Get a clue, girls

Bitter Bitch has a problem with this event, where some women who said they were raped at the US Air Force Academy weren't treated as she would have had it.

Here are a couple of choice quotes:

The academy commandant, Brig. Gen. Taco Gilbert, defended the school's conduct in a written response to questions about one alleged assault in October 2001, in which a cadet said she was raped after a night of drinking and a strip poker game.

After a hearing the academy decided not to press charges against her attacker, and the cadet said Gilbert criticized her conduct.

"I take all reports seriously. I investigate every allegation and take action on every assault," Gilbert said.

He said there was "no justification" for the alleged assault, but added, "when you put yourself in situations with increased risk, you have to take increased precautions to mitigate those risks.

Right on. Now this:

Another woman told KMGH-TV of Denver she left the academy after commanders responded to her rape allegation by charging her with violating rules against drinking, fraternization with upperclassmen and having sex in the dormitories.

You know, I'm definitely pro-choice when it comes to rape. For all participants. But now let's look at this scenario: Joe buys some pot but thinks he was cheated. He calls the cops and says "Hey, my dealer told me this was sinsemilla but it's ditch weed!". The wisdom of our drug laws is beside the point - would you sympathize with Joe if he got busted?

You might consider these two situations incommensurable, but the idea is that if the alleged victims didn't know the rules about fraternization et al, they were irresponsible. If they did know the rules and didn't abide by them, they're irresponsible. Regardless of what happens to the alleged rapists, there's nothing wrong with busting the women's chops. Too bad if it might inhibit their reporting - IMO we should hold USAFA women to higher standards than for the general public.

Well, maybe they're naive. OK, the USAFA is all over that:

The academy also requires freshmen to take a course called "Street Smarts" to learn how to protect themselves in all kinds of potentially dangerous situations, including personal relationships.

"Are you the one girl going to Denver for an overnight in a hotel with five guys? Probably not a good idea. We talk a lot about those risk situations and about making smart decisions," said Maj. Kelly Phillips-Henry, the psychologist in charge of providing assistance to sexual assault victims at the academy.

I'd expect the average bimbette in the street to figure this one out. One would hope that the USAFA is selective enough to weed out those so profoundly lacking of clue.

No, I'm not letting the men off the hook. Just as with the women, the USAFA men should be held to higher standards than the general public too. I say hang the bastards if they're convicted.

But the USAFA women really do have a role to play here. Expecting them to refrain from playing strip poker with drunks while drunk isn't exactly the same as asking them to wear a burqa.