I am hoping you all have been able to at least catch a glimpse of this horrific story.
A 2 1/2 hour gang rape. 2 1/2 HOURS!
5 have been arrested, but there are at least 10 under investigation for simply watching. "Watching" the gang rape. "Watching" the 2 1/2 HOUR gang rape! The most vile part...these men who "watched" cannot be arrested.
The only thing more monstrous than committing rape or violence, is standing around and watching it happen.
The terrible and disheartening thing is that I believe this happens more than we think and know. It happens every year on college campuses in dorm rooms and fraternity houses. It happens in big cities and in small cities. It happens in seemingly happy family homes.
I can't help but question who is to blame in this situation?
The school for not having sufficient surveillance of its grounds and adequate chaperones at its functions?
The men and boys who were doing the actual raping?
The men and boys who were standing around in a circle in symbolic silence 'watching' the 2 1/2 hour gang rape?
The parents of those involved for not teaching their children right and wrong and moral character?
The community of Richland, CA for not creating a safer place for its children to grow up in?
Society for allowing even the teeniest bit of sentiment that rape is OK and that watching is OK and for allowing violence against women to continue to persist at such incredible levels?
One viewer called into CNN this morning complaining that the teachers should have taught these students moral values and this could have been prevented if the teachers had spent more time teaching humanity. So blame the teachers. Blame the parents. Blame the community. Blame the men and boys. We have to blame SOMEONE!
The answer is it is ALL of our faults. Even you and I. Yes. Those of us who live in communities across the country, who cannot even comprehend the kind of reality some people live in. Those of us who live right next door who live with gun shot noise and fear of death on a daily basis. It is our fault.
The cycle of blame is so deep and unproductive on so many levels, that as a people we don't and can't see the way out.
We cannot continue to allow these heinous crimes to take place. Violence against women is NOT a women's issue, nor is it something to be ignored, or placed aside to be dealt with by feminists, or by women's groups that "deal with sexual assault". It is a HUMAN issue. Because what it boils down to is VIOLENCE. And violence should NOT be tolerated.
It is up to us to instill basic human morality back into our communities. Rather than continue to make it a CYCLE OF BLAME, let's make it a CYCLE OF HUMANITY AND MORAL UPLIFT. A person should be able to learn about moral character and dignity from a variety of sources. The community, the schools, the teachers, the parents, the police, the television, the news, the internet etc etc etc.
In my Young Adult Literature class we recently read the book Speak. It's a wonderful novel about a young girl who is raped the summer prior to starting high school at a party. She calls the police, is shunned by the entire school for breaking up the party, and does not speak a word about the rape. The story is about her silence, and her ultimate cry out for justice.
In class discussion, I cannot tell you how many people raised their hands commenting that they WOULD NOT include sexual assault awareness information into this unit. If we are not going to talk about it who is? What really got my blood going was the young men in the classroom who claimed they would feel uncomfortable just teaching the book because it dealt with the rape of a girl.
The way I see it is we can prevent an incredible amount of violence simply by talking about it at a young age. Let's talk about why the 10 men sat around in a circle and "WATCHED" the 2 1/2 hour gang rape! Let's talk about why societies first inclination is to NOT believe a woman when she claims she is raped. Let's talk about why some people think some women "deserve" it. Let's talk about it! And let's talk about it at every possible opportunity!
If you are a man and believe rape and sexual assault are wrong and are NOT speaking about it...you are FAILING! If you are a woman and believe rape and sexual assault are wrong and are NOT speaking about it....you are FAILING!
SPEAK OUT! TALK ABOUT IT! Tell people how it is wrong and unacceptable and disgusting. I am so exhausted by people who have no backbone, who won't use their personal attributes to help better society.
It is up to us to help create a better society. Stop accepting people's immoral and disgusting behavior and start sticking up for humans. I believe in us and I believe we can ALL do better.
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