I'm Tired Of Having To Talk About Sexual Assault | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

I'm Tired Of Having To Talk About Sexual Assault

This issue needs more action and it needs it now.

30
I'm Tired Of Having To Talk About Sexual Assault
New York Times

Last week, the editorial board for my college’s newspaper published an editorial telling the administration to improve their policy regarding sexual assault. A student had reported a sexual assault that occurred 11 days prior to her report and no one on campus was notified because it was deemed “untimely.”

During my first year of college, the documentary "The Hunting Ground" premiered and affected student activism all over the country. Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame were a large part of the documentary, so I participated on panels, and I went to events and walks about sexual assault mishandlings. This continued into my sophomore year, where we hosted more panels and more discussions.

I’ve written articles and I’ve read countless pieces about sexual assault. I’ve spoken with students and faculty and people in general. My conclusion? Why the hell do I still have to write about this?

Rape culture has gotten bad. People still question the victim. We have politicians saying that a female body can shut down and not get pregnant because it knows it’s rape. We have people caring more about the fact that a rapist spent three months in jail for “20 minutes of action” than we do for the girl who was assaulted while unconscious behind a dumpster. We have people who still will not acknowledge that men can be raped — by a man or a woman.

I’m really tired. I’m tired of having the same discussions and coming to the same conclusions and having people still think this isn’t an issue or as large of an issue as it is. I want to live in a world where people feel like they can report because they know their institution or local law enforcement will do the right thing, not just meet the lowest, and frankly inadequate requirements.

Is it too much to ask for an institution that actually values the people who are part of it? Is it too much to ask for a world where if someone is unconscious or too drunk to be coherent, we help get them to safety instead of taking advantage? On the flip side, is it too much to ask for a world where even the small amount of false reports don’t happen so that the question of whether or not someone is lying never has to come up?

I don’t think this is too much to ask for. It’s never the victim’s fault. Rapists can have great swim records and go to Ivy League schools, but if they commit a crime, they deserve a punishment. The school should have informed the student body that an assault occurred because 11 days doesn’t mean the perpetrator is finished assaulting — especially when most rapists will commit six rapes on average.

Every school should hold people accountable. Every law enforcer should as well. Every person should create an environment of support for survivors of sexual assault, and everyone should work to end rape culture.

I’m tired of having this discussion. We’re moving in the right direction, but come on, it’s 2016.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

Yoga love

A long over due thank you note to my greatest passion.

23881
A person in a yoga pose surrounded by a supportive community of fellow yogis with a look of peace and gratitude on their face the image should convey the sense of strength mindfulness and appreciation that the writer feels towards yoga
StableDiffusion

Dearest Yoga,

You deserve a great thank you.

Keep Reading...Show less
Arts Entertainment

Epic Creation Myths: Norse Origins Unveiled

What happened in the beginning, and how the heavens were set in motion.

5107
The Norse Creation Myth

Now, I have the everlasting joy of explaining the Norse creation myth. To be honest, it can be a bit kooky, so talking about it is always fun. The entire cosmos is included in this creation myth, not just the earth but the sun and the moon as well. This will be a short retelling, a summary of the creation myth, somewhat like I did with Hermod's ride to Hel.

Keep Reading...Show less
Old school ghetto blaster sat on the floor
8tracks radio

We all scroll through the radio stations in the car every once in a while, whether its because we lost signal to our favorite one or we are just bored with the same ol' songs every day. You know when you're going through and you hear a song where you're just like "I forgot this existed!" and before you know it, you're singing every word? Yeah, me too. Like, 95% of the time. If you're like me and LOVE some good throwback music, here's a list of songs from every genre that have gotten lost in time, but never truly forgotten.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

27 Hidden Joys

Appreciation for some of life's most discredited pleasures.

35916
Best Things in Life

Life is full of many wonderful pleasures that many of us, like myself, often forget about. And it's important to recognize that even on bad days, good things still happen. Focusing on these positive aspects of our day-to-day lives can really change a person's perspective. So in thinking about the little things that make so many of us happy, I've here's a list of some of the best things that often go unrecognized and deserve more appreciation:

Keep Reading...Show less
beer on the beach

Summer is hot and humid, and it's almost like summer was made specifically to drink the refreshing, cold, crisp wonderful, delicious, nutritious nectar of the gods. Which is none other than beer; wonderful cold beer. With summer playing peek-a-boo around the corner while we finish up this semester, it's time to discuss the only important part of summer. And if you haven't already guessed, it's beer. There are few things I take more seriously than my beer, in order are: sports... and beer. Here are my favorite summer brews:

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments