Let me just stop right here and point out that I have walked this earth as a woman for years longer than most posters on this board have likely been alive. I well understand the variables that come into play in these types of situations. I don't know who EA thought he was lecturing or correcting or what-the-hell-ever, but I do have first hand experience (and also second hand accounts--because women talk to each other) to draw on that he'll never have, so he can basically take his overused "victim blaming" cop out and stuff it.
Until we engage the issue beyond what a sick “F” the perpetrator was and recognize that there are indeed self defense and evasive measures that a victim might take (some of which come as reflex to some women though certainly not all), encourage women to take self defense classes in order to determine how, when and whether or not to use such techniques, take measures in an attempt to prevent such things from happening in the work place, and recognize that the feminist movement has let women down, we're no further along in countering these offenses against women than the next string of victims that come along.
You argued, literally, that if a woman doesn't fight back enough then, quoting you here, " I would have taken that as a "yes". I contend that anyone would have taken that as a "yes".
Women have a responsibility to conduct themselves in such a way as to thwart unwanted advances. "
Regardless of whether or not it is advisable to fight back in certain circumstances, failure to do so doesn't make it consent. That is a monstrous opinion. You tried to qualify your comments by proactively saying you weren't victim blaming doing the sexual assault equivalent of "I'm not a racist, but..." This was striking as your comment was about as classic victim blaming as is possible to come up with. It's the platonic ideal of victim blaming. I give you the benefit of the doubt that you just aren't thinking so good rather than you genuinely thinking what you said. Perhaps this is yet another example in which your desire to project a tough image gets ahead of what is sensible to say. In any case, whether or not you've been the victim of a sexual assault doesn't excuse or validate what you are saying. Consent isn't determined by how much you resist a coercive situation even if the best move would've been to resist. No, not anyone would've taken that as a "yes."
P.S. Women talk to men too. Maybe your age isn't helping you out on this one.
