This class was unlike any other I have been a part of before. It forced me to look at myself and the world around me in a new light, usually a far darker and more critical light, than I had before. Being one of the few men in the class, and being out numbered almost six to one, I feel as though I was thinking differently than most of the class. Being a straight, white, middle to upper middle class male, I have never really had to think about sex crimes in and around society, but this class helped me see a different perspective. Throughout this paper I will talk about many of the topics I found interesting in class, and the follow-up question that I had and have, many with no real answer that are still making me think today.
The question that
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After reading and then going over the Berkowitz case the question was posed to the class “What would your ideal rape law be?” The answer bounced around but the most popular one was any sexual act without consent. I agree with the idea that there needs to be consent, but what defines consent? A nod? The full statement “Yes, you have my consent to do this this and this?” The question of consent puzzles me still because of the need to distinguish between verbal and nonverbal cues. Before this class I would have supported trying to make a law with more leeway for the definition of consent, maybe something like any physical act of coming closer. However, we have seen time and time again that the people committing these sex crimes will be given an inch with the law and go a mile. Therefore if I were writing my state's rape laws, now I would say that rape is any sexual or deviant act without consent, consent being a verbal yes to that specific act. I understand with my law an extra second in the moment is needed in order for sex not to be considered rape but that is a small sacrifice for good, consensual …show more content…
Tap, hit, ram, bang, screw, nail, rail are all words for sex that are universally known and are usually followed by an it or a that. This shows a concept I had never thought about before and that is how we perceive sex. Today, when people are learning about sex, mainly from entertainment and friends, and they hear people use language like this they can help to, again, have a warped sense of sex. There is a sense that sex is all physical, uneven, harsh and male dominated. How can we expect people and society to have a healthy idea of sex if we do nothing but show them these