You might recall the ACT on Campus Auckland vice-president Cameron Wayne Browne telling a lady he was debating on Facebook to go “get raped." That's just one example of how many on the right wing view rape culture, that it's something to be used to try and win a debate and that it doesn't really matter.In fact some right-winger's don't even think rape culture exists in New Zealand at all. That's the implication one gets after reading a post by Cameron Slater where he tries to entirely lay blame on Tania Billingsley, a young woman who was allegedly attacked by a Malaysian diplomat.
Now, dear readers, what are the odds of a Malasian diplomat deciding to follow Tania home from a bus stop, apparently at random? What are the odds of him picking a woman that is befriended with and herself involved in women’s issues going back many years? What are the odds of him randomly standing there not touching her, then, backing off and waiting for police to arrive out in the street? What are the odds of Green MP Jan Logie getting involved, erm, randomly? What are the odds of a situation that has NONE of the hallmarks of an attempted rape, being shopped by TV3 as attempted rape and the label “Rape culture” being used to intimidate and shut up critics like ourselves lest we look insensitive to (real!) rape victims?
Despite a complete lack of any evidence the deluded Cameron Slater is clearly trying to say the Malaysian diplomat was somehow set up by the Greens. What a complete moron! John Key's number one propagandist is basically trying to reduce the backlash against the government for the mishandling of the case.
Instead of fronting up Murray McCully and the Prime Minister tried to cover-up and dismiss people's concerns. They then set about placing blame on their minions for the blunder knowing full well that they weren't allowed to speak up for themselves.
Unfortunately the government often tries to sidestep their responsibilities whenever problems occur. That was the case when the story broke about a group of young men who were bragging online about intoxicating and then raping underage girls. It was also revealed that the Police weren't prosecuting these rapists because one of the perpetrators was a high profile police officers son.
These sorts of occurrences should be ringing alarm bells’ in voter’s ears. We clearly have a serious problem of rape culture in New Zealand, a culture that the government is doing nothing about and in many respects is making a lot worse.
I've only highlighted but a few of the serious cases of rape culture that the right wing has been directly involved in, tried to minimize, dismissed outright or been complicit in trying to cover-up. These aren't just random events either, because the share amount shows that a theme has developed, a dysfunctional dynamic within the current administration that in fact enables rape to occur.
Yesterday, the NZ Herald reported on another case:
Rape culture protects predators
Parliament's suppression laws and MPs' silence sanction our rape culture, writes Rodney Hide
My eyes were opened after my column last week. I had called on National MP Maggie Barry to use Parliamentary privilege to break the suppression order protecting a "prominent" New Zealander. The police had charged him with "indecent assault" but the sex predator pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of "indecent act with intent to insult or offend".
"Indecent assault" is a strike offence; it's a serious charge.
Judge David Saunders discharged the sex attacker without conviction and gave him name suppression. We can't report who he is. By way of explanation, the judge said the predator had "carried a bit of a cross" since the charges were laid.
Being that this person might commit another attack, I think it's important that the public know who the former National MP is. Clearly the current system is enabling criminals like him to reoffend, because the consequences if you’re part of the old boys club are few and far between.
Another thing that’s supporting rape culture in New Zealand is our biased media. These days many journalists only seem concerned with scoring cheap political points that aren't doing our society or democracy any favours at all. What else can one conclude after reading this?
After my column, various low-level political operatives asked me who it was. It was tittle-tattle for them, I thought, but then I realised they were checking whether the predator was on their team. They expressed no concern for the victim and no outrage.
Through the week, our "prominent" New Zealander's media mates rang journalists to minimise his offending. The spin was that the judge didn't believe the woman and, sure, their mate had made a forceful pass, as he does, but not an assault. Yeah, right.
These are the enablers. They defend, minimise and excuse sex crimes. And no doubt Harris had a legion of them. They disgust me every bit as much as the predator. Those in power, those in the media and other "prominent" New Zealanders all know who the offender is. They know to be wary. Just like those who knew Harris as the "octopus".
I guess his time away from parliament has cleared Rodney Hides’ thought processes somewhat, because I cannot help but agree with pretty much everything he's saying in this latest column.
Voting for the current dysfunctional National led government is clearly not in the best interests of women, or anybody for that matter who's concerned about rape culture.
