Maryland: Definition of rape widened

This law is so vague and subjective that it amounts to a license to extort a man through threatened rape accusations and litigation.

What can a man do to protect himself in this kind of ridiculous environment? You would have to have a signed consent form for sexual intercourse and then videotape the act itself. Anything less and you are screwed in court with a false allegation of rape. (And the woman can always allege she was "coerced." That is how they beat a pre-nup agreement when they file for divorce.)

There are going to be a lot fewer weddings and even one-night "hook-ups" in this country, because young men are paying attention to the consequences.

No wonder the porn industry is thriving!

I'm not sure it actually matters much, because every state's rape laws already provide women with 30 days AFTER an act of (presumably consensual) sex to change their minds and call it rape.

It is simply racketeering and billable hours for predatory attorneys.

"How Does a Man Protect Himself?"

Previously he didn't have much recourse except to show that at such a time he was not at such a place or in the company of the accuser, as the only element left for an affirmative defense was opportunity. Now that's gone; if it can be shown there was even a presumptive sexual rel'p between two people at any time, she can now say he raped her by failing to withdraw fast enough to suit her after she said to stop with the whole penis thing.

So to answer your question, a man has no protection. The last of it is now gone, in Maryland anyway, and any other place this kind of law has been passed.

In a really big way, the law has now become not about whether a person can be shown to be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt but whether or not the state wants to prosecute and if so, how hard. Really, with these kinds of laws and the standards for presumed innocence simply out the window, it now matters much more if those in "The System" just plain like you or not. That's what it comes down to. In a sense it has always been that way to some degree, but now with so many laws being so easily broken, or presumed broken (this new MD law is a case in point-- the accused has to PROVE the woman he was having sex with is lying, otherwise the he-said she-said contest will of course go to her), the definitions of the laws themselves no longer afford any protection to individuals from the excesses of the state, or the abuse of the laws for personal ends by its agents (eg: the Duke LAX case).

This is just one example specifically pointed at men. Bad yes, and there should be no tolerance of it. But alas there are yet many more such laws aimed at pretty much everyone. As it now stands, "the law" can "take you into custody" pretty much at any time and charge you with all kinda things that you need to refute in order to get out from under; if not on their good side, good luck. We've become one of those countries where who you know "on The Inside" is much more important than whether or not you're innocent or guilty of any given crime.

Would you agree that the expansion of definitions of male sexual criminality like this rape law amounts to a social assault on heterosexuality and what used to be called "traditional" male-female relations?

Because at the present time, for a man to seek to go to bed with a female is clearly risking a trip to prison.

And, why are the ordinary women not up in arms about this tyranny that hurts them as well as men?

Why are the voices of the "I'm not like them" non-feminist women silent?

"But alas there are yet many more such laws aimed at pretty much everyone. As it now stands, "the law" can "take you into custody" pretty much at any time and charge you with all kinda things..."

Yet more gov't control of citizens.

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible to live without breaking laws."
-- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, Ch. III, "White Blackmail"

I don't have a problem with women being able to withdraw concent while in the act. It's actually better than a woman changing her mind later and deciding the previously concentual sex is now rape. Telling a man to stop during allows a man to act appropriately and know exactly where the situation stands.

The problem with this is mainly "As he began, she told him to stop because he was hurting her, but he kept going for five or 10 seconds" 5 or 10 seconds isn't exactly a long time. It's basically just enough time to say "What? Really? Are you sure?" and then pull out. It's more than a bit absurd to classify this with acts that actually are rape and where the sex is entirely forced.

That is the precedent that is scary.

What if a man is in the process of orgasm and it takes him 5 seconds to stop? Lets be realistic, during ejaculation it could be difficult to stop instantly based on a woman's command. This has nothing to do with rape, rather criminalizing male sexuality.

Does anyone know all 7 other states that allow this?

Even the ones who say "I'd never do something like that" like the thought of having the opportunity to should her woman's prerogative to change her mind ever change her opinion on whether or not she actually would.

Women LOVE having the power whether or not they'd ever actually use it, they love knowing it's there.

Women in truth have absolutely no sense of justice. They are not even interested in the concept of it.

Also no interest in fairness, objectivity, or empathy.

American women especially are truly narcissistic infantile tyrants masquerading as virtuous victims.

They express their "I'm not like them" (those feminists) sentiments and then do absolutely nothing to reform the system.

For American men today, dating and marriage is like being automatically on parole, with the prospect of the "warden" dialing 911 to call in her arrest squad if she is unhappy.

Marriage rates are declining rapidly and it is not too complex to see why.

Women like power. That is why they use sex to manipulate men.

Once you understand their basic nature, as the inferior species, a lot of things start to make sense.

They live by dissembling, being chameleons, everything she does is a mirage.

Dangerous behaviors to encourage if you seek a stable and rational society.

And we do encourage women to be irrational.

I don't even know where to begin. I heard something about this recently and it just blows my mind. Where is this womans responsibility? She decided to have an orgy in a parking lot and changes her mind so she gets to charge a 16 year old boy with rape? Outrageous!!!!! Where is the justice?
I am so completely thrown by this that I can't even get my thoughts together.
The only thing this child did wrong was listening to his sexual urges instead of his brain. Something we've all done at one time or another. He shouldn't be penalized for life because of it.
I agree that a woman should have the right to say no even in the middle of sex, but to expect your partner to be able to stop the very second you say no isn't realistic.
This boy didn't hold her down and take his sweet time finishing while she begged him to stop. His hormone filled brain took a few seconds to clear enough before he could physically stop.
I think the people on this jury should be ashamed of themselves and the woman who cried rape....Damn...I don't think she has any conscious at all.
I've read a few of the replies. It's sad that some of you men actually seem to think that all women are like this or that all women have at least considered doing such things. I would no more do or consider doing this than most of you would do or would consider raping someone.
I think the man that asked why no women were standing up is on to something. More women need to stand up and say: NO!!! This is going to far!!
I'm not sure how to phrase it right but I believe that most of society wants to prove that they've moved past the days of women having no rights or respect but they've done it wrong. They've gone to the complete opposite extreme and that's not good either.
Most feminist I've come across say they want equal rights for women but they don't. What they want are better rights, instead of men walking on them they want to walk on men. They've become the sexist oppressors they've grown to hate the most.
I've heard several comments around the net and on the news saying this is a great step for women and I couldn't disagree more. I think if anything it's a step backwards. To me this doesn't show respect for women but the lack of respect. To me this pretty much says that women don't have the brain power to see the consequences of their actions, so we need to be put on a pedestal and never held accountable for them.
I hope this boy gets a new trial and gets the long denied justice he deserves. I'd also like to see the record of the other boy wiped clean of this trumped up charge.