Jessica Valenti wrote an article in the Washington Post about the future of feminism as evinced by the demonstration tactic of SlutWalks.

The marches began after a member of the Toronto Police Service said that if women want to avoid rape, they shouldn’t dress like “sluts.”

 Many women and men took offense at this comment. Since it was made, rallies and marches have sprung up across the nation and even in foreign countries. Those involved might carry signs or strip down to only their skivvies and scrawl “slut” across their bodies.

Protestors do all of this in order to get the message across that what a woman wears should not have a bearing on whether she will be raped. This is a fine goal, but these activists are pursuing it by the wrong means. SlutWalks are nothing more than a pseudo-trendy way to grab attention for an issue through some simple misdirection.

Frankly, I am all for women wearing whatever they want whenever they want in order to express themselves. The freedom to be who you want to be and dress however you want should be available to all, so long as this freedom doesn’t infringe on the rights of others.

But the rape issue is being confused with the issue of expression here. Dressing in a provocative manner does not create rape. Dressing in a provocative manner draws attention to a person. Dressing in what some would term a slutty manner can draw even more attention from the deviants who would decide to rape someone.

The rape decision is informed by the attention given to the woman in question. But if a man is willing enough, rape can occur regardless of whether a woman is wearing baggy sweat pants and a hoodie or a miniskirt and a halter top. Provocative clothing does nothing more than ease the decision for the would-be rapist

Compound that provocative (or “slut”) style with surroundings not altogether positive in regard to consistent adherence to the law, and the possibility of trouble increases.

Yes, women should be allowed to wear whatever they want whenever they want, but time, place and manner are still relevant. Women should not have to fear for the possibility of rape, but rape has existed throughout humanity’s history and shows no signs of going away.

As terrible as it is, rape is never going to go away no matter how many attempts good people make to enlighten the public.

Now, take the movie “Die Hard With A Vengence.” John McClane is told to go into Harlem in his underwear wearing a sandwich board that reads “I hate niggers.” This leads to a street gang coming up and attempting to kill him.

The differences between that situation and a woman wearing revealing clothing in a “bad” neighborhood are negligible.

But rape happens in “good” neighborhoods, too. Women are raped in their apartments by men they’d never suspect of wanting to harm them. Again, the rape isn’t occurring because of the clothing worn, it is happening because the rapist wanted to have sex, due to either being intoxicated or just being a criminal bastard

The SlutWalks are not going to change the minds of any rapists, potential or institutionalized. These marches will grab media attention, and many will look at the near-naked bodies of women with the word “slut” written on them while hooting or laughing or commenting on the attractiveness of the women.

This does nothing to stop or even deter rapists from deciding to rape. A drunk guy who doesn’t ask for permission from a drunk girl but still drags her to bed when she and he are essentially blacked out will not be influenced in the slightest by a bunch of folks taking to the streets in bras, panties or lingerie.

The real aim of this movement is to bring to light that a rapist’s actions can’t be explained by his victims’ fashion choices. By the same token, women should not be blamed for being raped because they wore something showing off their cleavage, tummies or cute tushes.

This movement should put aside the shock tactics and focus on getting the media to understand the changes that need to be made. Members should fight the labeling of clothing as a cause of rape, but make certain to be reasonable.

Though freedom of expression allows a person to wear clothing he or she likes, that doesn’t stop criminals from existing. In an ideal world, there would be no crime, no hate and no worry about preserving life and limb, but that isn’t a world we live in and we never will.

Mankind is flawed. If you want change, send out your message, but don’t think for a second that mixing messages together through loose association is going to get the job done. It is difficult to gain people’s attention, as people are complacent; they don’t like to be bothered unless it is “personal.”

So if you want to participate in or support the SlutWalks, think first about whether they will make a difference and whether they’re worth working with. If not, consider starting your own movement — one that isn’t as convoluted and chock-full of sleight of hand as a Glenn Beck rant.