Columbia student Emma Sulkowicz vows to carry mattress around university

[latinna]

I think college rape is a very serious issue that tends to get downplayed by universities so that their reputations don't suffer, and thus victims are often forced to suffer in silence and live with the injustice. I find her project to be a very creative and apt metaphor for what these victims must be going through.

[umair127]

I think college rape is a very serious issue that tends to get downplayed by universities so that their reputations don't suffer, and thus victims are often forced to suffer in silence and live with the injustice. I find her project to be a very creative and apt metaphor for what these victims must be going through.

I predict she will stop it soon on her own.She's focusing on the justice (where she disagreed with the verdict on the rape charge), not the actual long lasting trauma that rape victims usually endure with or without the alleged rapists being punished. In other word, or in her words, as soon as the alleged rapist is expelled or her justice is served, all those psychological burdens will just all of a sudden disappear.

[zolace]

Every time this topic comes up I find myself wondering how these things end up in university "justice" systems instead of in courts of law, which is where we would normally deal with things like accusations of rape, murder, physical assault, etc.

[latinna]

I think college rape is a very serious issue that tends to get downplayed by universities so that their reputations don't suffer, and thus victims are often forced to suffer in silence and live with the injustice. I find her project to be a very creative and apt metaphor for what these victims must be going through.

I predict she will stop it soon on her own.She's focusing on the justice (where she disagreed with the verdict on the rape charge), not the actual long lasting trauma that rape victims usually endure with or without the alleged rapists being punished. In other word, or in her words, as soon as the alleged rapist is expelled or her justice is served, all those psychological burdens will just all of a sudden disappear.

From what I know of the case, I disagree with the verdict. That is having no personal knowledge of the young woman involved, and that is not ever having been subject to anal rape myself.

I suspect that to have endured those things, just to get mistreated by law enforcement then dismissed by school officials prompts one to feel something more passionate than "disagreement".

[sana8410]

Every time this topic comes up I find myself wondering how these things end up in university "justice" systems instead of in courts of law, which is where we would normally deal with things like accusations of rape, murder, physical assault, etc.

Standard of proof is too high in court. Rape victims don't want to go through months of reliving the encounter in court being forced to face their assailant only for him to ultimately be found not guilty due to a lack of evidence, a verdict that is then held over the rape victim by a society that likes to imagine that girls always "lie" about being raped.

[Rigon]

Every time this topic comes up I find myself wondering how these things end up in university "justice" systems instead of in courts of law, which is where we would normally deal with things like accusations of rape, murder, physical assault, etc.

I have to agree with this. I'm out of touch with this topic. Why isn't this a police/court thing rather than a university thing?

[sana8410]

Every time this topic comes up I find myself wondering how these things end up in university "justice" systems instead of in courts of law, which is where we would normally deal with things like accusations of rape, murder, physical assault, etc.

I have to agree with this. I'm out of touch with this topic. Why isn't this a police/court thing rather than a university thing?

Without hard evidence, there won't be a conviction. There almost always needs to be documented signs of forced penetration. Girls need to go to a hospital immediately after being raped to get their injuries documented. Most don't do this because they're scared, embarrassed, blaming themselves, etc. The overwhelming majority of rape victims are raped by guys who are close to them, which is why rape victims tend to blame themselves, assuming they must have given their friend a mixed signal or some such. By the time they realize it wasn't just some innocent mistake or anything like that, that they were assaulted and raped, it's too late to get the ball rolling. They'll have to deal with responding to why they waited so long to report it, why they didn't go to a hospital, why they may have called or seen their rapist the next day, etc. Ultimately, they're not going to satisfy the "beyond reasonable doubt" standard of proof.

[PeanutCoins]

Remorseful slam-pig trying to gain college credit in an art class by dragging a mattress around campus re-telling her 2 year old tale of regretful woe. I hope she gets an "F" for her effort. This is why many college degrees are now deemed worthless.

You don't just get anally raped in your own dorm room on your own mattress like a bolt out of the blue. Unless there was a break-in, and a trip to the student clinic after the assault for treatment to her ravaged ass.

There was either some significant complicity here, the dude was hung like a pencil, she had a very loose anal spinkter from previous anal intrusions, and/or we are definitely not getting the whole story.

[Rigon]

Every time this topic comes up I find myself wondering how these things end up in university "justice" systems instead of in courts of law, which is where we would normally deal with things like accusations of rape, murder, physical assault, etc.

I have to agree with this. I'm out of touch with this topic. Why isn't this a police/court thing rather than a university thing?

Without hard evidence, there won't be a conviction. There almost always needs to be documented signs of forced penetration. Girls need to go to a hospital immediately after being raped to get their injuries documented. Most don't do this because they're scared, embarrassed, blaming themselves, etc. The overwhelming majority of rape victims are raped by guys who are close to them, which is why rape victims tend to blame themselves, assuming they must have given their friend a mixed signal or some such. By the time they realize it wasn't just some innocent mistake or anything like that, that they were assaulted and raped, it's too late to get the ball rolling. They'll have to deal with responding to why they waited so long to report it, why they didn't go to a hospital, why they may have called or seen their rapist the next day, etc. Ultimately, they're not going to satisfy the "beyond reasonable doubt" standard of proof.

Honestly, nothing you are saying here changes my opinion. Yes, all the normal things need to be done. You have to go to the hospital, which you should do anyway to ensure you aren't injured more than you think you are, and to be tested for all the possible communicable diseases that are out there. I understand it's difficult, embarrassing, and all that. It's the price that has to be paid to live in a (fairly) civilized country.

[sana8410]

I'm not suggesting that should be enough to land a conviction. It shouldn't. The deck is already stacked against defendants as it is. I don't think making it easier to convict people would be a step in the right direction. I think first acknowledging that we live in a rape culture and then addressing that problem by creating an environment in which girls can talk about being victimized without everyone immediately assuming they're lying would be a better direction.

