Even casual observers might know that a number of campus rape stories have fallen apart in a very public way in recent years. Between the Duke lacrosse case, Columbia University’s “mattress girl” and the fake Rolling Stone story about an alleged rape at the University of Virginia, one might look askance at yet another allegation. Even those who still believe campus rape is an epidemic have to admit that these stories are a setback to the cause.

We also know that campus rape does exist, with the big question being just how prevalent it is. National Review writer and attorney David French argues, “The liberal standard is, increasingly, to treat every single suspect as a rapist unless there is an unmistakable indication of actual innocence — something that isn’t even the object of either the criminal or civil justice systems. For obvious reasons, they don’t apply this standard to any other area of criminal or civil law. Would they say that every murder suspect is a killer unless there’s been a finding of actual innocence?”

The fact that campus rape exists, though, is no excuse for false accusations. In today’s poisonous environment, accusation tends to equate with conviction regardless of the evidence (or lack thereof).

Complicating the situation even more is the “yes means yes” law that passed in California last year and quickly spread to other cities, states and campuses. The problem with the law is its vagueness — when asked how an accused person can prove prior consent to a sexual encounter, one lawmaker (who voted for the California bill) figuratively shrugged her shoulders and conceded, “Your guess is as good as mine.” She assumed it would be up to a court to decide.

What sort of contract would a man need to sign first? (Preferably a marriage license, of course, but that horse is out of the barn.)

In an attempt to make matters worse, California is now considering a bill to mandate that affirmative consent instruction be added to high school health classes. In a backhanded way, perhaps the state is promoting abstinence — but it’s also wrecking the perception of normal relationships.

It’s sadly ironic that leftists’ sexual revolution has produced a culture of casual, meaningless “hook ups” — sex without consequences. They have found the results unpalatable, but their “solutions” merely make matters worse. Besides, don’t they want government out of the bedroom?