Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Campus Rape Hysteria Has No Use For Due Process
Daily Caller ^ | 9/14/15 | Scott Greer

Posted on 09/14/2015 2:20:21 AM PDT by markomalley

On what planet is it right to punish the innocent in a quixotic effort to curb campus rape?

Unfortunately, it’s a-okay in the bizarro world that is Capitol Hill. Democrat Colorado Rep. Jared Polis earned roaring applause on Thursday when the lawmaker declared it is just to expel all students — regardless of guilt — who are accused of sexual assault.

“I mean, if there’s 10 people that have been accused and under a reasonable likelihood standard maybe one or two did it, seems better to get rid of all 10 people,” Polis said at a House hearing on campus sexual assault. “We’re not talking about depriving them of life or liberty, we’re talking about their transfer to another university.”

According to the Washington Examiner’s Ashe Schow, the Colorado Democrat made the statement to justify his belief that the standard of evidence for expelling a student accused of rape should be dramatically lowered.

“I mean, if I was running one [conduct hearing] I might say ‘well, you know, even if there’s a 20 or 30 percent chance that it happened I wouldn’t want… I would want to remove this individual…’ Why shouldn’t a private institution, in the interest in promoting a safe environment, use an even lower standard than a preponderance of evidence, like even a reasonable likeliness standard?” the congressman asserted.

Polis’s grand plan would obviously overturn due process for the poor souls who find themselves brought before a university conduct hearing. It would cost millions of dollars for the schools to fight for their decisions in real court — and you can bet many innocent students would fight their expulsions in court.

The congressman also plainly admits that it’s more than fine to punish plenty of innocent people on behalf of a “good cause” — an idea completely at odds with American values.

Under his plan, the entire Phi Kappa Psi chapter at the University of Virginia might’ve faced expulsion over the Rolling Stone/Jackie rape hoax.

But it gets worse when that “good cause” is actually a problem that’s been blown completely out of proportion. The media has decided that one in five college women are sexually assaulted — even though the Department of Justice says it is actually 0.03 in 5. Additionally, sexual assault is given an expansive meaning in the studies that buttress the media reports. According to the “one in five” studies, sexual assault includes forced kissing, grind dancing and sex where consent cannot be remembered due to heavy alcohol consumption.

The “one in five” studies, such as The Washington Post’s June survey on the matter, fail to ask whether the “assaulted” student actually felt they were assaulted. WaPo and others just ask respondents if they had a bad grinding experience and the paper labels it sexual assault if they did.

Even though the acts that are considered sexual assault in these studies don’t correspond with traditional notions of rape, the idea that one in five college women are being dragged kicking and screaming into dark alleyways by evil frat boys is what many folks think of when they hear campus rape.

That maybe explains why Congressman Polis has no qualms about punishing innocent men. If he thinks it will eliminate the back alleyway threat posed to 20 percent of college women, then that’s a price worth paying.

In reality it would guillotine men over the mere allegation of awkward make-out sessions and grind dancing gone bad. We would be eliminating due process for thousands of men all in order to safeguard upper-class women from the scourge of bad kissers.

In spite of its myriad problems, the American judicial system is not about to accept the Rocky Mountain liberal’s proposal to do away with due process anytime soon. But college sexual assault allegations aren’t handled by the criminal justice system — they’re handled by the university conduct boards.

The decisions reached by these boards — which typically feature a brilliant mix of woefully unqualified students and incompetent school administrators — are often based entirely on the arbitrary feelings of the administrators.

The process is completely screwed up and even many people who buy into the campus rape hysteria acknowledge the system’s defects. Yet they trust the system and want it reformed rather than leaving the matter up to the police and the courts.

Considering the rampant hysteria around campus rape and the cowardly nature of college deans, it’s worth betting that tons of young men would find themselves kicked out over trumped charges if Polis had his way.

It also probably lead to more false reports and rape hoaxes. If jilted lovers like Columbia University’s Mattress Girl and UVA’s Jackie knew they could get their revenge with a made-up story, count on more false accusations to pile on.

Especially when the scorned know they can’t be charged with making false reports like they would if the legal system handled campus sexual assaults.

It would be one thing if Polis was just one loon suggesting a nutty idea. But he’s a popular liberal congressman and his statement earned the cheers of an elite Capitol Hill audience.

He’s also not the only one suggesting insane measures to eradicate the exaggerated epidemic of campus rape. Vox founder Ezra Klein wrote in 2014 they he supported draconian affirmative consent laws that would make sex a thoroughly bureaucratic affair. For Klein, that was worth it because men need to know fear when they decide to have sex on a college campus.

“Because for one in five women to report an attempted or completed sexual assault means that everyday sexual practices on college campuses need to be upended, and men need to feel a cold spike of fear when they begin a sexual encounter,” Klein argued.

Polis only takes the logical step further by eliminating the need for proof of assault — because that will really send a chill up the spine of any young man who might want to have sex at some point in college.

It’s depressing to think that our leaders and commentators would subscribe to such illiberal notions and buy into the sick fantasies of campus rape hysteria.

Then again, what’s more depressing is how well theses ideas fit into the P.C. totalitarianism of American universities.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; US: Colorado; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: asheschow; billcosby; colorado; columbiau; districtofcolumbia; ezraklein; jackie; jaredpolis; mattressgirl; phikappapsi; rape; raperape; rollingstone; sabrinarubinerdely; scottgreer; uofvirginia; uva; virginia; vox; washingtoncompost; washingtonpost; whoopigoldberg
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 09/14/2015 2:20:21 AM PDT by markomalley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Salem Witch Trials—Take two.


