The Best

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What is Rape? The definition of this word is shrouded in ambiguity, there is no single meaning for it. The most widely accepted definition is forced sexual intercourse including vaginal, anal, or oral penetration. Penetration may be by body or foreign object. It may also be said that anytime during intercourse a female says no, and the male continues anyway that is also rape. The definition may even be stretched to consider a weak yes as rape. Hypothetically speaking, if a female says no to sexual intercourse, then five hours later after a few shots of tequila seduces the same gentlemen into having sex with her, the following day she accuses this individual of rape claiming he should have respected her earlier statement, is she right? Where do we draw the line? If you were drunk behind the wheel of a car and killed innocent civilians wouldn’t you still be guilty? Why should it be different with whom you sleep with? In the novel “Open City” by Teju Cole the protagonist and narrator Julius is accused of rape by a childhood friend named Moji, he doesn’t state whether the allegations levied against him are true or false, but why shouldn’t he be given the benefit of the doubt. Nothing written about Julius thus far would lead us to believe that he is capable of doing such. I believe the author is using this situation to express the fact that false rape allegations are a serious problem threatening the sanctity of the justice system.

Open City by Teju Cole is a novel about many different aspects of human life, it tells the story of a young half Nigerian half German psychiatrist named Julius. A large portion of the book takes place in New York City, which is Julius’s adopted home. As the story unfolds, Julius takes up walking as a w...

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...nd, rather than give away his accomplices, he showed his fearlessness by putting his right hand in a fire and letting it burn”. Romans were widely known for their fair and impartial justice system the double story by Camus is meant to convey that the way something is initially revealed might not be the way it actual is.
Most people would refer to Moji as the victim blaming males who are falsely accused of committing rape. Claiming that it is the man’s job to read between the lines and figure out if a woman is willing. If she says no then it means no, plain and simple, or if she's incapacitated. Being too shy/polite to "say no" is not an excuse to violate someone’s rights. Not "saying yes" falls under that same category. “Body language" in the absence of a stating "no", or an incapacitated or physically resistant partner are grounds to hit someone with a rape charge.

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