Maya Wiley annoys me for many reasons but the one that stood out to me most in last night's debate was the statement that subway assaults and rapes are up because people are "mentally ill" and in need of help from "crisis response teams" that will meet their "human needs."
The mental contortions that some of these people will go through to ignore any need for more policing are unbelievable.
Increasing policing has an absolute net zero effect on resolving rape charges. In fact, of the rapes that get reported to the cops, only about 8% are ever resolved. 13% of rape victims say that they don't go to the cops because they don't trust them. And in any given year between 300 and 500 sexual assaults are committed by police officers. So, no "more policing" is not what rape victims need.
What do they need? Greater economic opportunity for women and LGBTQ people, legislation to prevent landlord harassment of renters (yes, landlord rape is common), more funding for social services beyond the police (which Maya is actually right about), and even an end to fraternities and sororities loooong before they need more money for the inept and incompetent cops. Not to mention an end to rape culture, the "grab them by the p****" mentality, chauvinism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny and the whole 9 yards. Transgender women are statistically the most likely demographic group to get raped, and yet all the GOP has ever done for them is force them to use the bathrooms and prisons that they are mosts likely to get raped in. So, please, conservatives, don't bring up rape because you're not on the right side of this issue.
And frankly, as a rape survivor, I really don't appreciate using what is one of the worst thingss a person can go through as a f-ing canard for militarism and fascism.