2 posted on 09/14/2015 2:26:32 AM PDT by Arm_Bears (Biology is biology. Everything else is imagination.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Well, this is just an illustration of what [small d] democracy really is - mob rule at the whim of those who whip up the frenzy the most efficiently.

We have gone from being a Constitutional Republic to an E! network, TMZ, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram [or whatever the next craze will be] Kardashian Jenner, Big Brother game show. Instant gratification at the whim of the majority.

The days of the Constitution and the rule of law being used to bring in Civil Rights Legislation and implement change and all that are lost on these people.


3 posted on 09/14/2015 2:28:31 AM PDT by Gaffer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Well Rep Polis if ten Representatives are accused of corruption and fraud it seems reasonable that at least 2 or 3 are guilty some lets just kick all 10 out of Congress to be on the safe side..........


4 posted on 09/14/2015 2:29:33 AM PDT by 48th SPS Crusader (I am an American. Not a Republican or a Democrat)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Sure, can we apply the same standards to politicians? Where the mere perception of impropriety is the threshold to criminally remove a politician from office?

Anybody have the racial background data of the typical college male accused of ‘campus style rape’?


5 posted on 09/14/2015 2:30:52 AM PDT by Fhios (Racial balkanization is just the)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

One more step on the path to the total destruction of ‘American Exceptionalism’.

The threat of total feeling based rules and regulations that can be applied in a arbitrary discriminating manner with no consequences for the discriminators. I believe that could be called tyranny, don’t you?


6 posted on 09/14/2015 2:48:47 AM PDT by The Working Man
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fhios

A good friend of mine was raped on campus by a few of Obama’s sons after one of them drugged her drink. One was eventually found and prosecuted. Apparently it was not the first time that group went around drugging drinks of college girls.

Another family friend was recently raped on campus as well by a Muslim foreign national who had to flee the country to avoid prosecution. He was someone she knew from her study group.


7 posted on 09/14/2015 3:08:39 AM PDT by CharlotteVRWC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Typical progressive thinking punish everybody instead of just the criminal. It’s a control mechanism designed to force the untermench to submit to the whims of the social elite.


8 posted on 09/14/2015 3:10:36 AM PDT by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Absolutely unbelievable.


9 posted on 09/14/2015 3:13:54 AM PDT by Vanders9
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

How about if men take some of that time they have for watching pro sports or what not, and unite to defend their sons against this?


10 posted on 09/14/2015 3:28:44 AM PDT by TwelveOfTwenty (See my home page for some of my answers to the left's talking points.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley
The congressman also plainly admits that it’s more than fine to punish plenty of innocent people on behalf of a “good cause” — an idea completely at odds with American values.

But entirely in line with Marxist "values."

"Rape" hysteria serves the Revolution today, but woe to that upset young woman who levels an accusation the day after the Party decides it's no longer useful to them ...

11 posted on 09/14/2015 4:01:19 AM PDT by Tax-chick (I want to live my cat's life.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TwelveOfTwenty

It’s much easier to have another beer and complain about feminism during the commercials.


12 posted on 09/14/2015 4:02:33 AM PDT by Tax-chick (I want to live my cat's life.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Democrat Colorado Rep. Jared Polis earned roaring applause on Thursday when the lawmaker declared it is just to expel all students -- regardless of guilt -- who are accused of sexual assault.

13 posted on 09/14/2015 4:31:07 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Arm_Bears

Or being tried in the Soviet Union


14 posted on 09/14/2015 4:38:11 AM PDT by joshua c (Please dont feed the liberals)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

” “We’re not talking about depriving them of life or liberty, we’re talking about their transfer to another university.””

NO DIFFERENT than what’s done in public schools - solve the ‘problem’ by re-posting the teacher.

Hopefully Trump clears out this bunch right after clearing out the Illegals.


15 posted on 09/14/2015 4:55:49 AM PDT by BobL (REPUBLICANS - Fight for the WHITE VOTE...and you will win (see my 'profile' page))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

The face of a Marxist goon. One who is more than willing destroy individual lives "for the greater good"... as he describes it.

16 posted on 09/14/2015 5:21:56 AM PDT by Flick Lives (One should not attend even the end of the world without a good breakfast. -- Heinlein)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Recent studies by Rolling Stone Magazine show that 366% of all freshman females are victims of sexual assault within the first month of school.


17 posted on 09/14/2015 5:56:52 AM PDT by samtheman (2014: Voters elect Repubs to congress... 2015: Repubs defund NOTHING... 2016: Trump/(Cruz or Palin))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Arm_Bears

Let firing accusations against university faculty and administrators commence.


18 posted on 09/14/2015 6:04:50 AM PDT by Ahithophel (Communication is an art form susceptible to sudden technical failures)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TwelveOfTwenty

How about if men (that includes college boys) take time to actually watch over women and defend them and none of this crap would get traction.


19 posted on 09/14/2015 6:22:58 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

There have been a number of articles how college educated women can’t find enough of the “right” men.

This is one reason why.

If you can get your life destroyed by an accusation, why bother?


20 posted on 09/14/2015 6:40:48 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson