Rape is never OK

To the editor:

I am open-mouthed with shock that an op-ed piece like Ron Hamman’s July 19 stance on spousal rape ever made it to your pages.

I am not surprised that people with such archaic, disrespectful and completely unfounded opinions on women still exist. I’m not naive enough to presume that the struggle for equal rights is over. I’m majorly involved in Anchorage’s vibrant GLBTQA community and I am fully aware of how much hatred still remains for those who are not white, male, educated and rich.

I am not surprised that people with such archaic, disrespectful and completely unfounded opinions on women hold powerful offices in the religious community. Organized religion has always been adept at oppressing the weak to uphold the powerful and fatten the strong.

I am, however, appalled that you would allow such inflammatory, vitriolic and abusive material to grace the pages of your once respectable publication.

As professionals in the mass media industry, as women, as human beings, you should be ashamed of yourselves. I sincerely hope you recognize the gross error you’ve made in publishing this bit of misogynistic poison and issue an apology to the readers you have left after this debacle. Know that you’ve lost the loyalty of countless professional, educated women like myself who enjoyed the ability to read my hometown paper and know that it was produced with strong women at the helm. Unfortunately, it appears strength does not always translate to common sense, prudence and the interest of your readers.

Hamman is, of course, entitled to his opinion as protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He is more than welcome to believe and assert that once you put a ring on a woman’s finger she must be ready to have sex with her husband whenever he wants, regardless of her mood, health, mental or emotional state or desire.

However, “rape” is defined by dictionary.law.com as “to have sexual intercourse with a female without her consent through force, violence, threat or intimidation, or with a girl under age.” That makes his opinion illegal. Essentially, by publishing this — for lack of a better or more colorful word — filth, you’ve condoned the rape of married women everywhere. Silence in the face of prejudice, intolerance and abuse is tantamount to accepting that which is wrong in society. By allowing this to reach your readers, you’ve quietly stated that this is OK, that this is normal.

This is not OK. Please, do something to make this right.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault and/or rape, please seek help by calling the noble caseworkers at Standing Together Against Rape. Its toll-free crisis line is (800) 478-8999.

F. Colleen Crinklaw

Anchorage