You Keep Using That Word...
...I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means
Sometimes two words get paired together when only one word will do.
Exhibit 1: Brain Death
The phrase brain death is redundant, it's just death. Someone who is brain dead will never wake up, never recover, they must remain on life support, if they are taken off it their vital organs *will* stop working, the body *will* shut down. It is not a coma, it is not a vegetative state.
In both of those situations, the cerebral cortex is damaged but the brain stem is functioning. If a person is brain dead, the brain stem is profoundly damaged or otherwise no longer functioning. There will never be any reversal. If they are removed from life support the process of death will complete.
The media does a piss poor job of depicting brain death with any accuracy. Those people who wake up after 19 years? They are in a comas rt possibly a vegetative state, not brain dead. It messes with the expectations of grieving families and is harmful to efforts to increase organ donation.
Exhibit 2: Acquaintance or Date Rape
Let's be clear, there is rape. Period.
If someone take their penis or any object and inserts it anywhere on anyone, without their informed consent, regardless of either person's gender, they are a rapist. If someone forces someone else to perform oral sex on them, forces it on them or does it to them when they are not able to give informed consent, they are a rapist
It doesn't matter if the two of are strangers, friends, lovers, or spouses; it is rape. If he or she is a passed out, a prostitute, or the two had sex 2 hours ago, it is rape. Even if the person raped does not report it or the law declines to prosecute, it is still rape.
The only thing different about date or acquaintance rape is that the rapist is someone who should have been protecting their victim, someone he or she should have been able to trust. That means the date or acquaintance rapist isn't just a rapist, they are also a treacherous piece of shit.
And did I mention they are still a rapist.
Got it? Good.
Exhibit 3: Sexual Harassment
The boss who continues to walk up behind a woman on his staff and put his hands on her shoulders. The co-worker who thinks it's funny to tell Nazi jokes to someone Jewish even though they have been told it's not funny. The manager who puts constant, unreasonable pressure and mocks an older worker because, "it's about time s/he retired". (For the record, these are all situations I was made aware of when I worked in HR).
It's all harassment. It doesn't matter if you use sexual/sensual behavior, threats, fear, offensive humor or mockery. If someone is deliberately creating an environment that makes it physically or emotionally difficult for someone to do their job, it's all harassment. If called on it the only valid response is, "I'm sorry, I will not to do that again" and then to stop the offensive behavior. "I was just kidding"; "you're being too sensitive"; or "Joe/Jane doesn't mind when I say/do that" is just an extension of the harassing behavior.
So to recap, there is death, rape and harassment, no prefixes necessary. Any question?
Sometimes two words get paired together when only one word will do.
Exhibit 1: Brain Death
The phrase brain death is redundant, it's just death. Someone who is brain dead will never wake up, never recover, they must remain on life support, if they are taken off it their vital organs *will* stop working, the body *will* shut down. It is not a coma, it is not a vegetative state.
In both of those situations, the cerebral cortex is damaged but the brain stem is functioning. If a person is brain dead, the brain stem is profoundly damaged or otherwise no longer functioning. There will never be any reversal. If they are removed from life support the process of death will complete.
The media does a piss poor job of depicting brain death with any accuracy. Those people who wake up after 19 years? They are in a comas rt possibly a vegetative state, not brain dead. It messes with the expectations of grieving families and is harmful to efforts to increase organ donation.
Exhibit 2: Acquaintance or Date Rape
Let's be clear, there is rape. Period.
If someone take their penis or any object and inserts it anywhere on anyone, without their informed consent, regardless of either person's gender, they are a rapist. If someone forces someone else to perform oral sex on them, forces it on them or does it to them when they are not able to give informed consent, they are a rapist
It doesn't matter if the two of are strangers, friends, lovers, or spouses; it is rape. If he or she is a passed out, a prostitute, or the two had sex 2 hours ago, it is rape. Even if the person raped does not report it or the law declines to prosecute, it is still rape.
The only thing different about date or acquaintance rape is that the rapist is someone who should have been protecting their victim, someone he or she should have been able to trust. That means the date or acquaintance rapist isn't just a rapist, they are also a treacherous piece of shit.
And did I mention they are still a rapist.
Got it? Good.
Exhibit 3: Sexual Harassment
The boss who continues to walk up behind a woman on his staff and put his hands on her shoulders. The co-worker who thinks it's funny to tell Nazi jokes to someone Jewish even though they have been told it's not funny. The manager who puts constant, unreasonable pressure and mocks an older worker because, "it's about time s/he retired". (For the record, these are all situations I was made aware of when I worked in HR).
It's all harassment. It doesn't matter if you use sexual/sensual behavior, threats, fear, offensive humor or mockery. If someone is deliberately creating an environment that makes it physically or emotionally difficult for someone to do their job, it's all harassment. If called on it the only valid response is, "I'm sorry, I will not to do that again" and then to stop the offensive behavior. "I was just kidding"; "you're being too sensitive"; or "Joe/Jane doesn't mind when I say/do that" is just an extension of the harassing behavior.
So to recap, there is death, rape and harassment, no prefixes necessary. Any question?