November 10, 2014

"Don't put yourself in a situation that would cause you to be trying to explain something that really needs no explanation had you not put yourself in that situation."

Said Robert R. Jennings, president of the Lincoln University to the All Women's Convocation. 
The historically black university in Chester County holds separate convocations for women and men, an annual tradition started by the 63-year-old president to mentor each group in matters of behavior, dress, health — and sexual encounters....

His unusual address has found an audience on YouTube, and angered some parents and faculty who say the president appears to be blaming women for sexual assault. It came at a time when the federal government is cracking down on campuses across America over their handling of such cases.

42 comments:

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Sounds like he put himself in a situation that will be causing him to be trying to explain something that really needs no explanation had he not put himself in that situation.

Gahrie said...

angered some parents and faculty who say the president appears to be blaming women

Because women should never be blamed for anything...or even ever held accountable for anything.

RecChief said...

Looks like he should have taken his own advice

Ann Althouse said...

Seems like we should also hear what he said to the men!

I assume that speaking to them, he put the onus on them.

Paddy O said...

If he said the same thing to men, that would likewise be solid advice.

Big Mike said...

I assume that speaking to them, he put the onus on them.

Why would you assume that?

Bob R said...

Telling women they can get blind drunk around blind drunk men is empowerment. Telling women (OR anyone really) to exercise prudence and caution is victim blaming. 2+2=5.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

The audio and subtitles don't match up!

The man said "What happens? When you allege that someone did something of that nature to you, is they go to jail."

The text says, "When you allege that someone did something of that nature to you, you go to jail."

My emphasis.

The subtitle is blatantly wrong.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

I wonder what he said to the men about the same subject. Was it the same thing?

paminwi said...

I guess I HOPE he said the same thing to the men. Overall, I think it is a good message, just given years to late! This message should be given at high school freshman orientation, and at sophomore orientation, and at junior orientation, at senior orientation and graduation!

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

It's an appeal to racial solidarity not to use the system to victimize black men, who have enough problems.

That's the message. Why would he choose that argument? I suspect a similar address to white women would use the argument that they should take care of themselves and keep their own lives from "being changed."

I cannot imagine any administrator telling a white audience to safeguard the future of the young man involved.

And isn't that interesting?

Anonymous said...

In these days of vocabulary-challenged, hyper-offense-taking, I'd be careful about saying that he put the onus on men.

kcom said...

When I go bike riding I'm aware of who has right-of-way. But that doesn't mean I go rolling out in front of a car that's approaching a red light at what seems like excessive speed. It's saved me from death or injury on several occasions. Yet, I doubt if I was hit that I'd be blamed for what happened, having right-of-way and all. But the fact remains that my actions prevented me from ever having to find out the hard way.

Peter said...

"Lincoln University president Robert R. Jennings offered the sort of fatherly advice he believes many of them need when it comes to sex and men."

'At Lincoln, more than 50 percent of students come from single-parent households."

Well, you can see the problem. Women don't need fatherly advice. In fact, they don't even need fathers (except in the narrow, biological sense).

So, Mr President, the message is: Shut up. If a fish wanted a bicycle it would ask for one.

MayBee said...

Women should reclaim their breasts by showing them publicly. Men should take all responsibility when it comes to sexual encounters.

We are a society going mad.

YoungHegelian said...

One night while I was doing computer systems work graveyard shift, I took a cab home since the Metro was closed & the contract paid for the cab.

On the way home at 4:30AM, I had a very nice conversation with the cabbie, a black grand-dad kind of guy (which he probably was). He told me these words of wisdom: "I always told my kids to stay away from trouble. A minute of trouble can leave you with a lifetime of misery".

True dat!

Larry J said...

kcom said...
When I go bike riding I'm aware of who has right-of-way. But that doesn't mean I go rolling out in front of a car that's approaching a red light at what seems like excessive speed. It's saved me from death or injury on several occasions. Yet, I doubt if I was hit that I'd be blamed for what happened, having right-of-way and all. But the fact remains that my actions prevented me from ever having to find out the hard way.


There's an old and no doubt outdated saying that goes, "The husband is the legal head of his household and pedestrians have the right of way, but you'll live a lot longer and happier if you don't press the point too much."

bleh said...

The truly destructive form of "slut shame" is the shame felt by the women themselves. That shame is what causes young woman to re-imagine ambiguous drunken sexual encounters as despicable rapes.

I wonder if some men will respond by making counter-accusations against their accusers, since in most if not all of these non-forcible college sexual assault cases both parties are drunk.

Michael K said...

There is no blame attached to any foolish conduct by women. It is just what it is. I commented on HuffPo that alcohol might be involved in that case where the college student in Virginia disappeared after leaving a party at 2 AM.

