Will 'yes means yes' law make a difference? #tellusatoday

California state enacted a law this week that changes the standard for determining whether a case involved consensual sex or assault on college campuses. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

This requirement can only be confusing and scary for men on campuses.

I totally agree that all rapists should be dealt with harshly. But now it feels as if unless you get a signed document before coitus, you could end up technically raping a woman.

— KL Anderson

The distinction detailed in the law is important because if the female doesn't say, yes, then it's an implied consent.

Implications are murky, especially when booze or intoxicants are involved.

— Timothy Dunkin

We are crossing into dangerous territory. Two adults making a drunken mistake isn't the same as sexual assault. Both are responsible for the actions they choose. If a woman chooses to get in her car while drunk and then drives, there is no leniency given to her. She isn't a victim. She made a decision, and a poor one at that.

I often compare these two situations because we live in a society where in these cases it's usually assumed that it's the man's fault, regardless of the circumstances. Then he has the burden of proof, which goes against the foundation of our justice system.

— Jessica Utley

How does the law protect men from false charges of rape, as in the case some years ago at Duke University concerning members of the lacrosse team?

— Bruce Van Deuson

This discussion wouldn't be necessary if our morals hadn't been flushed down the sewer.

— Donald J. Evans

This law seems really bad. Several women I've dated have said they were raped, and almost all of them refused to report. Why? Because it turns out they were drunk enough to black out, and so was the man involved, most of the time. These women knew that their accusations wouldn't hold up in court, so they moved on.

The problem is women not reporting rapes. Do you want rape to stop? Stop marching, stop making bad laws and start actually reporting the crime.

— Aaron Freeman

We asked our Twitter followers what they thought of the California sex assault law requiring an "unambiguous" yes before college students engage in sex. Comments are edited for clarity and grammar:

It's not just "yes!" It must also be a sober "yes," rendering many college students (men and women) possible rapists.

— @lukeo83

This is long overdue. There are too many sex assaults. We are trying to reach all colleges to teach women how to escape.

— @defense4women

How about prosecuting school officials failing to report crimes?

— @BrenttheBuilder

This California law seems completely unenforceable.

— @KatieWedell

For more discussions, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday on Twitter.