UW student's 'rape culture' letter draws outrage

[The Straight Story]

David Hookstead appears to be at the top of his game.

And his game is ticking people off.

Hookstead, a UW junior who studies political science, is the author of "'Rape culture' does not exist," a letter to the editor published in the Badger Herald Monday. By noon Tuesday the piece had drawn 467 comments — the vast majority of them hostile to Hookstead's views, but a significant number in support.

“Rape culture” is the concept that sexual violence in society is tolerated or excused. It’s perpetuated through victim blaming, misogynistic language and sexual objectification.

In essence, Hookstead argues, rape has been blown way out of proportion because women are prone to false accusations.

"Why are women so desperate to demonize men that they’ll lie about being raped?" Hookstead writes.

...

Krueger also wrote a letter to the UW community on Tuesday, arguing that "As ugly as Hookstead’s version of reality is, this is an actual view held by more than a few UW students. If you’re disgusted and angry, this is your starting point. It’s only by opening the dialogue and banishing topics like sexual assault from our list of cultural taboos that we can begin to affect a lasting change on campus."

The advocacy group Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE), in a lengthy response to Hookstead's letter, lauded the decision.

"Thank you, Badger Herald, for the stunning example of how rape culture is alive and well on the UW-Madison campus," reads the group's statement.

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/writers/steven_elbow/uw-student-s-rape-culture-letter-draws-outrage/article_bdb3f2ae-2515-5333-aeb0-3614757caed7.html

A response back to him mentioned in the article:

http://pave-uw.tumblr.com/post/66045488919/this-is-what-rape-culture-looks-like-a-response-to

[Brickbat]

1. Every school has someone who's willing to write an inflammatory LTTE just for the hell of it.

[seabeyond]

3. except we are seeing too many schools where the boys are backing their rhetoric with action. nt

[Brickbat]

4. True -- I wasn't trying to say that rape culture isn't a thing.

[seabeyond]

5. ya. well. and i am glad you are posting cause i was thinking about my son,

who is this age and at university, and how they challenge everything, so intellectually. which is wonderful. it just smacks of the mra and across the net rhetoric. which is the scary.

[seabeyond]

2. and this is what we are battling and in fact, is the rape culture. false accusation of rape is as

low as other false claims of crimes. yet.... put out on the net that false claims range from 47-75% and you are going to have men and our boys buy it. why not? if feels better. regardless of fact, they hold on to this.

how man of us have heard repeatedly just in the last couple days. "Why are women so desperate to demonize men... "