When is it socially acceptable to hit a woman?

You're absolutely right, Occom.

(It had the same effect on me too.)

Bill, thank you! You finally said it!

"There may be degrees as to how heinous the act is . . ."

That's all I've been trying to point out the whole time. There, now was that so hard?

Okay, now I'll drop the whole thing. It's very difficult having a detached, rational discussion about rape. It's too emotional, and the word itself is abhorrent. In the future I'll keep away from the topic.

Maybe somebody can be a "little" dead instead of "a lot" dead, and maybe a "little" pregnant, and "a lot" pregnant. sheesh!

It's not different with rape, the legal system treats different levels of severrity differently just like with different types of homicide.

Most o your respondents thought you were defending it, as opposed to pointing out different degrees. They took your argument to be "it's not the same AND this makes it OK". And they did so so obviously in error that it was funny to watch.

But to answer your question the law treats the varying kinds of rape very differently.

A very simply way to illustrate this is that you will not get the death penalty for statutory rape.

One issue that confuses things is that the more severe forms of rape almost always include additional crimes.

But to answer your question:

To abduct and rape someone at gunpoint is not treated in the same way as date rape, for example.

Of course there are different kinds of rape with different levels of severity in punishment. And if the people arguing with you had realized that you weren't defending the less severe crimes of rape but inquiring as to the different degrees of said severity there would have been no discussion on it.

I think I would pretend to be a gentle man... Offer her the seat as soon as I saw her.

The little man should of reported her to the athorities, becase she commited a crime, and if he hits her he will be commiting a crime to.

correctly stated kjvtrue, and welcome to the gang.