Opinion | Why Is Rape Still Legal In North Carolina?

It is the year 2017 and committing rape is still legal in North Carolina. As ridiculous as the previous sentence may seem, it is an unfortunate nightmarish reality. In North Carolina, if a woman revokes consent after intercourse has begun, her rapist cannot be found guilty of rape if he refuses to disengage.

North Carolina's Supreme Court made this unconstitutional decision in 1979. This unjust law is a reflection of how despicable lawmakers can be. There truly can be no justification for keeping such a misogynistic law on the books.

In 2015 Senator Jeff Jackson, a Democrat from North Carolina submitted a bill to close this unjust loophole. Two years later this bill with bipartisan support still has not been signed into law. It has become incredibly obvious that the North Carolina Senate Rules Committee is stalling in an effort to let the bill die. In any other state if a person refuses to stop after their partner has revoked consent, they can be found guilty of rape.

North Carolina is the only state that denies women the right to revoke consent during intercourse. No should mean No in all 50 states.

To clarify, ignoring someone's pleas to stop after they have revoked consent is rape. Women do not owe men sex. Women do not owe men an explanation as to why they have revoked consent. Women do not owe men the right to "finish." Women do not owe men an apology for revoking consent.

Rape is a violent crime that leaves psychological scars that last a lifetime. The reality that the law holds a man's physical desires, over a woman's physical and psychological health is not just deplorable, it's ethically and morally wrong.

As a nation, we should be outraged that there are laws that make it legal for men to brutalize women.

Women and men in the United States should be asking themselves the following questions.

Why are lawmakers still protecting rapists in this country?

What kind of people are being elected to theses positions of authority?

Do these lawmakers possess the moral and ethical qualities necessary to be worthy of holding their current positions?

Why has this bill not been passed and signed into law by the Governor of North Carolina?

If lawmakers in North Carolina are unwilling to pass legislation to protect all of their constituents, they should be replaced.

If you find yourself outraged that North Carolina offers no justice for women who are raped after revoking consent, you can sign this petition on Change.org https://www.change.org/decision-makers/north-carol...

Contact members of the North Carolina General Assembly through this website .http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/reports/roo...

You can also contact North Carolina Senator Richard Burr at:

1 (202) 224-3154 or by mail at:

217 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510.

The Governor of North Carolina can be contacted through this website: https://governor.nc.gov/contact-governor-cooper