Part ten in a series by Joy Pedrow Skarka ]

There are many examples found in United States politics that perpetuate rape culture. Here are only a few:

• Many politicians have made negative comments about rape to support their stances against abortion: “If rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it!” said Clayton Williams of Texas in 1990, causing him to lose the election. Others have used phrases such as “legitimate rape,” “honest rape,” “emergency rape,” and “easy rape.” 
• Some people assume that women often use rape as an excuse for regret. In 2006, Ken Buck, a district attorney-turned-politician, once said, “A jury could very well conclude that this is a case of buyer’s remorse… it appears to me that you invited him over to have sex with him,” even though the rapist admitted his crime.
• In 2012, Senator Todd Akin argued his stance on abortion by saying that “legitimate rapes” rarely rarely result

Part nine in a series by Joy Pedrow Skarka 

In addition to the list from the previous rape-culture series featured on this blog, more recent books have been written about rape culture:

• In 2018, the Governor General’s fiction award went to Sarah Henstra for The Red Word. Henstra wrote a story that looks at rape culture and the extremes to which the beliefs can go. The story is set on a college campus, when sophomore Karen learns about feminism and rape culture. One frat house in the story is nicknamed, “Gang Bang Central.” Karen is torn between the Greek culture she loves (because of a cute boy), and a feminist group. She is caught between polarized camps. Little does she know that feminist ringleader Dyann plans to use her to bring down the fraternity as a symbol of rape culture. One reviewer of The Red Word said the novel is “full of clichés of sexual