Written by: Taylor Stone 

The word “rape” has been loosely construed over the years to have a myriad of different meanings that change on a mystified whim depending on the individuals involved and the circumstances.

To define an action, that action must have parameters that limit and characterize it, rather, it must have certain identifiable elements that allow us to clearly state what something is and what it isn’t.

Many people believe that rape is a serious, damaging crime and that the amount of cases being reported on college campuses has become particularly disturbing. The truth is, simply being on campus does not offer any additional protection against rape than if you were anywhere else.

I think that there’s a common misconception that living in a dorm on a college campus somehow makes you less responsible for yourself. College campuses are not “rape free” zones and, as young adults, it’s necessary to take the same precautions to protect yourself as you would at any other “less safe” location.

In many cases, it’s difficult to prove guilt for someone accused of rape because it often comes down to the word of the accused against the word of the accuser.

Now, since rape has become a worldwide “epidemic,” individuals that truly fall victim to rape are overshadowed by the overwhelming amount of people using sympathy as a vice to further personal motives.

Earlier this year, a student from the University of Connecticut, claimed that the new “terrifying” husky logo for their basketball team was meant to “intimidate women” and “empower rape culture.”

What? A logo of a dog empowers rape culture?

That’s just it, the very concept of rape has become so exploited, so grossly construed that it becomes a proverbial crutch for individuals that push unrelated agendas.

Rape cases are so often overlooked because we have expanded and diluted what rape is! We’ve taken a serious offense, rolled it in sprinkles and baked it in rainbows until it has become acceptable, even newsworthy, to claim that a cartoon of a dog sanctions rape.

We need to be capable of recognizing what we see when we see it. We need to understand the difference between transgression and folly, between reality and forged truths.

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