User talk:UrbanSpoon

Just curious, but can you elaborate on your edits in the Rape apology page? Your references to racism are irrelevant, but if you can make some connection between rape apology and the lynchings of Thomas Smith and Abram Smith, then do it in the talk page, and maybe we can work something out. Thanks! LEFTY GREEN  MARIO 03:27, 12 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Not just Thomas Smith and Abram Smith, but also Emmett Till and many other blacks. Many blacks were accused of rape or sexual misconduct, some maybe rightly but others wrongly, and because of that were subject to lynchings.  False rape allegations are very much intertwined not only with lynchings but with false rape convictions that have later been overturned with DNA.


 * Rape is a serious crime, but the absence of due process has led to major atrocities in American history against African Americans. The article on rape apology, as written, insults the concept of due process in tone.  I'll chill with the sarcasm but wish the article gives some lip service to the importance of due process. UrbanSpoon (talk) 03:47, 12 December 2014 (UTC)
 * I do agree that rape is a serious crime, no doubt. The information you added, though, is actually not relevant to the article, which criticizes people for downplaying rape. In other words, the article is criticizing people that excuse the rape for any reason (e.g. she dressed provocatively, he's a man so he's a sex machine and he can't possibly be raped). The edits you made belong more to the racism article, as innocent African Americans were accused of raping or sexually harassing people (Emmett Till made a few harmless flirting gestures, right?), and some were even brutally murdered from these false allegations. There were African Americans that did commit real crimes, but it doesn't justify the lynching. Anyway, there's no mocking of due process here, but you can mention its importance when it comes to combating racism. LEFTY  GREEN  MARIO 04:01, 12 December 2014 (UTC)


 * [edit conflict] Hmm. Seems to me that there is a huge difference between the claims of rape apologists, and the actions of a mob claiming a black man looked at a white woman the wrong way, and dishing out the ultimate penalty for it. I would be interested to see this discussion continue on that talk page. Also, welcome to RationalWiki! Sprocket J Cogswell (talk) 04:04, 12 December 2014 (UTC)


 * There's a major difference between saying "rape is not a big deal" (downplaying rape) versus saying rape is misreported (an issue of due process). Every person, including those not arrested, have a right to dispute a serious allegation that he commited rape.  His defense should only be judged on the merits of the allegation against him and the specifics of his defense, and not by an appeal to probabilitu.  Statistics, which are disputed according to Wikipedia, that only 2% of rape cases are false go against the principle of due process, and I highly doubt only 2% of those lynched in the Jim Crow era were innocent. It's this conflating that begins in the intro that I find offensive, primarily because of our nation's history regarding false rape allegations and lynching.


 * I'll copy all of this to the talk page. UrbanSpoon (talk) 05:19, 12 December 2014 (UTC)