I got a long series of accusing comments telling me I was blaming the victim.

She is still dead.

MadisonMan said...

One does not want, written on one's tombstone I had the right of way.

Todd said...

MadisonMan said...
One does not want, written on one's tombstone I had the right of way.
11/10/14, 3:30 PM


You would be hard pressed to prove that based on the actions of some people...

n.n said...

His message empowers women with the knowledge that risk management is their responsibility. If the feminists had not decimated the chivalrous ranks, then men would ordinarily accept the secondary role of guardian.

campy said...

"I wonder if some men will respond by making counter-accusations against their accusers, since in most if not all of these non-forcible college sexual assault cases both parties are drunk."

Not if they're smart they won't. It will go very badly for any men who try it.

Alex said...

Which Congress-critter said that women should put a dime between their knees? Sounds like sound advice.

Alex said...

It's very simple. Drunk women want to be ravished by Robert Pattinson look-a-likes. If it's not him, they will cry foul and accuse rape the next day.

Ann Althouse said...

"The audio and subtitles don't match up! The man said "What happens? When you allege that someone did something of that nature to you, is they go to jail." The text says, "When you allege that someone did something of that nature to you, you go to jail." My emphasis. The subtitle is blatantly wrong."

I noticed that too.

kcom said...

"Not if they're smart they won't. It will go very badly for any men who try it."

That's a very absolutist statement. Once Pandora's box is opened, there's no telling where things might go. It's a lesson learned over and over, "But that's not what we meant!"

Ann Althouse said...

Why do I assume that when talking to men, he importuned them to respect women and take responsibility? Because he pretty obviously seems to be that kind of old-fashioned man, hoping for good relationships between the sexes.

Ann Althouse said...

In that old-fashioned vision. both the man and the woman give 100%.

Unknown said...

In these days of automatic spell checking, I'd be careful about saying that he put the onus on men.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

He also makes the assumption that marriage and family are what the women in the audience want.

Interesting.

Alex said...

Squirting.

Look it up.

campy said...

"Once Pandora's box is opened, there's no telling where things might go."

Oh, I'd say we have a pretty good idea where things would go. Any men who try will find themselves up on charges such as perjury, bullying, stalking, harassment, abuse of process and malicious false accusation — and probably more even I can't imagine yet.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

The way he uses "we" in giving his lecture makes it uncomfortably personal. Very compelling.

But was it offensive? You would need to know something about the facts of the 3 cases he references to decide, unless you had already decided that the facts of such cases aren't important.

He does indicate, however, that there is going to be an investigation and the male student is going to be kicked out of school. He expresses a sadness about that, but no hesitation.

Karen said...

It sounds to me as though he is trying to tell those young women to only use the power of accusation in situations that are actually rape. If they have a sexual encounter with someone who promises them a beautiful future together and the next day she sees him with another women, and then if she is tempted to cry rape, stop and think about what that would do to another human being's life.

CatherineM said...

He did speak about men at the beginning of the video. He didn't give them much credit for being trustworthy people.

It would be interesting to hear what he said to the men in their convocation.

Biff said...

There is something interesting, inspiring, and tragic about a man attempting to offer traditional, fatherly advice as a representative of an institution with an ambiguous and possibly anachronistic in loco parentis role.

David said...

Ann Althouse said...
Why do I assume that when talking to men, he importuned them to respect women and take responsibility? Because he pretty obviously seems to be that kind of old-fashioned man, hoping for good relationships between the sexes.


I have a friend who went to Lincoln. It is a mainstream, old school,family values type of place, with a very proud history. (Thurgood Marshall and Langston Hughes are among the graduates.) When blacks were largely excluded from predominantly white universities, Lincoln was one of the top choices for blacks seeking the best available education. In those schools part of the education was how to act as a gentleman or lady.

David said...

CatherineM said...
He did speak about men at the beginning of the video. He didn't give them much credit for being trustworthy people.


He was describing young men of college age. When the hormones get running at that age, there is a certain inherent untrustworthiness. I give him credit for a certain fatherly realism.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

OK... so why do we have coeds?

Didn't we have gender segregation on campus before?

Why did we stop? If campus rape culture is such a big problem, why discount a solution that we know will work, because it did work?

n.n said...

Biff:

The progressive tragedy of sperm banks and womb banks. Survivors of planned parenthood, and children born to single-parent homosexual couplets, will miss the balance provided by motherhood and fatherhood.

tim in vermont said...

If they have a sexual encounter with someone who promises them a beautiful future together and the next day she sees him with another women

According to the CDC, that is clearly sexual coercion. I couldn't make that up. It's in their guide. "Being told promises that weren't true."