Censure Professor Landsburg For Condoning Rape

  • by: Daniel Nelson
  • recipient: University of Rochester President Joel Seligman
University of Rochester economics professor Steve Landsburg is under fire for his blog comments condoning rape.

He sets up a convoluted argument that assumes the only concern we should have over the desecration of either a pristine wilderness or a female’s body is the “psychic harm” to those who learn of these violations. Not only does Landsburg compare a rapist who “reaps the benefits” of an unconscious female to that of a male reading pornography, he says he sees nothing wrong with either - though he concedes that legalizing unconscious rape might “create an incentive to render people unconscious.”

He goes on to question if rape under such circumstances should not be illegal, failing to acknowledge that it's illegal because it is Rape - not a hypothetical, as Rochester students have openly protested. The illegality of rape is not debatable, and there’s no excuse for any discussion that insinuates otherwise.

Tell the University of Rochester to censure Professor Landsburg.

We, the undersigned, are outraged by Landsburg’s comments and arguments encouraging rape.


To hypothesize that rape can be acceptable under any circumstance is to condone the crime. His comments about “reaping the benefits” of an unconscious female deny the reality that the crime of rape is not about enjoyment or sexual pleasure; it’s an act of violence. He takes his offensive arguments to yet another level of outrage by bringing up the discussion of property and in assuming that the only real harm of an unconscious rape comes from the victim and others’ distress over learning about it.


Young men and teens like those who raped the minor in the Steubenville case and later bragged about it publicly would certainly not be discouraged from such behavior by Landsburg’s outrageous suggestion that it might be ok to take advantage of someone not consciously aware of the attack - as long as they don't allow the victim or others to find out what happened.


Finally his comparing rape to the effect of light photons penetrating the body is just another slap in the face to all those who have been victimized by sexual assaults.


We agree with University of Rochester student Daniel Nelson that Landsburg’s comments amount to a veiled justification of rape that is potentially dangerous and particularly counterproductive at a time when colleges across the country are being called on to improve efforts to prevent sexual assault.


Although Landsburg has offered a statement of “regret” about some of the comments, it is not sufficient to undo the harm they‘ve created, and this incident is reportedly not the first time he’s made demeaning comments about a female.
We request that the university send a clear message that condoning rape is not acceptable. We suggest openly censuring Professor Landsburg.


Thanks for your time.

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