Tuesday, April 5, 2011
A few weeks back, there was much furore against the New York Times' coverage of the rape of an 11 year old girl in Texas.
The journalist, Mckinley Jr., gave a perverse twist to the tragedy, using the word rape only twice in his coverage and infact, helping to draw sympathy for the 18 perpetrators of the crime.
Author Roxane Gay did an excellent piece on how our society is moving towards a rape culture and why we have become casual and even, immune to this horrendous crime. She points out:
Gang rape is a difficult experience to survive physically and emotionally. There is the exposure to unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, vaginal and anal tearing, fistula and vaginal scar tissue. The reproductive system is often irreparably damaged. Victims of gang rape, in particular, have a higher chance of miscarrying a pregnancy. Psychologically, there are any number of effects including PTSD, anxiety, fear, coping with the social stigma, and coping with shame, and on and on. The actual rape ends but the aftermath can be very far reaching and even more devastating than the rape itself. We rarely discuss these things, though. Instead, we are careless. We allow ourselves that rape can be washed away as neatly as it is on TV and in the movies where the trajectory of victimhood is neatly defined.
If this didn't give you the creeps, very little else will.
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I hope we are more mindful of the words we use.
Let’s talk about rape for a moment. Rape is not what George Lucas did to your childhood. Rape is not what happens when a sports team beats another sports team by a wide margin. Rape is not what happens when your electric bill is higher this month than it was last month. Rape is when a person violates another person in the most despicable, degrading way imaginable and among the myriad of terrible things humans can do to one another, rape is among the worst. I think the casual misappropriation of the concept of rape extending all the way to its widespread comical usage is disgusting even by Internet standards. Off my chest. - Jeffrey Rowland
Link via Puri Sabzi
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I had started to share what I felt, every time I read such pieces on society and its growing rape culture.
But, I don't feel equipped enough to voice every minuscule emotion that I have ever experienced on the subject of rape. There can never be enough words, to describe the range of emotions, from lividity to depression.
So, for the time being, I will let this pass.
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3 comments:
It's good that u spoke out ur feeling about the issue. If u get time, read the post "Rape- do you feel hot about it?" on my blog and also read the comments given by ppl.
take care
promoting your post.
RESTLESS
@Ruhisonal - Thanks for stopping by. Funny you should bring up how guys find the entire subject a laughing matter and even crack jokes about it - I had such guys in college and I know how it feels to even listen to their idea of fun!
@RMSH - Thanks for stopping by! Your post and the comments have inspired me to write more on the subject!
I'm glad dear :) stay in touch.
RESTLESS
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