sunisup:

Let me offer you a hypothetical:

A young man enlists in the military, is sent off to war, and is killed in the line of duty.

How do his countrymen usually react to such an event?

Do they cynically blow it off?  Do they blame him for his own death?  Do they say things like “Well what did he expect?  He knew the risks, but he went in there anyway, like an idiot.  He deserved it.”

No, not in my experience.  Instead, they usually cry a lot, hold a big funeral, talk about what a brave and heroic and noble guy he was, give him medals, maybe even erect a statue in memorial of him and his fallen comrades, and praise him for serving his country so valiantly.

Lara Logan was also serving her country.  Actually she was serving the whole world.  She and all the other reporters in Egypt played a vital role in keeping the rest of the world informed about the triumphs and atrocities of the Egyptian revolution.  Of course she knew the risks she faced, but rather than wringing her hands and hiding under the bed, she bravely risked her life and well-being in order to do what needed to be done.  She should be praised for her devotion to her craft and her willingness to help others.

So why are people still snidely pointing out her hair color or her level of physical attractiveness or what she was wearing?  Why are they still acting like it was her fault that she got raped?  Like the hypothetical soldier, she took great risks and made a great sacrifice in service to her country and the world, yet unlike the soldier, she’s been mocked, derided, and blamed for what she’s suffered.  Why the double standard?  Why is the soldier praised as “brave” while Logan gets labelled “stupid” and “naive”?  Are we as a culture really that fanatically devoted to blaming rape victims?

If that soldier was a hero for knowingly risking his safety because he believed it was the right thing to do, then so is Lara Logan.