It has been a long time since my last column, though considering spring break,not nearly long enough. We have entered that spring frenzy where there is toomuch to do and not nearly enough time in which to do it all. When all studentsreally want to do is sit in the sun, but books, papers, and exams ceaselesslyclamor for attention.
It is now, as the academic year is drawing to a close, that organization havetheir final events and a sense of life and student involvement flows back intocampus. I have once before written an article plugging the Take Back the NightMarch and Vigil, but I doubt anyone remembers the event or the time, so I intendto rehash these details. My hope is to refresh memories and acquire a few moresupporters.
As almost no one knows, April is Sexual Violence Awareness Month. This highlyunder publicized month is supposed to educate and bring attention to the epidemicof sexual violence across the United States. And yes, sexual violence is anepidemic in America.
Sexual violence includes rape, sexual assault, incest, attempted rape, childmolestation, domestic rape, and any other non-consensual sexual contact. Ithappens to people of every gender, age, race, ethnicity, socio-economic background,education level and sexual orientation.
Hundreds of acts of sexual violence are perpetrated every day; from the womanwho is raped by her business partner to the child fondled by her stepfather;from the thousands of woman raped as an act of war to the woman gang-raped ina bar; from the boy who is molested by a priest to the woman who is raped byher alcoholic husband. Sexual violence is not a crime of passion; it is a crimeof power.
My purpose today is not to lecture on the evils of sexual violence, but toraise awareness of its prevalence. The very nature of sexual violence createssilence. Both men and women are too ashamed to admit what has happened to them.
They feel tainted because our society still places a puritanical importanceupon innocence and purity. They are given little social support and recriminatedfor their victimization. It is no wonder that so few people are willing to discloseabuse, molestation, and rape.
This silence should not be confused with rarity of occurrence. Sexual violenceis real, and it is everywhere. It is to break this silence that the Take Backthe Night March is held. This night is a time for women (women account for 90%of all rape victims) and male supporters to gather together and raise theirvoices. It is an opportunity for women to share their experiences and reclaimtheir power.
I shall add just one last plug to end this article, in the hope that a readermight glance over the rest of this essay and momentarily register the date andtime. Take Back the Night will be Tues., April 9. Marchers will rally in frontof the Union at 8 p.m. The vigil will probably start around 9:30 in the UnionBallroom, and both women and male supporters are encouraged to attend this callfor the end of violence against women.