I post a lot of my immediate reactions to current events on facebook, neglecting my dear blog that's been such a vessel of thought processes--well here you go. This is case is very important, but this is a trigger warning to anyone who has connections to assault.
I imagine most of you have heard of the Stanford rape case that's all over the media, particularly the minimal, 6 month sentence the rapist is receiving. According to the judge, a longer sentence would have "a severe impact on him", failing to recognize the victim's irrevocably damaged life.
I printed the victim's letter of impact (via Buzzfeed) last week to sit down and seriously hear this woman's courageous voice. I needed a few days to fully digest it, and I ask you to do the same. I wish I could thank her for refusing to be silenced as a survivor, and not accepting the rapist's pathetic excuses.
1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Think if this victim was your daughter, sister, best friend, neighbor, or just a woman you see everyday. Chances are, she's already experienced violence in her life in some form. But it's not just women; every 2 minutes an American is sexually assaulted, encompassing all genders and races.
I hope reading her statement makes you uncomfortable. Sad. Angry. Willing to educate yourself and act on those around you. We need to stop rape culture, and this means stopping the insidious comments, images, and acts that excuse and promote violence--and the policies and legislators that are guided by misogyny. I don't have many answers, but I know there are plenty of amazing organizations and people working on this. If you're interested in learning more statistics on sexual violence, I visited https://rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence.
I imagine most of you have heard of the Stanford rape case that's all over the media, particularly the minimal, 6 month sentence the rapist is receiving. According to the judge, a longer sentence would have "a severe impact on him", failing to recognize the victim's irrevocably damaged life.
I printed the victim's letter of impact (via Buzzfeed) last week to sit down and seriously hear this woman's courageous voice. I needed a few days to fully digest it, and I ask you to do the same. I wish I could thank her for refusing to be silenced as a survivor, and not accepting the rapist's pathetic excuses.
1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Think if this victim was your daughter, sister, best friend, neighbor, or just a woman you see everyday. Chances are, she's already experienced violence in her life in some form. But it's not just women; every 2 minutes an American is sexually assaulted, encompassing all genders and races.
I hope reading her statement makes you uncomfortable. Sad. Angry. Willing to educate yourself and act on those around you. We need to stop rape culture, and this means stopping the insidious comments, images, and acts that excuse and promote violence--and the policies and legislators that are guided by misogyny. I don't have many answers, but I know there are plenty of amazing organizations and people working on this. If you're interested in learning more statistics on sexual violence, I visited https://rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence.
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