[steveklabnik]

I understand that often, metaphors are useful. However, I think this metaphor is both very poor and in very poor taste. For example, a government program could never experience any of the other effects of sexual assault[1] that are part of what makes rape such a heinous crime.

I know that saying 'rape' and feeling like one can hide behind a literary claim may make one feel 'edgy' or whatever, but it just comes across as excessively childish.

1: http://www.rainn.org/get-information/effects-of-sexual-assau...

[rapind]

Yeah it's bad taste, but I understood it to mean that the program would be taken excessive advantage of.

I'm not even sure if it's an attempt at seeming edgy or w/e. Maybe once upon a time it was, but it's become a pretty common saying by now. You're fighting the good fight, but I doubt you'll win. :(

[potatolicious]

> "but it's become a pretty common saying by now"

And there's a good reason why we need to push back against it. I think we've turned on the corner on this particular use of the word, but nonetheless.

This is the same thing as how people used to (and some still do) call things "faggy" and "gay". It's not cool, it's damaging and hurtful to a large number of people.

If you want to say "the system will be taken advantage of", we have an existing phrase for that. It's "the system will be taken advantage of".