The clowns. They seem to be popping up everywhere, both in backyards, roadsides and social media. Reminiscent of horror movies like It or The Purge, scary Halloween decorations, and our childhood nightmares; the clowns bring a whole new level to crime.
A few of them have been popping up in the areas around my college campus, hiding among the trees in the early autumn fogs. Two of my roommates bought pocketknives, the only self-defense besides pepper spray allowed on most campuses. And all around campus, the clowns were talked about more than the election and pumpkin spice lattes.
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But here's the thing. Here's the reality.
The clowns only make already existing stalkers and creeps more visible.
The reality is that girls are already afraid to walk campus alone after dark.
The reality is that many girls already own pepper spray or pocket knives to protect themselves from men who don't dress in clown masks; from men who may look trustworthy; from men who may reach out in the night and make them tomorrow's headline.
The reality is that most violence against women is domestic.
The reality is that not all predators have "bad guy" written on their face like these clowns.
The reality is that these predators are not interested in scaring you like the clowns. They're interested in hurting you.
The reality is that young women spend a lot of time looking over their shoulder when walking from point A to point B. Even in groups. Some of my classmates were stalked even though they were in a group of seven, and that was only down the street from our school.
The reality is that a crime is a crime, whether in a clown suit or in normal clothing.
The reality is that the clowns are giving society a dose of reality, just wrapped up in face paint and sensationalism.
This is not calling women weak. This is not rabid anti-men feminism, either. These are facts.
I hope that, at the very least, the clown scare causes society to realize the problems with which we need to deal. That something good other than click-bait and memes come out of it. Because I, as a young female college student, should not be afraid to run from my apartment to the library after eight o' clock at night simply because it is dark. I shouldn't have to keep my fist clenched around my mail keys in case someone comes up behind me. I shouldn't have to be worried constantly, clowns or no clowns.
Wake up, society. The clowns were already there. They're actually everywhere. They're just not all wearing colorful costumes.
In fact, most of them are not.
