After reading Is Bristol Palin’s new memoir the story of a rape survivor speaking out?, I have concluded that Levi Johnston raped her.
In her book, “Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far,” Bristol Palin describes how "she got so drunk on wine coolers provided by Johnston during a camping trip with friends that she has no recollection of having sex."
“Levi wasn’t even there to help me process — or even confirm — my greatly feared suspicions,” she writes. “Instead of waking up in his arms . . . I awakened in a cold tent alone.” Palin realized that she had lost her virginity only after a friend told her what happened.
. . .
She writes that she felt her virginity had been “stolen” and that she “tried not to vomit” when she found out what happened.
Palin describes being devastated as she confronted Johnston: “ ‘You knew I didn’t want to have sex until I was married!’ I whispered. ‘How could you?’ ” She also writes that Johnston apologized.
In other words Levi Johnston had sex with Bristol Palin without her consent and without her knowledge. Worse Bill Mahrer last Friday made fun of Bristol Palin's rape on his show Real Time with Bill Mahrer.
We need to recognize this and let girls know that they should accuse the boys and men who rape them. We must also recognize that women who are raped are not victims. We should support them so this never happens.
I have read all of the comments (48 so far) to this diary. I have not read the book, I did read the Washington Post opinion piece. The writer of the opinion piece is:
Jessica Valenti, the founder of Feministing.com, is the author of “The Purity Myth: How America’s Obsession With Virginity Is Hurting Young Women” and the forthcoming “Why Have Kids?: The Truth About Parenting and Happiness.”
As the writer says this becomes a he said - she said case. Many years ago I picked up a girl who was hitch hiking. She literally threw herself in the car. I quickly learned she had just been raped and wanted desperately to get away. I took about an hour to convince her to go to the police. She did not want her parents to know. All she wanted was to get away and not be a victim.
I have also known women who said they were raped. None reported their rapes at the time of the rape. None wanted to see themselves as victims. According to the article
We live in a country where, according to Justice Department statistics, nearly a quarter of a million people are sexually assaulted every year — nearly half of whom are under 18 years old, and most of whom know their attacker. Women are blamed for rape when they dress a certain way or when they drink; and when sexual assault happens, it’s often not called as much. This year, for example, the House of Representatives was forced to drop language from an anti-abortion bill that would allow only victims of “forcible rape” to access federal funds for abortion after activists pointed out that all rape is “forcible.” The latest trend in misnaming sexual assault is calling some rape “gray rape,” as if being assaulted weren’t a black-and-white issue.
Again according to the article:
Palin hasn’t made any direct accusations, but she is being criticized in much the same way rape victims often are. Our culture is so intent on blaming victims that you don’t even have to use the word “rape” to be shamed for speaking up. She is accused of being opportunistic and of lying about what happened to throw sympathy her way and bolster her image as a “good girl.”
That so many commented that what Bristol Palin wrote because she is a Palin or because she has been caught lying, just shows me that we have a long ways to go to properly address rape.