Crime | rape Want to Talk Intelligently About Rape? 5 Rules It's appalling how many people are incapable: Katie McDonough By Evann Gastaldo Posted Sep 5, 2013 12:45 PM CDT Copied Protesters gathered on the Yellowstone County Courthouse lawn in Billings, Mont., Aug. 29, 2013, calling for the resignation of a judge over comments he made about the teenage victim in a rape case. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown) Citing the 30-day sentence received by a teacher who raped a student, the Washington Post column arguing that teacher-student sex is sometimes OK, the sympathy extended to the Steubenville rapists, and of course, Richard Cohen's quite controversial Washington Post column about Steubenville, Katie McDonough comes to this depressing conclusion: Just about a year after Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" comment, "it’s become clear that, far from being a ridiculous outlier, Akin’s view of sexual violence is basically how too many people with high profiles choose to talk about rape: quick to blame survivors, even quicker to excuse perpetrators." But it's easy to "not be terrible when talking about rape," McDonough writes, and offers up five rules to live by on Salon: It's great to have empathy, but don't act like it's tragic and unfair when a rapist gets punished. Save that feeling for the victim of the rape. "It isn’t a tragedy when people who commit crimes face consequences. It’s actually called justice when that happens." "Female sexuality does not invite rape, ever (ever, ever, ever, ever, ever)." You can be against rape and still be all for sex. Any time you're talking about sex without consent, call it rape. Nothing less. Don't joke about prison rape. It's not funny, it's just rape. By minimizing it, we ensure men will continue to under-report being the victims of rape. Click for McDonough's full column. Read These Next FBI parts ways with the ADL over Turning Point USA controversy. Ex-political candidate mired in sex tape scandal now has legal woes. Eisenhower Library boss is out after dispute over king's gift. A megachurch pastor is going to jail for abusing a girl decades ago. Report an error