U.S. President Barack Obama
U.S. President Barack Obama holds up an iPad during a visit to Buck Lodge Middle School in Adelphi, Maryland February 4, 2014. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

President Barack Obama gave his two cents on the issue of rape. Even though he did not personally comment on Bill Cosby, who has many sexual abuse abuse cases, he said giving someone drugs and then sleeping with them is considered rape, and America would not tolerate rapists.

On Wednesday, Mr Obama spoke publicly about his views on the issue of rape without directly commenting on the sexual assault allegations that Cosby is currently facing. But even though he did not state the comedian’s name, reports gather who he was referring to when he said giving someone drugs and forcing them to have sex is considered rape.

“If you give a woman – or a man, for that matter, without his or her knowledge – a drug, and then have sex with that person without consent, that’s rape,” Mr Obama said. Mr Obama added no civilised country should tolerate any form of rape.

Mr Obama's statements came after he was asked during a White House press conference if he would revoke the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to Cosby during the Bush administration. Whether or not the medal can be revoked is still unknown. Mr Obama said there is no precedent for the revoking of this medal.

It can be remembered that when Cosby received this in 2002, Bush praised him to be a “gifted comedian” who can heal and bridge people with his skill in making people laugh. He even lauded the comedian as being a force to truly unite America.

Angela Rose, the executive director of the victims group Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment, who started a petition to have Cosby’s medal revoked and stripped away from him, repeated the body’s pleas on Wednesday. She said doing so would be doing America, especially the youth, a big favor, since it would put it out there that rape is truly wrong and would also clarify what constitutes rape. "Revoking the medal will send a powerful message to America's youth about the critical importance of consent, which is a freely given, enthusiastic, verbal and sober 'yes,' not the absence of a 'no',” she said.

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