I'm going to get right to the point of this article, because honestly, anger doesn't begin to cover my emotions right now. This week I came across a tweet that left me sick to my stomach. It was so vile, in fact, I couldn't bring myself to put it directly into this article (but you can view it here). The tweet features an older video of women walking down a crowded sidewalk. As they walk, the camera focuses mainly on their butts, which are being grabbed, groped and fondled relentlessly by the men crowding this sidewalk. It's constant. Sometimes the men grab their chests, or even go as far as to grab the women by their arms and pull them away from their friends. Near the end of the video we see a woman, surrounded on all sides by men as they pull her top down. You can hear one man saying, "Ain't nobody gonna hurt ya. We ain't gonna hurt ya baby." It's one of the most upsetting things that I have witnessed on the internet. Yet it's something that should be witnessed, because it happens. Because this is real. Because this is why women walk with keys between their knuckles and pepper spray at the ready. This is why we are scared.

Almost as upsetting as watching the video is what lies in the replies to this tweet. Men that believe the women's clothes validate the action, men defending the behavior and men criticizing the actions of the women. It's arguments women hear every time we deal with this type of behavior from men, and it's time we address the people who sympathize with those willing to violate strangers on a street.

Great, as a man you would "haul off and smack a dude." Do you know what would happen to a girl if that was her reaction in a crowd of men who are already willing to sexually assault her in public? The reason women choose not to fight back in situations like this, is because we don't want to die or have the shit beat out of us. Do you honestly think we don't want to knock the teeth out of the first, second, fifth guy that decides its their right to put their hands on us? But fighting back is dangerous, especially in a scenario like this video where it's 50 on one. We are trying to survive and as sick and twisted as it is, something that means we can't fight back or take up for ourselves. That doesn't mean we like it, that doesn't mean we tolerate it and it sure as hell doesn't mean we are asking for it.

Women don't believe every single man in the world is out to get them. We know that there are good guys. But there are also bad guys, lots of them. And sometimes they look and sound and act like good guys until their masks come off. What do you expect us to do when we're walking down the street at night, assume every man who passes us on the street is safe until they prove us wrong? Treat every man like they won't hurt us until they do? These men exist, rape happens and assault happens. We don't know who is going to do it to us next, and we would rather not find out. We would rather be guarded just in case. Do you have a problem with that? Instead of tweeting #notallmen you can do something about it. Be an example to the younger generations that are growing up and seeing men treat women like property. Stand up to the guys you see that act entitled to every woman who walks by in a miniskirt. Fight against the fear women have, don't complain that we're scared.

I'm curious, when did clothes ever give someone the right to someone else's body? When did bathing suits or short skirts or showing any amount of skin give a man a right to anything? I don't give a crap if a woman is standing next to you in absolutely nothing, that's not an open invitation to ever touch her. Why the hell do you think you can arrested for that? Because you don't have a right! Also, what you wear is not an indication of the amount of respect you have for yourself. I think it's insane these women can be wearing more on the street than they do at the beach but this is when they're dress is called into question or when it's all the sudden giving men the right to violate them. This is not a valid argument. If a man can't see a girl in shorts and keep his hands to himself then he belongs locked up in a cage at a zoo, because that's how an animal acts. Never, under any circumstances, do you have the right to lay your hands on someone or pull off their clothes. If you can defend these actions in anyway, you are a sick human being. Do you not have women in your life? How would you feel if they were getting the attention these women are getting?

I have no idea when or where this video was shot. But it is extremely relevant today. This is happening is 2017. Choosing to ignore it doesn't make it go away. This hasn't stopped. You can see this type of behavior if you walk down a city street or go to a club. Yes, it happens in some places more than others, but people who deny the problem are only making it worse. We accept this type of behavior in society. Our music encourages men to over sexualize women. High school dress codes blame women's attire for the distraction of male students. The men who raised the men in this video, and the children these men might be raising are creating a cycle of abuse. At some point these men were taught that the bodies of women are theirs for the taking. But they aren't. To the people who can blatantly defend the actions in this video, you've been taught wrong. And I hope to God someone sets you straight before you become what this video shows you're capable of becoming.