ALTRAV,

While I agree that a single instance of rape does not justify the death penalty, your reasoning is flawed.

<<The act of raping someone, removing the physical injury component for a moment, becomes an act of emotion.>>

No, it’s an act of sexual assault. The DAMAGE is primarily emotional - which means the damage is usually longer lasting, harder to fix, and far more disruptive to one’s life.

<<The victim is emotionally attacked. This, in my view does not constitute grounds for the title of a 'serious crime'. Nothing was disturbed but some emotion in the form of fear and pride.>>

And this ignorant attitude, people, is why depression and mental illness still aren’t taken seriously. If you can’t see the damage, then apparently it’s not REALLY there. It’s all just psychological (in the ‘imaginary’ sense) and the sufferer just needs to pull their socks up and get on with it.

AJ, I won't appologise for seeing things free of emotion and sentiment. As I have said all along, we cannot allow emotion into a discussion/debate. It only serves to infect the outcome and deliver a completely wrong result.

Because emotions vary with different people.

By pandering to the victims you are not helping them get over the trauma but fueling their emotional fire for the worst, and they only go deeper into depression because your telling them 'it's OK to feel how you feel'.

Today's generation have become way too 'soft'. I personally was not privy to this 'princess' style of child raising, so call me all the names you want, just remember your not doing these Nancys any good by playing up the seriousness of their ordeal.

So do your worst, I'm a big boy, lived long enough to know the many different kinds of people out there, and you all leave a lot to be desired. I will elaborate another time.

As for you throwing in the phrase 'sexual assault', well again you and the law makers and the Nancys call it whatever you like. I see things much clearer than the PC following softies.

It is you who have the ignorant attitude. 'The damage is primarily emotional'. So we agree that there is a primary and therefore major view on the emotional component of rape.

Now I'm going to put the boot in. YOU choose to go with 'it's an act of sexual assault'. You can call it whatever you like. I define assault as a physical attack, not what some PC loving bunch of losers say it is.

I am curious as to how any sane man can come up with such an overkill description of something which involves no physical injuries. Did the rapist slap her with his penis? Was it that hard that he left deep scars and bleeding wounds? NO!

As I said in the real world we don't lie or overstate a case simply because we want to make a point that will see the victim get the benefit of the doubt.

At no point have I suggested that you should, ALTRAV.

<<I won't appologise for seeing things free of emotion and sentiment.>>

Nor does one need to allow their emotions take over, and cloud their vision, in order to understand the fact that emotional damage is a very real thing, and often worse than physical damage.

<<By pandering to the victims you are not helping them get over the trauma but fueling their emotional fire for the worst …>>

Who's pandering to victims?

<<… and they only go deeper into depression because your telling them 'it's OK to feel how you feel'.>>

Victims of rape need to understand that it’s okay for them to feel the way they feel before they can move forward.

<<Today's generation have become way too 'soft'. I personally was not privy to this 'princess' style of child raising, so call me all the names you want …>>

What do the different styles of raising children have to do with understanding the seriousness of mental and emotional damage?

<<… just remember [you’re] not doing these Nancys any good by playing up the seriousness of their ordeal.>>

So, victims of rape are just being “nancys”, and acknowledging the seriousness of their ordeal is really just a beat-up? Have you ever been raped, or dealt with a rape victim before?

<<As for you throwing in the phrase 'sexual assault', well again you and the law makers and the Nancys call it whatever you like.>>

Rape is by definition an assault, whether you like that or not.

<<So we agree that there is a primary and therefore major view on the emotional component of rape.>>

With regards to the resulting damage, yes, it appears so. Where we differ is in the fact that you don’t think emotional problems are real problems.

<<I define assault as a physical attack …>>

Rape is a physical attack.

NO, rape is not by definition assault. It might be by PC definition and certain people.

I grew up with assault being someone physically hurting you. I will never accept that anything other than that definition is correct.

Stupid phrases like 'verbal' assault and more. Pelease. Rape is not assault unless the victim is slapped around as I described as the various grounds for assault.

A victim is restrained, but if they haven't had the living bejesus bashed out of them it is called at worst deprivation of liberty. They can do this without harming them physically.

You believe what you want to believe, I choose to go with reason and common sense. Two things, it appears you lack. You would rather go with the bible of lies, better known as Political Correctness.

Oh, it absolutely is, ALTRAV.

<<NO, rape is not by definition assault.>>

Assault (noun):
1 A physical attack.
‘his imprisonment for an assault on the film director’
‘a sexual assault’

http://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/assault

<<It might be by PC definition and certain people.>>

Even the Oxford. Most of your right-wing comrades, too, I dare say.

<<I grew up with assault being someone physically hurting you.>>

Times change as we learn more. Well, most of us, anyway.

<<I will never accept that anything other than that definition is correct.>>

That is your prerogative. It appears that virtually everyone else disagrees with you, though. Everyone else, that is, apart from rapists. Your rationalisations sound eerily similar to the rationalisations of those who have committed rape before and want desperately to morally disengage themselves from what it is they have done, or are still doing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_disengagement#Disregarding_or_misrepresenting_injurious_consequences

<<Stupid phrases like 'verbal' assault ...>>

Assault (noun):
1.3 A strong verbal attack.

http://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/assault

<<Rape is not assault unless the victim is slapped around as I described as the various grounds for assault.>>

The law disagrees with you because damage is still done. You have not yet countered this with anything that does not sound like a perpetrator morally disengaging themselves from their actions.

Should I be calling the police?

Alt Rave,

So, if I found out where you lived, and had a mind to stalk your wife or daughter, accosted her in a park with a lump of wood to 'induce' her to go into the bushes with me, had my way with her, and then let her go, that would be okay with you ?

Wouldn't that be assault ? Kidnapping, or holding someone against their will for a start ? Wouldn't it have lasting effects of her ? Wouldn't it be a vile thing to do, worthy of a long prison sentence ?

Joe