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In order for someone to truly understand rape, I feel that they have to experience it. The term rape can be used broadly. A person can be raped of many things. We are all victims of rape in one way or another. If we are victims of identity theft, we have been raped of our feeling of financial security. A person isn't deemed irresponsible when their purse has been stolen by a passer-by. Why should it be different when dealing with sexual trauma?

People have the right to choose how they live their lives. We all have the right to wear clothes that we want, and we definitely have a right to privacy. We have rights about everything. Does a rapist have the right to steal a person's self-confidence, comfort and anything else? Absolutely not. We have rights for our own lives, not the lives of other people. When a person tries to fulfill their wants and needs by hurting other people, that person becomes irresponsible for consuming another's safe zone. A rapist fits in the category as irresponsible, not the victim.

Yes, some people think that rape victim ask for it without ever saying a word. Dressing inappropriately to some people's standards can be a sign of this. I don't care how a person dresses, because they aren't consenting to rape. A seductive dress might be a gateway for unwanted attention, but permission to touch what is underneath the dress comes from the person wearing it. Usually when people dress provocatively, they understand that there will be unwanted attention along with wanted attention. This does not make them irresponsible.

It is easy for people to disregard rape until it has happened to them. Is it a person's fault when they are attacked out of the clear blue? What if they are asleep in their bed when a rapist breaks in and threatens their life? None of these are excuses for free sex. A victim is always a victim. No matter how strong a person is, there is always someone out there who is stronger. A potential rape victim should not stay tucked away in solitude just because there may be someone wandering along the same path who is stronger.

As we grow and mature, we understand that the world is not a pretty place at times. We know that precautions have to be made in order to stay safe. We all make mistakes. After all, we are human. A simple mistake doesn't render us irresponsible, it just proves we are not perfect.

Learn more about this author, Heather Littles.
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