Vice President Joe Biden, discussing domestic violence at the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project Wednesday:

You often hear men say, “why don’t they just leave?” “Why don’t you just leave?” “Why do they–” you know.

And I ask them, “How many of you have seen the movie ‘Deliverance’?” And every man will raise his hand. And I’ll say, “What’s the scene you remember in ‘Deliverance’?” And every man here knows exactly the scene they think of.

And I say, “After those guys tied that one guy to the tree and raped him, man-raped him in the film, why didn’t the guy go the sheriff? What would you have done?”

“Well, I’d have gone home and I’d get my gun and I’d come back and find him–“

“Why don’t you go to the sheriff?” Why? The reason why is you’re ashamed and embarrassed.

I say, “Why do you think women who get raped, so many don’t report it? They don’t want to get raped again by the system.”