#YesAllWomen

 Out of the few lengthy comments I've gotten, this one is definitely the most controversial in my mind, and further solidifies my opinions on the subject. "Anonymous" shared his opinion on my post, Bad Touch, and more or less explained how everything I had just said was absolutely wrong., because penises.

"Well, from a guy's perspective, if you are dressed like a "ghetto slut" then you are in a way asking for it. It is not entirely the guy's fault, being that we are conditioned over many years of watching rap videos how it is okay to go for a chic that is showing off her goods. It's like saying you are "open for business" and that turns on a lot of guys. Not saying that you do that, just saying that is what goes on in a guy's head."

How does that even make sense? First of all, whoever "he" is felt the need to stay anonymous, which leads me to believe he expected backlash, and maybe even knew his logic was flawed.
"Ghetto slut?" What the fuck is that even supposed to mean, and how does that, in any way, change a person's safety and consent? I could walk down the street butt-ass naked, and I still am not implying consent to anyone to touch me. Ask first, touch after!

Then, he goes on to try and speak for all men and their inability to control themselves in the face of a woman's body. Really? Since when does genitalia affect the ability of someone to keep their hands to themselves?  I rarely see a woman get grabby when faced with a man looking particularly good, and I know I've seen that behavior in mainstream media as well.

Furthermore, since when do "rap videos" dictate social behaviors? Are you seriously telling me that Ludacris or whoever is popular these days is the primary influence on the occurrences of objectification of women? Don't get me wrong, popular music has it's role to answer for, but the problem is much, much greater than the Top 40.
It's this forever resistant transition from the puritanical ways of patriarchal society in which the husband supports and runs things, to the closing gap in economic gender equality. We had the "sexual revolution," which did set a stage for change, but have yet to have the social revolution. Too many homes are still raising their children to believe a woman is only respected as the possession of a man (father, then husband), her body (virginity) is her value and she is solely in charge of maintaining that.

This sort of entitled, almost primal thinking is exactly the problem I face every time I leave my house. For starters, it never matters how I've dressed. I could wear a bee-suit and it's still bound to happen if I cross paths with one of these deviants. I don't deserve sexual assault. No one deserves that, no matter what they wear or how they look.However, the kind of people that behave this way don't think like that. They aren't looking for someone deserving or "asking for it;" they're looking for their thrill. These people don't see their victims as individuals. They're just objects to be used for their enjoyment.

This is the core of my problem. Women are still commodities in many upbringings, something to be had, and to be used. Why is this still happening? Why are we still being seen as items? This is why my body says, "Touch Me," to you, because you're looking at me as a product on the shelf. You are part of the problem, Anonymous.