25-Year Old Man Refused a Woman's Sexual Advances

Seriously, it's true. It's headline-worthy because I wasn't sure that 25-year-old men ever refused an opportunity for sex. But now I know better.

I was trolling Facebook yesterday, as I often do, and I came across a link to this article.

"A Florida woman was charged with aggravated assault this week after she chased a man with a knife because he refused her sexual advances.

Elizabeth Highley, 56, was drinking wine with a 25-year-old man when she allegedly attempted to have sex with him. When the man “rejected her sexual advances,” Highley grabbed a knife and broken cane and chased him through a parking lot.

The man eventually found a deputy who was able to talk the woman into dropping her weapons. She was then taken into custody.

The victim only sustained a small laceration from Highley’s knife.

Do you think this woman should go to prison? Tell us in the comments below."

Here's her photo, which kind of makes the whole story come together. At least it does for me.

My first reaction was to laugh at the image of a drunken 56-year-old woman, armed with a knife and a broken cane, chasing a 25-year-old man through a parking lot. Come on.  You can't tell me that doesn't make you chuckle at least a little. I also laughed because I tried to imagine myself, not 56 but I'll get there someday, chasing a young man who refused me sex.  Those of you who know me, can you see me chasing a young one with my cane? Yeah, you just have to laugh at that image.

But the last line made it not-so-funny anymore. "Do you think this woman should go to prison?"

If the cane-and-knife-wielding aggressor were a 56-year-old man chasing after a 25-year-old woman who had rebuffed his sexual advances, do you think anyone would be asking that question?  Of course not. He'd be in jail and charged with assault, attempted rape, and maybe even attempted murder, before he even sobered up. He would definitely end up doing some time, if not prison, then county jail.

Even the way the young man's injury is described is an attempt to minimize it. "The victim only sustained a small laceration from Highley's knife."  Only.  Small. He was lucky, but this situation was a hair away from becoming very ugly.

I'm getting annoyed at women being held to a much more lenient standard in many things than men.  Maybe it comes from being the mother of sons. What if my son was the stupid 25-year-old drinking with this woman? What if it were your son? Would it be funny?  Would it be ok because the attacker was a drunken, older woman?  Hell, no.

A predator, drunken or not, is a predator, regardless of gender or age.

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Here's the link to the article.