Letters to the Editor: Rape caused by behaviour of men, not women
If the problem of rape is to be solved it must be tackled at source, writes John O'Brien.
As a practising clinician of over 25 years, I can’t help but notice the increasing number of rape assaults on women.
The courts seem to be regularly dealing with such cases, which leaves me wondering will this egregious abuse ever let up.
The impact of rape often leaves women having to deal with sexually-transmitted infections, pregnancy, difficult emotions, and trauma-related issues such as anxiety, PTSD, flashbacks, and nightmares.
My blood boils when I hear some men feel that they have this right of self-entitlement to take something so precious from a woman when she clearly has told him over and over again, no.
These women who have been raped deserve every bit of support they can get. They need to be loved, nurtured, and afforded a safe place to heal.
However, has it not occurred to anyone that if a problem is to be solved, it needs to be tackled at source?
To suggest that the solution to rape is for girls and women to change their behaviour is only too familiar, if depressing, but also misses the point. It is not girls and women who rape — it is boys and men. I don’t see any plans to target their behaviour.
Using immigration, or the murder of three young children in Southport, as a reason to riot and attack police or businesses in Britain and Northern Ireland shows that there is a certain section of society willing to believe the lies propagated online or by leaders of extremist organisations.
These hooligans, thugs, extremists — whatever you want to call them — are brought onto our streets by social media fearmongering and misinformation.
They are encouraged by those involved in political entities and organisations whose raison d'être is to sow fear and anger within communities — communities that some of them don’t even reside or work in.
While we’ve had our own issues with mobs rioting in Ireland, using immigration as an excuse, the lack of robust frontline policing with no holds barred to take on these rioters, with a dedicated on-call public order/riot squad, is a weakness in the system.
This weakness is not helped by the strict disciplinary oversight of Garda members who use force commensurate with what is being inflicted on them.
While the backseat generals and commentators cry foul when guards use excessive force, and not in compliance with what they see as legal and proportionate, the rioters have no such drawbacks or restraints.
If we, the law-abiding citizens of this country, want a safe and orderly society, then we need to call on the authorities, and those in the political arena, to take the handcuffs of our police force and allow them to use necessary force when dealing with violent disorder. They need to be on the front foot and on the offensive.
For too long we have allowed the apologists within our society to treat these rioters as poor, disenfranchised, and misunderstood. They are nothing of the sort.
It’s time the forces of law and order took back our streets. They are mandated by the citizens of this State to do so, so let them do it.
I would remind those who engage in violence and unlawful behaviour on our streets to remember that we — the electorate — voted for TDs and those TDs elected our Government.
If we, the electorate, are unhappy with any decision made by Government, there are ways and means by which we can and should make our concerns known.
Violence and unlawful acts are not the answer to any perceived problem. Harassment, intimidation, and bullying of ministers and elected representatives is not representative of the behaviour of the Irish people.
As a people, we have in the past met with politicians and discussed our problems, views, and opinions with them.
I believe this to be a positive reflection of Irish society and should be continued. I urge all to refrain from acts of violence or unlawful activity. Engage in a positive and respectful manner with elected representatives.
One may feel politicians do not listen to the ordinary people — but I assure you they do. We elected them. We need to respect them.
Cathal Dennehy (‘Blame for women’s Olympic boxing mess falls firmly with IOC’, , August 5) writes that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is to blame for the controversy surrounding two boxers, Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting.
I disagree that the IOC is solely to blame. The media played a huge part in amplifying the unverified claims made by Umar Kremlev, president of the International Boxing Association (IBA) — an organisation suspended by the IOC — who posted on Telegram that these two athletes had failed gender tests, and who has spent the majority of the Olympics attacking the IOC.
What followed was a dehumanising, misogynistic, and racist campaign against two innocent athletes who have been competing in boxing competitions for many years.
Their incredible stories of determination and perseverance in reaching the top in boxing have been erased and reduced to discourse about their chromosomes and body parts.
Following the fight between Angela Carini and Imane Khelif last week, a fight which Carini abandoned after 46 seconds and acted appallingly towards her opponent afterwards, the IBA posted a statement on its website that it would award Carini “the IBA prize money as if she were an Olympic champion”.
According to the IBA, this means Carini will receive $50,000 (€45,700), the Italian Boxing Federation will receive $25,000, and Angela’s coach will receive $25,000.
Journalists should be asking why the IBA is awarding a payment to a boxer who forfeited her match after 46 seconds, a boxer ranked 54th in the IBA elite women 63-66 welterweight rankings, and who, based on her previous results, was unlikely to win a medal, never mind gold. It stinks of corruption.
This article — ‘Cork City Council gives the go-ahead to a large 580-home development in Douglas’, , August 2 — is very sad news for me and most Douglas residents.
Traffic in Douglas, Rochestown, and surrounding areas is already at, and over, its ability to cope with long tailbacks each day. Prepare for even worse gridlock.
This is really sad news for Douglas, where noise is a night-time as well as daytime problem, on top of the Douglas flyover. It will negatively impact the ability to move and shop. Overall, it is a nightmare. We are vastly over-crammed with houses. This ought to be on the north side of Cork between Ballyvolane and Glanmire, or on the west side.
Lately, I hear people looking to get out of Douglas because of the noise and traffic. I am very disappointed to hear of this unwelcome development that further damages flora and fauna in Douglas. The rivers have already been ruined by development.
