I just don't think women should rely on them. There are many ways to prevent rape at a macro level - catching and punishing rapists, changing people's misconceptions about rape, friends looking out for each other... but I honestly think the best thing a woman can do to protect herself personally is not allow herself to become incapacitated. Of course that means keeping an eye on your drink to try to prevent anyone from slipping you a date rape drug. But it also means not administering your own date rape drug in the form of massive quantities of alcohol, especially since the article itself describes one of a rapist's tactics as pushing more and more alcohol on his intended victim.
Will avoiding binge drinking make a person rape-proof? Of course not. But I think it's a strong preventive measure. No one is asking women to wear burquas or swear off alcohol altogether. And, sure, people can get drunker than they intended for various reasons. But it's easier for friends to look out for each other and for that one person who got a little tipsier than intended when the entire group is not going to a party where they all plan to get completely wasted.
There's a huge difference in my mind between, "Don't wear skimpy clothing because men won't be able to control themselves," and "Don't drink to the point of blacking out because you will make yourself more vulnerable to predators." The article also mentioned a rapist's tactic of isolating his target. But when the whole room is full of drunk-off-their-asses people who can barely look after themselves much less you, you're already pretty isolated.
I totally appreciate the burden that is constantly on women with regard to how to avoid rape. And a rape-prevention program that is nothing more than a list of things women should or shouldn't do to make themselves safer is offensive to me. I completely agree that more resources should be spent going after rapists and that bystanders should take a more proactive role in letting rapists know that their tactics won't be tolerated. But you just can't deny that a person who is not passed out drunk has a much greater chance of defending herself and staying safe. To censor that message because of a misguided belief that it fails some ideology test strikes me as neither feminist nor humane. As I said, I will certainly be driving home to my son when he is old enough that he endangers his personal safety when he binge drinks.
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