Violent Sexual Assaults Are a Reality on Campus

Author: Samantha Severin

After reading Kevin King's "Pop Quiz: Who's Fighting Here?" in last week's edition of The Campus, I would like to offer the following response.

I am far less concerned with offending the men on this campus than I am with coming to the understanding that violent sexual assaults are a reality. If there is going to be a poster campaign on this campus that attempts to address the issue, I am all for it.

There is no point in arguing over male comfort levels when it comes to the issue of rape. Rape, Mr. King, is uncomfortable. In fact, it is probably one of the most physically and emotionally painful things that any woman or man can live (or not live) through. I would hate to think that in your defense of the non-violent man, you could not take a moment to see what the posters you are referencing are pointing to — rape happens right here. Yes, it happens on this campus. It happens all of the time. It happened last night. I know for sure that it happened two years ago to a woman living in a Middlebury residential hall and she had to sit for the next year and a half at a table in Proctor staring at the back of her assaulter. Comfortable? No.

With that said, let's forget about the "serious allegations leveled against males." I, personally, am prepared to not spend another second thinking about how much those posters may make law-abiding men squirm. I am even prepared to say good. I hope that those posters make men squirm. I hope that they make rapists squirm. If that happens maybe one of them will actually think about his actions before he ruins someone's life.

I hope to see more posters in brighter colors that speak out against verbal and physical gay bashing (that happens here too) and sexism (yes, happens here too) and all of those other things that defenseless straight men get blamed for. In fact, I am prepared to see some posters about male on male violence. I am prepared to see some posters screaming about female on female violence. I would like to see posters that challenge people. I would like to see them stapled directly over the naked bodies of women that are being used to advertise radio shows in lame attempts to sell the female form.

And, if your reply to my above statements will be to say that I am attempting to censor men or alienate them through my harsh words, I would like to point out that if there are men on this campus who want to turn the statistics around and who want to make it so that we are all working towards a common goal, then more power to them. The posters those men and their armies put up will have to read — "I was not the one who did it." Because one of them did. Come to a speak out during Take Back the Night Week. Bring a pen and a piece of paper. Write down what you hear and then come back and talk to me about injured Middlebury-male morale and hurt egos. It is up to each man to make it clear that he is not the one who chose to commit a violent crime against a woman.

The fact of the matter is: the power dynamics at work here are tricky in that we have not leveled the playing field. Feminism exists because it is needed (as your editorial, Mr. King, points out yet again) and because if we are going to get things done we're going to have to focus and concentrate on our objectives. I believe that the creators of those posters — that have caused you such great offense — would agree with me.

Frankly, I think that we have spent centuries making men comfortable. Yes?

If you are a man and you have not raped a woman, pat yourself on the back. If you are a man who has committed a violent crime against a woman or has thought about — listen up. Feel uncomfortable.

Accept that you have been called out and do something about it.