This whole thing's brilliant and you should read it.

December 16, 2010

This whole thing’s brilliant and you should read it.

Claim: If you think these rape allegations against Julian Assange should be taken seriously, then you just don’t get it! Wake up and smell the set-up!

Why I’m so fucking sick of it: No really, we get it. I promise. There might be like 3 people on earth who believe the timing of Assange’s arrest was pure coincidence, but I haven’t seen them hanging out in the feminist blogosphere. The point we’re making is that they didn’t pick him up on unpaid parking tickets here. Two women have accused him of rape. Yes, rape. Rape allegations should be taken seriously.

What “taking the allegations seriously” means:

* Accepting that Assange has been accused of real crimes, even if the authorities would almost certainly not have pursued him under other circumstances.

* If you are a WikiLeaks supporter, understanding that it is possible for the very same man to do things you really approve of AND things you really disapprove of.

* Being skeptical of claims that are used to discredit rape victims every day — e.g., “She wanted it”; “If she didn’t want it, then he didn’t know he didn’t have consent — it was all a big misunderstanding”; “Afterwards, she didn’t behave like I think a victim should”; “She’s just mad and trying to punish him”; “She hesitated to report it/wavered on pressing charges”; “She’s a crazy man-hater.”

* Recognizing that all of the above are, in fact, tactics used to discredit rape victims every day, and not Really Convincing Special Facts About This Particular Case.

*Encouraging a fair trial, if it comes to that, for both the accused and the accusers.

What “taking the allegations seriously” does not mean:

* Presuming that Assange is guilty/Ruling out any possibility that the allegations are false.

* Failing to understand that the pursuit of Assange was wildly out of proportion to the usual treatment of accused rapists.

* Being a sheep with no capacity or desire to think critically about the actions of powerful people who have been embarrassed by WikiLeaks.

(Source: kateharding.info)

10:58am | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZXftPy2BOxez

(Notes: 152)