Here recently we heard about a Federal Court Judge named Robin Camp, who told a rape victim back in 2014, that she should have just kept her legs closed to avoid being raped. This along with the Brock Turner case has shined a light on sexual assault and the frequency that it occurs. These cases are important because they show that rape culture is a real thing and a very serious matter. Many sites define rape culture as being, "an environment which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in media as pop culture." Examples of rape culture include statements like, "she asked for it" or "boys will be boys" when referring about why women get raped. Judge Camp's response to the rape victim back in 2014 is something that is important because many individuals have the same outlook on rape as he does, or "did."

Many individuals do not understand the mental and physical damage sexual assault does to its victims. It leaves you feeling disgusting, embarrassed, ashamed, and wondering "why me?". Whether many individuals like it or not, times are changing and this opinion of "well they brought it on themselves" is not okay. If you ask me, it has never been okay. It is the most messed up, insane, and ignorant idea to even think that any victim of sexual violence, wanted what they got from the sick individual that done it to them.

It should not matter what I am wearing, if I have been drinking, if I am friendly and kind to them, no should mean no regardless. I cannot express enough the importance of needing to teach guys not to rape, rather than what women need to do to avoid it. Our priorities are messed up, when it comes to this topic. Individuals accused of rape are walking around the streets a free individual or only doing half their sentence time while the victims of their behavior suffer the rest of their lives. The reality is, that statistics show that 97 percent of rapists have not been incarcerated for their actions. I think I am with several highly ticked off females over Judge Camp's comment. But the reality of this situation is that Judge Camp has the same opinion as many other people in this country: women bring it upon themselves.

I can't express this enough, either, there is nothing women can do that would ever make her want to be sexually assaulted. The thing we need to realize is, these people that do these terrible things are messed up. They have something seriously wrong in the brain to make them think that no matter how loud their victims say no, no matter how hard they push them away they still somehow think they want it. And these individuals who do not understand the sensitivity needed when dealing with these cases need to be silent. It goes back to the old saying, "if you do not have anything nice to say, do not say anything at all." I think Judge Camp should remember that phrase next time he decides to take the stand, especially with a sexual assault case.

I am with thousands of others who think Judge Camp needs to be forced to step down as a federal judge. His excuse that he did not know his words were hurtful, is a bunch of bull crap in my opinion. A drunk driver who says they did not know it was illegal to drive drunk would not get away with his actions, a person who shot someone on "accident" would not get away without consequences, so why should Judge Camp get away with his offensive comments towards the rape victims, because he "did not know." Judge Camp, you are a judge, you took an oath. You can not use the pathetic excuse that you did not know your words were hurtful to get out of this. You should not get away with offensive comments like that. I'm not usually a spiteful person or wish bad things happen on people, I do not believe it in. However, I hope Karma bites you in the ass with your own offensive words.

One in four females have been a victim of sexual assault. This is just unacceptable and makes me sick to my stomach. Allow me to break down what that statistic means realistically. It means if my mother, my sister, my niece, and myself are all in a room together, one of us is likely to have been a victim of sexual assault. If that does not open up your eyes to the seriousness of rape culture, then I do not know what will. Put yourself in the victims place. No victim of this terrible act asks for this, and this idea that they did something to deserve it needs to stop right now. If a woman is standing on the corner, wearing revealing clothes, and drunk, it still does not make sexual assault okay.

Sexual assault is a very serious crime that needs to be taken more seriously and more sensitively. Because of our lack of punishment for the offenders and shame the victims feel, 54% of rapes go unreported. So what can we do to change this? Stop saying things like "boys will be boys" or "she wanted it". We need to get rid of this idea that the victims brought it on themselves, and wanted this to happen. It is not okay anymore. It should not matter what the person wears, if they are in a field of work that is common among other genders, if they are drunk, or if they are flirting with the person. NO MEANS NO. PERIOD. Stop making excuses for the offenders and start showing love and understanding for the victims. If the offenders still decide not to listen, then they deserve to face the consequences for it, because 97% is not okay anymore. If this happens, then who knows, more victims might come forward and more justice might take place to the offenders. Will this eliminate sexual assault all together? No, probably not, but that is not what this article is about. This article is about the outlook we should have on sexual assault victims.