Why do women get raped? According to Virginia State Sen. Amanda Chase, it’s because they aren’t carrying guns.

Leave it to a Republican to blame women for sexual assault committed by men…

Chase made the comment on Facebook, saying on her own page, “It’s those who are naive and unprepared that end up raped. Sorry but I’m not going to be a statistic.”

Besides the fact that victims often carry plenty of protection, of all kinds, Chase is suggesting that guns would prevent crimes. Now that’s naïve. (In fact, carrying a gun doesn’t deter rape, and sexual assault is most often committed by people known to the women, not random strangers.)

Given the chance to correct her statement, Chase refused to do so.

… My comments, if you go back to the full Facebook thread, was to a constituent who was scoffing at my rights and the rights of everyone else who protect themselves. My reply was why I and tens of thousands carry in Virginia to avert possible bad situations. It’s everyone’s 2nd Amendment Right to arm and protect themselves and their family. I’ma champion for women, their right to protect themselves and their right to their opinion, even if I may not agree, but will not tolerate the bullying or chastising the rights of the Second Amendment.

That’s a weird way to say, “I was wrong.”

Even if you give Chase the benefit of the doubt here, her comment makes no sense. She seems to think a woman who is too overpowered to stop the rape has enough power to pull out and use a gun. She also seems to believe a weapon will be useful when a woman is under the influence of a date rape drug.

But the takeaway here is that a legislator who calls herself a “champion for women” is blaming women for acts of violence committed against them. Rape culture is real. It’s evident when people blame victims more than the perpetrators.

If anything, comments like these discourage women from reporting such incidents out of fear that they will be dismissed as naïve and unprepared. Women in that situation should never have to answer what they did to prevent it.

Chase’s opponent this November is Amanda Pohl, and Pohl hit back hard against Chase’s ignorance:

Our legislators should be making decisions based on evidence, not their emotional preferences. In environments where stalking, domestic violence, or the threat of sexual assault exists, the evidence tells us that the presence of a gun, regardless of who owns it, 1/2 pic.twitter.com/aHZKKlPgT9 — Amanda Pohl for Senate of Virginia (@pohlforvirginia) July 9, 2019

makes it 5 times more likely that the victim of such violence will be killed. Gun access is the strongest risk factor for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to be killed. — Amanda Pohl for Senate of Virginia (@pohlforvirginia) July 9, 2019

You can donate to Pohl’s campaign here.

(Screenshot via YouTube)

