On Saturday, Sarah Silverman retweeted a list of rape prevention tips aimed not at potential rape victims but at potential rapists—and there's been quite a bit of backlash, the Telegraph reports. The 10 tips include:
- "When you see a woman walking by herself, leave her alone."
- "When you encounter a woman who is asleep, the safest course of action is to not rape her."
- "Use the Buddy System! If it is inconvenient for you to stop yourself from raping women, ask a trusted friend to accompany you at all times."
They were first posted on a blog from the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 2011, but they didn't go viral until Silverman reposted them along with the comment, "These are great- send to all the men in ur life." Reaction has ranged from anger:
- Sample: "it's extremely offensive. It implies that it's common for men to think about ways to rape girls, when that's nonsense"
To semi-support:
- Sample: "this is cool, but what about male rape victims?"
To full-fledged support:
- Sample: "Happy that this has become a thing. Instead of teaching defence, teach how NOT to sexually assault!"
To those defending Silverman against the haters:
- Sample: "I'm so ashamed of men who think this is saying 'all men' the point is women shouldn't be in charge of stopping rape"
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