Just as McCaskill has never heard of an unintentional pregnancy taking place that wasn't the result of rape or incest, she has never heard of a false accusation of rape on a college campus:
Given the absurdity of McCaskill’s rationalizations for excluding student disciplinary panelists, what could be her actual motivation for this recommendation? A clue can be seen in the language her report uses. Discussing the status of a disciplinary panel—which occurs, keep in mind, before any adjudication—McCaskill describes the two parties: “the survivor” and the “alleged perpetrator.” But at the stage when the sexual assault is “alleged,” before any adjudication, how is there a “survivor”? Could it be that the Missouri senator, a former prosecutor, believes that all those who file allegations are automatically survivors? What happens in the event of a false allegation?
McCaskill's report demands that special training -- federally funded, I'm sure -- be given so that campus tribunals can better understand the nature of sexual assault. You know, just like jurors get in the real world. Oh, wait ...
We have a crisis on the border, governments are going bankrupt, the Middle East is descending into chaos ( which, to be fair, is a weekly thing), our economy is floundering, the IRS and the ATF are rogue, out of control agencies, the federal government is monitoring and collecting the phone conversations and emails of citizens accused of no crimes, Obamacare (supported by McCaskill) threatens to destroy our healthcare system, but McCaskill wants to stick Washington's pinnochio-like nose into something that looks to me like a local law enforcement issue.
I may be naive in this regard, but if a woman has been raped, I would assume a crime has been committed -- pretty much regardless of where that event takes place. If we have an epidemic of sexual assaults taking place on college campuses then colleges and universities, as well as the civil jurisdictions in which these campuses are located, need to be held accountable for poor security. In the event of a sexual assault allegation, it ought to be up to the local DA man (as the Hollies would say) to decide whether or not to press charges, just as is the case in any crime. Other than campus cops taking the initial report, why is the educational institution involved at all?
What McCaskill apparently wants is for campus sexual assaults to be treated as a separate, special class to be investigated and prosecuted based on shifting, ephemeral rules that treat all accusers as victims and survivors and all accused as perpetrators who must prove their innocence.
And once again I find myself wanting to slap Todd Akin for leaving this abominable showman in the Senate.
Good point. A crime is a crime isn't it? Use the established law enforcement agencies. All these other layers? Well, more jobs for the otherwise unemployable I suppose.
ReplyDeleteThe city cops never showed up when we were streaking, but I never remember the campus cops either. There could be reasons my memory is foggy.
ReplyDeleteI understand reporting the theft of your iPod or, in my day, your "Live at the Fillmore East" album to the RA, or if a couple of guys have a dispute, you bring in some other guys to see if things can't be worked out.
On the other hand, if your car is stolen or if somebody bashes your head and grabs your laptop between the Math building and the dorm, or somebody gets shot or stabbed, I would think the local cops would get involved. You'd think it would be the same with rape.