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Measure 11 Bogus or a Necessity

cody_anderson
The Commuter

Friday, November 14, 2008

Five young men are playing cards while their friend has sex in the other room.
What is wrong with that? What is wrong, is that the male having sex is of legal age while his girlfriend is not, at the age of seventeen. So what happens now? The five young men who were playing cards serve two months in jail and become sex offenders because they are an accessory to statutory rape. While the male, who was having sex, is charged with a Measure 11 sex crime, and is sentenced to 7 years in prison and he too becomes a sex offender. So what happens to the young woman in this scenario? If she was indeed raped, the right guy goes to jail and, hopefully, she gets some closure. If she was not raped and she did indeed consent to sex but claims she was raped, nothing happens.

The scenario I just layed out for you presents a problem. That problem is the way Measure 11 is prosecuted. If you are not familiar with Measure 11, the law mandates that mandatory minimum sentences be given for crimes committed from robbery to 1st degree murder, including 1st and 2nd degree rape. In Oregon 6% of 8th grade females and 7% of 11th grade females have been physically forced to have sex, and how many of those were young women who consented to sex, but then because they got pregnant, or contracted an STI (Sexual Transmitted Infection) screamed rape? If so, if the young lady was indeed raped, I have no problem with the measure, but if the young woman has lied about being raped, hasn’t she indeed perjured herself, and in turn is that not also a felony charge. The male becomes a target in this case.

Now, I realize with my last statement, many of you will turn the page, read another article, call me a sexist, or say “what an idiot”. I am sure there are many women in Oregon and the United States who consent to having sex and have no problem with it; on the other hand, if a young women consents to having sex, and is underage, she should also be held accountable for her actions, it takes two to tango.

Some individuals would like to see Measure 11 abolished; I don’t think that is a good idea. Since Measure 11 was instated into Oregon law in 1994, rape cases in Oregon have declined thirty percent. This Measure is necessary, and no doubt has the right idea in mind, to protect young women; but the Measure, as it stands, needs to take into account both parties, if both consent to sex and one reports a problem later both should suffer the consequences, the same mandatory minimum sentence. Some teens may think they are ready to make the decision of having sex. If you want my take on it, avoid this mess for yourselves and just wait.

Please Comment

Good job.

— Barbara Starr · Nov 16, 11:02 PM · #

Commenting is closed for this article.