Letter to the editor

Sun, 09/23/2018 - 07:09 pm

Dear Editor:

The Vietnam war brought home drug addiction and approved rape. Military leaders believed life in the jungle was difficult and encouraged alcohol, drugs, and rape to help them survive. The movie “Casualties of War,” was based on a flash back memory of a Vietnam vet whose troop was forced to rape a young girl. One veteran refused to rape her and tried to save her life.

Many men who have never attempted rape, nor seen rape action, believe rape is just a loving act - so what’s the big deal? Those were the words of my father to his own mother in his late 30’s, when I was eight years old, and repeated again when he was 90 telling me he had carried the guilt of my grandmother’s death his whole life. There is no love in forced sexual attacks, as it is perceived as an act of terror by suffering victims. During my grandmother’s rape the rapist beat her so much she wound up in the hospital, where she later died.

Ages 3 to 8 are frequent rape ages and 33 percent of all females are sexually abused during their lifetime. Child victims of traumatic rape, often forget what happened until it returns in a nightmare at age 17 and later confirmed at age 24. It takes years after a life threatening trauma to feel safe enough to bring it into the public light. The question 'Why didn't somebody call the FBI 36 years ago?’ is as inappropriate as my father’s “what’s the big deal?”

Now we have men defending a man accused of proven attempted rape by Professor Ford, ignoring her disclosures to a psychiatrist, and passing a lie detector test.

Kevin Cramer and others have not offered any proof to the contrary. Several others are among those using the unscientific excuse of “boys will be boys,” including former Florida GOP candidate Gina Sosa.

Does this mean you have taught your own sons that they are permitted to sexually abuse or rape?

If yes, then it means you believe that it is OK for any age females to suffer for a lifetime. Is that what you are saying?