Posted on 04/11/2021 4:38:41 AM PDT by Kaslin
Are you aware that gastroparesis awareness month is in August?
What about National Pediculosis prevention month? Do you know when that is? What that is? (lice and September)
Many of us are vaguely aware of some of the more well-publicized awareness months. We might have ribbon magnets on our cars or pinned to coats.
Sexual assault awareness month falls in April. Every April. Unless, of course, you're a sexual assault survivor. Then you are aware of that fact, acutely, every day. And without adornment.
If you are a survivor, you likely know some of the statistics. Numbers the rest of the country will tut and gasp over for a couple weeks are already etched on the inside of your eyelids so that even sleep can't make the facts disappear.
- 1 out of every 6 American women have been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime
- Every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted
- 1 out of every 10 rape victims are male
- 33% of women who are raped contemplate suicide
- Less than 1% of rapes lead to felony convictions
In most cases, the victim knows the attacker.
In most cases, the assault happens near or even inside of the victim’s home.
In this era of #metoo, rape is no longer the untouchable, unbroachable, unspeakable cousin to sexual harassment.
We're aware. Enlightened.
Better.
And we believe women.
Isn't that what we purport?
FBI crime statistics indicate that only 2-8 percent of reported rapes are false. This is the same rate of false reporting for other felonies.
So, with all this "wokeness," we would expect that comments like "If she's telling the truth, why did she stay silent for so long?" or "She wouldn't keep that baby if it was really rape" would be unheard of.
Yet hear them, we do.
We pretend we don't.
We pretend that skepticism doesn't spread like dandelion seeds in the wind. That doubt, hearty and resilient, doesn't settle into every crack and tear in our carefully constructed facade of confidence, burrow into our skin and germinate. That self-loathing isn't a continual insidious threat.
We try not to question what we were wearing, how hard we fought, or the devastating consequences of our silence.
We say we believe that we bear no responsibility. We will tell you that we aren't ashamed as our eyes drift over your shoulder and then affix to a place just above your head. Of course, we know it isn't our fault.
We exchange stories among ourselves, all too often mumbling an introduction of "What happened to me wasn't as bad as what happened to you..." just to give ourselves permission to speak.
A wool cocoon coat with one of those oversized cowl hoods. An infinity scarf that hid my face from an unusually biting January wind. A skirt that was so long it hid the ribbon detailing on the top of my boots.
That's what I was wearing.
It was around 8 in the morning.
My own versions of "But what if I" and "Maybe I could have" lie dormant 11 months of the year.
But they blossom in April.
And maybe that isn't such a bad thing. It puts the demon front and center. Forces us to face our collective biases and ignorance. Discomfort and disillusion.
The stories shared surrounding Sexual Assault Awareness month are horrible to listen to.
Listen anyway.
They are devastating to accept.
Accept them anyway.
It's impossible to fight an enemy we can't or won't see.
It's impossible to heal from a wound we haven't treated.
What better time than this month of Awareness to ask ourselves what we're really aware of.
And what we have yet to face.
Wishing all my fellow survivors a life far beyond simply surviving.
Jennifer Christie is the founder and Executive Director of Love Louder, a no exceptions, pro-life support system for women who have been victims of sexual assault. In 2014, Jennifer was the victim of a brutal sexual assault while traveling on a business trip. She conceived a child during the rape and chose life together with her husband and family. Jennifer’s story has been shared globally and opened up a much-needed conversation on the value of life in all circumstances.
Does Jao know?
No one should allow any bad experience to consume their life. My sister has been divorced four times longer than she was married and she still talks about the same old (stuff.) It makes being around here trying. Not only have I heard it all, but she has failed to replace bad experiences with other, perhaps better experiences. Because she had this one bad experience, granted it lasted a long time, she has failed to fully live her remaining life.
So, fine, have a whatever-awareness month. Then, for God’s sake, forget about it.
I demand “Moovova Awareness Month”!
Crime happens. The solution is not “awareness months”, nor trying to make every man guilty of what one man did. The solution is to put rapists in jail.
Awareness? You mean covering up for democrats who do sexual assault.
Last time I checked rape is wrong.
Its easy to just politicize it and move on to something else on the “Right”.
Its also easy to just politicize it and use it to advance your political agenda on the “Left”.
But people are hurt sexually male and female its happening in a lot of places and perps are all over the place.
The healing process is difficult for those who have been hurt and dwelling in the wounds is dangerous because it leads to selfish, self-destructive intoxicating behavior in some cases.
It takes a Higher Power greater than ourselves to restore sanity I am certain of that.
>>- 1 out of every 10 rape victims are male
Sounds like many cases go unreported.
Factor in molestation and prison rape and 10% sounds quite small.
Specific incidents like the author suffered can be largely warded off by communities with value systems that do not hold the sending off of married women on business trips by themselves as a social good.
The author does seem to have chosen a good life with the joy of family. It doesn’t mean that the rape vanishes from her life.
And every day, there are new victims of rape, and it will take time for them to put their lives back together and recover. Even then, the trauma will be like a river running underground, still there.
Finally, try not imagining a woman being raped and getting over it. Try imagining you, a man, or your son, being raped, and getting over it.
Married women at home in their houses have been raped.
You sound like a Muslim in favor of purdah.
Days of progressiveness
Your a beautiful woman = Sexual Assault
“Try imagining you, a man, or your son, being raped, and getting over it.”
It was much worse than just being raped. I’m over it.
You mean like Muslim communities? Because that’s what you are suggesting.
That we all stay home to stay safe. Now where have I heard that bad advice before?
Do we have to be reminded of it constantly, though? I want the months and days to go back to being months and days. It’s April 12, not some stupid ridiculous whatever.
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