I know I shouldn’t get so worked up about what’s printed in the Georgia Straight. It is, after all, a freebie left coast newspaper, Vancouver’s version of NOW Magazine, with all the feminist, racialist, and socialist fringe theories fit to print.
After the opening ceremony of the Olympics, this was the paper that chose to run an op-ed that they were the “whitest” ever. Then I let them get to me again with an insidious piece entitled “Joannie Rochette won a medal due to racism, nationalism, pity, and politics.” In case you didn’t read that one, the theory being floated there is that the judges didn’t want an Asian “sweep” of the medal podium. For some people, I guess even one white person can be too many.
This time the Straight brings us the specious theory of a journalist and author, Laura Robinson, who believes that putting kids in ice hockey turns them into rapists.
“I would never let a boy I cared about be in hockey,” Laura Robinson told the Georgia Straight.
“It’s because we live in a rape culture, and within the subculture of male professional sport, it’s about defining who a man is through his sexual scoring,” she said.
Did you hear that? We live in a “rape culture”. We’d better immediately notify the thousands of women across Canada cheering for the Montreal Canadiens’ incredible playoff run, that they’re supporting a sport that churns out rapists.
The truth is that Canada has the third highest number of reported rapes in the world. If that’s shocking, it shouldn’t be. The reason that Canada and the United States have a high number of reported rapes isn’t necessarily because they are highest here, but because we have societies in which reporting rape is encouraged. One would also have to find out whether the numbers pertained to actual rapes, or were for all sexual assaults, a distinction that is not currently made in the criminal code.
In many cultures, it is considered shameful to even report a rape, and in some Muslim countries the victim can even be punished by the law for being unable to prove the accusation.
Ms.Robinson says that the number of reported sexual offences increased during the Olympics by 11 compared to the same period a year earlier. This isn’t entirely unpredictable, given that the population of Vancouver artificially increased by several hundreds of thousands and the consumption of alcohol was likely increased commensurately.
The article goes on to make the argument that “junior hockey players may be at a higher risk of perpetrating acts of sexual assault than their nonathlete counterparts.” But rather than speculate that sports creates aggressive, violent behaviour, wouldn’t it also be possible that naturally aggressive and violent individuals are attracted to such sports?
As for hypermasculinity, I’m not entirely convinced that’s such a bad thing. We’ve become a “crybaby culture” owing to an emasculation of male children from the earliest years. The kind of behaviour we want to reward these days are usually all of the traits found in girls. It sounds to me as though if Laura Robinson had her way, there would never be any outlet for natural male aggression, competition, and bravado.
“It won’t stop, because Canadians are blind to hockey. I will never back off, because they [hockey players] rape girls and they rape women, and the culture tells them that they should.”
“One would also have to find out whether the numbers pertained to actual rapes, or were for all sexual assaults, a distinction that is not currently made in the criminal code.”
The numbers relate to sexual assaults, which cover a broad range of sexual offences. They are not reported in any other way, so I dispute your theory that more people here report rape than anywhere else.
You can only compare us to other countries where the data collection method is the same.
And may I say, even though it is off topic, that I totally agree with Vic Toews on this point.
OMG, I agree with Gayle. We need to bring back rape as a stand alone crime. We older people know what rape used to be and still is.
Thankfully if she is like the rest of the typical ultra-feminist academics, the liklihood of her having many children is low so she won’t be able to warp many children of her own. Though it won’t stop her from trying to warp the children of others instead. I weep for her male children (if she has any).
Actually Eye magazine is the ‘right-wing’ one, I think you meant NOW magazine. Now that is a communist rag!
You’re right, it is NOW magazine. I’ve been gone from Toronto too long.
Don’t worrry Adrian… This is like taking the Colbert report as a serious newscast. The Georgia Straight is infotainment, nothing more. Anyone taking it seriously would probably consider Rush Limbaugh or Jerry Falwell wise and thoughtful in another life.
Adrian, I stopped even glancing at NOW and EYE in Toronto because it’s full of the same kind of nonsense. Eventually you figure out that these people have heads full of nonsense, most of it gathered from their university classes.
On the negative side of the hockey culture, there is a more intense aggressive side to the game now. There is more pressure to win in minor hockey, and hazing is still prevalent (see the despicable case of Steve Downie attacking someone who refused to participate the hazing, in Windsor I think it was).
Ron – As someone who has been involved in hockey for my entire life, I definately do not agree with you assertions.
Hazing was a huge part of junior hockey that has generally dissapeared in less than a decade. The few remaining cases recieve lots of publicity because they are now against the law.
In terms of ‘intense aggression’ I would suggest you review some of the hockey played during the summit series and report back to me on how things have changed.
In minor hockey, the pressure to win has almost totally been replaced in most areas. In the youngest leagues games have been removed altogether to focus on practice and remove competitive element. What evidence can you provide that there is more pressure to win than before?
Just a clarification, Ron, Downie gets a pretty bad rap from your description. Yes, hazing is prevalent– but I personally don’t even think it’s a bad thing. Bullying is, but I don’t see hazing as bullying– it’s a rite of passage which is no different than what both men and women have done in our entire existence as human beings. Certainly, precautions need to be taken so that it does not contravene the criminal code of whatever country it takes place in– but I can tell you, standing naked with a few dudes in a cramped bathroom is nowhere near as bad as some of the crap I endured in pre and early season hazing as rookie on the Alberta junior development ski racing team when I was in high school.
Anyway, what happened was that Aliu refused to get naked with the other rookies, Downie gave him a hard time, and from what I understand, Downie was calling him out in the next practice and went to really hammer him with a hit in practice and accidentally hit him in the mouth knocking a few teeth out. I really don’t think it was “despicable” nor was it a pure attack on Downie. Aliu was the one who initiated the fight, actually…though understandably so.
So the message in Brandon this weekend should be: “Lock up your daughters”? I don’t think so. Those young men are kept extremely busy during hockey season, and a lot of the busyness involves helping the less fortunate – visiting the local children’s hospital, etc. And from all accounts, they generally really enjoy this outreach and learn much from it.