The Crime of Crimes

People have been on the planet Earth for many, many years, and in those many years, there have been thousands and thousands of heinous crimes committed. Those crimes include the following: child and spousal abuse, rape, burglary, stolen identity, and murder. Many people would say that murder is the worst crime anyone could ever even fathom committing. Others would argue that rape takes the cake. Although it almost always comes down to a matter of personal opinion, rape will always be worse than murder.

First, before making an argument towards why rape is far worse than murder, the definition of both terms should be identified. Murder is defined by the United States Department of Justice as “the unlawful killing of a human being.” Rape is defined by the United States Department of Justice as “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” Both definitions should speak for themselves as to why the former is the more subjacent, yet still terrible, of the two crimes.

Next, it is to be stated that murder affects an entire family, and often times even an entire community. However, despite popular belief, so does rape. Whether it is an adult or a child of any gender, sexuality, or race, rape will have a larger impact than murder. If Billy, age 47, is murdered, he still has it better than Molly, age 18, who was raped. Billy will never have to deal with the aftermath of his death, unlike Molly, who will forever have her rape holding over her head.

After someone is murdered, sadness and sorrow pass over their family and community members for a period of time after their death. However, eventually, the grief is reserved only for holidays and events, but is lost on other days of the year. After someone is raped, they have to deal with that for the rest of their lives, and most times, so does the family and community members as well. Victims of rape can often develop post traumatic stress disorder, depression, physical pain, and dissociation. These can lead to things such as: self harming, lack of trust, feelings of guilt and helplessness, and even suicide. No human being should ever have to be put through anything so unbearable.

Lastly, it is to be noted that rape can result in even more than most people will ever realize. Pregnancy due to rape is currently at forty-four percent. One study conducted by doctors by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that, out of 204 raped women, forty-three percent had obtained one form of sexually transmitted infection or another. About thirty-six percent of all rape cases happened in individuals that were between the ages of twelve and seventeen, many of which lost their virginity to rape. No one can decide when they are going to die, however, everyone should get a say in what they do with the days that they are living.

Crimes are inevitable, and the act of committing them will almost never come to an end. No one can be stopped from committing murder or rape without any effort. So, stopping rape should be the biggest priority. It is not until rape is solved that the United States should start worrying about the murder statistics, as rape is a more horrible crime.

Sources:

"An Updated Definition of Rape." U.S. Department of Justice. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.

Carole, Jenny, M.D., and Et. All. "Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Victims of Rape — NEJM." New England Journal of Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.

"Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Website." Facts and Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.

"Effects of Sexual Assault and Rape." Joyful Heart Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.

N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.

"1536. Murder -- Definition And Degrees." U.S. Department of Justice. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.

IMAGE: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2016/03/calls_for_service_data_are_the_best_way_to_analyze_crime_why_don_t_cities.html