One lawmaker stuck his foot in his mouth recently, and his “short skirts risk rape” comment has definitely gotten people buzzing. The Daily Mail shared the details on Richard Graham's comments on Jan. 27. Many people are quite unhappy that they believe the insinuation in Graham's statement is that women are essentially “asking for it” if they wear high heels and short skirts.
Richard Graham, the Gloucester MP, said, “If you are a young woman on her own trying to walk back home through a park early in the morning in a tight, short skirt and high shoes and there's a predator... if you are blind drunk wearing those clothes, how are you able to get away?” He went on to say that it's not about the impact of those clothes in attracting a rapist, it's about the fact that it is harder to get away when wearing those types of items.
Graham has come under fire for the short skirts risk rape comment, but he has said that his words were a far cry from the age-old “she was asking for it” mentality. Regardless, he has offended many with his statement. ABC News notes that the original comments were made by Graham to The Citizen, a local newspaper. He has since said that his original words “in no way intimates ANY excuse for predatory behavior,” but he could not be reached for further comment by the Associated Press Sunday.
What do you think of Graham's short skirts risk rape comment? Did people jump the gun and take his words out of context? Or should Richard Graham be taking a look at his thoughts and reconsider his point of view?
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