[BitCoinNutJob]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/03/emma-sulkowicz-mattress-rape-columbia-university_n_5755612.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular&ir=Canada+Living
it's crazy


what do you think?

Seems like an attention seeker at first glance im just not feeling her pain.  Shes a visual arts student so i guess this is her way of expressing.  If she really was concerned about the  attacker on campus would she stay there and also if she was raped would she stay there?  People deal with things differently i guess.

[PeanutCoins]

I'm not suggesting that should be enough to land a conviction. It shouldn't. The deck is already stacked against defendants as it is. I don't think making it easier to convict people would be a step in the right direction. I think first acknowledging that we live in a rape culture and then addressing that problem by creating an environment in which girls can talk about being victimized without everyone immediately assuming they're lying would be a better direction.

Anal rape is not a normal extension of we were messing around, we both got naked, things went a little too far and he got the wrong idea. Anal intercourse, at lease between heterosexuals, is not a casual thing.

[zolace]

I think college rape is a very serious issue that tends to get downplayed by universities so that their reputations don't suffer, and thus victims are often forced to suffer in silence and live with the injustice. I find her project to be a very creative and apt metaphor for what these victims must be going through.

I predict she will stop it soon on her own.She's focusing on the justice (where she disagreed with the verdict on the rape charge), not the actual long lasting trauma that rape victims usually endure with or without the alleged rapists being punished. In other word, or in her words, as soon as the alleged rapist is expelled or her justice is served, all those psychological burdens will just all of a sudden disappear.

This contention leads me to believe that you didn't read anything about the issue before posting it. The metaphor of the mattress itself has nothing to do with "Justice". it has to do with exactly what you are accusing her of not focusing on: the emotional trauma and burdens that accompany being raped.

[Rigon]

I'm not suggesting that should be enough to land a conviction. It shouldn't. The deck is already stacked against defendants as it is. I don't think making it easier to convict people would be a step in the right direction. I think first acknowledging that we live in a rape culture and then addressing that problem by creating an environment in which girls can talk about being victimized without everyone immediately assuming they're lying would be a better direction.

One that believes people are innocent until proven guilty. But to NOT do that invites the sick fuck rapist to do it again and again.

That's the reality. I'm not suggesting it's easy, but I am saying it's a necessary hardship for a civilized community.

[zolace]

in other word, or in her words, as soon as the alleged rapist is expelled or her justice is served, all those psychological burdens will just all of a sudden disappear.

I wouldn't view it as that. I would imagine that justice for the crime, or knowing that her rapist can't harass her anymore, is one of the first steps in the healing process. Unless you think she has just been faking panic attacks when her rapist is around.

[umair127]

in other word, or in her words, as soon as the alleged rapist is expelled or her justice is served, all those psychological burdens will just all of a sudden disappear.

I wouldn't view it as that. I would imagine that justice for the crime, or knowing that her rapist can't harass her anymore, is one of the first steps in the healing process. Unless you think she has just been faking panic attacks when her rapist is around.

If you read the same article I did, then I have to wonder how you came to the conclusion, even though the college administration is apparently incompetent with its records and the same guy was accused of assault by other women, that the guy that needs defending? Since 'the guy' apparently got away with multiple sexual assaults, I don't think he needs speaking up for. The term rapist is far from below the belt.

[zolace]

in other word, or in her words, as soon as the alleged rapist is expelled or her justice is served, all those psychological burdens will just all of a sudden disappear.

I wouldn't view it as that. I would imagine that justice for the crime, or knowing that her rapist can't harass her anymore, is one of the first steps in the healing process. Unless you think she has just been faking panic attacks when her rapist is around.

If you read the same article I did, then I have to wonder how you came to the conclusion, even though the college administration is apparently incompetent with its records and the same guy was accused of assault by other women, that the guy that needs defending? Since 'the guy' apparently got away with multiple sexual assaults, I don't think he needs speaking up for. The term rapist is far from below the belt.

I take most stories coming out of Columbia with a grain of salt. It is known for being pretty wild in the dorms. They have had a very open co-ed dorm policy since 2010. Guys and gals can bunk up together in the same dorm room (sophomore year or later).

When I was in college, I made the mistake of dating 3 girls from the same dorm. One day I walked in to pick one up, and all 3 were sitting together by the reception desk. I turned around and walked off. Never again. Had they wanted to be assholes, I could have easily been brought up on 3 charges of sexual assault.

[Mr.Bitty]

I think college rape is a very serious issue that tends to get downplayed by universities so that their reputations don't suffer, and thus victims are often forced to suffer in silence and live with the injustice. I find her project to be a very creative and apt metaphor for what these victims must be going through.

It happens, it does. This kind of shit is a third wave feminism victim tactic.

I've attended multiple TBTN events and around half of the stories start with "I was getting drunk at a party, don’t remember a lot, but..." or "I was stripping as a source of income and got sold into a human trafficking ring..."

[Mr.Bitty]

Around one quarter were unrapable girls who got touched in their naughty place by desperate men and they called it rape for attention.

The rest experienced something someone could reasonably consider traumatic rape to a sane individual. However, the majority of these were by a father/uncle/brother figure and not on a college campus.

[zolace]

Rape is not something that should be taken on someones word only. Absent other than circumstantial evidence, tough shit. Get the DNA evidence, physical evidence, an eye witness or get over yourself.

So you had sex with a guy who said he loved you and never called you back, or you found out he had sex with 2 other girls and you weren't the "special" one, or he bragged to someone else you gave up the booty on your own mattress.

Geez, stupidity and victimhood is boundless. Get on with life. Stop dragging your stained mattress around.