I guess we do since scum sucking hell dwelling rapists linger among us.
The awareness month is April. It's now.
But I'd argue every month is the month to be aware.
Living in the United States, it seems like violence against women and girls should be something we only hear about in third world countries that exist under oppressive anti-women regimes. But it's not. It's here. In our schools and offices, in our churches and community centers, on our streets and in our parking lots. In our homes. It's been proven again and again that there is no place that's safe for all women and girls.
I find it so weird that people were all up in arms about people who identify as women using women's rooms, saying it opened the door for men to just dress as women and prey on us in there. Now, why would they do that? They don't need to dress as women to prey on us in the bathroom. They dress as themselves and prey on us in mall parking lots, along streets on the way home from work, in church basements, in college party houses, behind dumpsters, under trees in our own backyard. You want the bathroom to be safe but you're not concerned about our safety anywhere else? I call fucking bullshit on that. Rapists wear their daily uniform when they attack wherever they want and no one gives a good fuck about that. Not to mention, the majority of rapists are not strangers. Leave the goddamn trans people alone. Not only are trans people not interested in assaulting women and little girls, they are victims too: 21% of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have been sexually assaulted, compared to 18% of non-TGQN females, and 4% of non-TGQN males.
Then there's this. We have people sitting in jail for having an ounce of weed while rapists walk among us and sit in class next to us and ride our trains.
Sometimes they're sitting even closer than that.
All infographics from RAINN, our largest anti-sexual violence organization. They work to help survivors, educate the public, and improve public policy.
They also operate the National Sexual Assault Hotline, accessible 24/7 via 1-800-656-HOPE or online.rainn.org.
These graphics are not comfortable for me to look at. I think they're important to share. We'd like to think we've come so far, but we haven't. Brock Turner the rapist is free, and famous for it. We need a culture shift, and that is everyone's responsibility, regardless of what private parts you have.
That's really scary how prevalent it is. The Brock Turner really showed that even with several witnesses and proof the rapist still only got six months. Now imagine how hard it is for women in she said/he said cases, or with alcohol involved.
ReplyDeleteWow, that graphic showing that out of every 1000 rapes, 994 perps will walk free was really sobering. Geez.
ReplyDeleteThis is the most horrible crime. My wish is for whatever appendage used to commit the crime to shrivel up and disintegrate , which would include the mind and bring death to that person immediately. Apparently sexual predators cannot be rehabilitated. Sending the lights and Angels and all that is good to all. Reprogramming all cells everywhere to healthy perfection. For God's sake stop producing porn, etc that feeds these perverted minds. God help and heal all.
ReplyDeleteLove. Your. Momma.
I'm blown away that only 6 of 1000 rapists is incarcerated. SIX. This is infuriating.
ReplyDeleteI would like to be a judge who presides over rape cases. Mandatory castration. Free up jail cells and save the world in one fell swoop. I see no problems with my method.
ReplyDeletei like that idea. you should run for judge. i'd vote for you.
DeleteI always appreciate that you put the things out there to remind us what is happening in the world... even when we want to ignore them... the things that should never be ignored.
ReplyDeleteI binged watched 13 Reasons Why on Netflix this weekend before reading anything about it. Rape plays a big part in it and I found the author's and producer's commentary on how they presented it very thought provoking. Like you said rapists don't have to dress up up to attack someone, they sit next to you in class, are sometimes 'good' citizens in other areas of their life. Like Brock Turner they get judged less harshly for a 'mistake they made' that might ruin their life, when they've already done that too another person. Makes me so angry!
ReplyDeleteI love Stephanie's comment above about castration! Yes! I think it's ridiculous that we have so few rapes or attempted rapes prosecuted. And I find it disgusting when these things ARE at trial, that they try and degrade a girl/woman into it somehow being her fault.
ReplyDeleteAnd the argument about transgenders using bathrooms and it being a way for men to rape us in bathrooms? Yeah right....HUGE eye roll. I put that one with "if we make gay marriage legal, then people will want to marry animals". These two things do not matter or go together!
These stats are just sad, thank you for sharing. This is such an important issue and we need to shed more light on it.
ReplyDeleteThank you. As a victim and survivor of rape I can attest my rapist was basically family. He was my aunt's brother (my aunt through marriage) I was 15 and trusted him. He was at all of our family gatherings. It took me about a year to finally speak up and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, he served 5 years with 10 more years probation. He's a registered sex offender now. The main reason I said anything was because my aunt and uncle had a little girl and their other other brother also had a little girl and all I could think about was how I would feel if something happened to them. I have to say there is some level of satisfaction to knowing he didn't just get away with it.
ReplyDeleteAt the time he even had a girlfriend who he blackmailed into staying with him and he used to get drunk at the family gatherings and grope her and be completely inappropriate but because he was a Latino man so it was okay. My little 15/16 year old self saved that late 20's woman out of an abusive relationship. I should probably write a blog post about this all but I am not sure I am there yet. I will be one day. Thanks again for sharing.
My heart both weeps and screams in anger when I see these statistics. It's disgusting and appalling to see them. How is it right that only 6 rapists out of 1000 get convicted? WTF??????? People deny the rape culture we live in but those numbers are proof. And the sad reality is some of those who poo-poo that reality and/or blame the victim, statistically have loved ones in their life who kept their mouth zipped because of people like them.
ReplyDeleteThe statistics are sickening! I hate that we need a month for this.
ReplyDeleteI don't even have words to articulate my thoughts on rape and rape culture in this country. It disgusts me how many rapists go free, it disgusts me how our justice system continues to victim blame, and it disgusts me that people in power to change laws and statutes simply don't. I hate that we need a month for it and I hate even more that those who need to hear these statistics will ignore or argue that they're inflated.
ReplyDeleteIgnorance isn't always bliss. In cases like this, it's dangerous.
I always appreciate when people take the time out to address serious issues such as this on their platforms. This is still such a prevalent issue and probably even more so with 45 in office and what type of behavior he condones.
ReplyDeleteI have shared your post in mine that I just published. Yours is filled with the research and statistics that need to be seen, as difficult as they are to digest.
ReplyDeleteScary stuff, but unfortunately it's our reality and awareness is key. We have to keep talking about this.
ReplyDeleteI, too, had similar thoughts regarding the bathroom debacle issue. I thought, they don't need to dress up because they can attack us anywhere and do. SMH...
Two "crimes" make me more upset and pissed and rage-y than anything else: theft and violence. To me, rape is the combination of those things. It breaks my heart that 1 in 6 women are raped or attacked with the intention of rape. I hate that. I hate it for myself and my friends and my future daughters/nieces/friends' kids. There's NO reason we shouldn't be able to go out, travel, gets drinks at the bar, or let our dang dogs out without fear of an attack.
ReplyDeleteif i remember correctly, rainn was founded by tori amos. she was raped. she wrote a damned fine song about it: me and a gun.
ReplyDeleteand this: "I find it so weird that people were all up in arms about people who identify as women using women's rooms, saying it opened the door for men to just dress as women and prey on us in there. Now, why would they do that? They don't need to dress as women to prey on us in the bathroom. They dress as themselves and prey on us in mall parking lots, along streets on the way home from work, in church basements, in college party houses, behind dumpsters, under trees in our own backyard."
yes. fuck yes.
Three of the gravest misrepresentations produced by this outline, which in essence diminishes sexual tribulations to that of physical functions, are the following. links
ReplyDelete