A Moral Dilemma
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

A Moral Dilemma

My struggles with how we talk about sexual assault.

49
A Moral Dilemma
BaylorLariat.com

A disclaimer: I still have a bit of trouble deciding how I feel/should feel about this and would gladly welcome any sort of insight.

On the night of Tuesday, May 3, the editor of the Peel shared a letter she found in her mailbox. The letter, written by an unnamed Pitzer first-year, recounts her experience of being drugged and then sexually assaulted by two male students from Claremont McKenna College. The story is painful to read as it involves something that many don’t consider possible at an institution as progressive (comparatively) and as understanding of social justice (supposedly) as Pitzer, or perhaps even the Claremont Colleges in general. The way she interjects the retelling of the incident with insights into her own life further incites our shock and pity. It is no wonder that come Wednesday morning the story was all over Facebook. Students from all of the 5Cs shared the link to the letter, and my newsfeed was populated with long posts that often included incisive critiques of the CMC students’ behaviour and/or sympathetic offers of help from those who simply abhorred the incident as well as those who were past victims of sexual assault. I had never seen our community be so united and frankly I was impressed.

But that sentiment was short-lived. The more I saw, the more uncomfortable I became with how and from whom the story was shared. While I agreed with much of what was said, I found myself questioning how genuine a lot of these posts were. I was, and still am, conflicted because I wanted this incident to be made known as so many cases of sexual assault are silenced and dismissed, but I also questioned the effectiveness of a mere Facebook post. While I salute those who have announced their solidarity with the student (whether that is on social media or in real life), I am still struggling to figure out what sharing yet another post calling for Justice (with the intentional capital J) and criticising the CMC students (who the Pitzer student chose not to name) is really going to do. As real as the sympathy can be for this student, so many of these posts felt like one-off attempts to “help.” It was almost as if sharing the post was some sort of community service credit everyone felt the need to complete. On one hand, people showing support is good (right?), on the other hand, so many of these posts oozed with preachy, self-righteousness masked by mentions of the girl and the Injustice of it all and the sharing of personal cell numbers. It was these posts that frustrated me because they, one, don’t seem truly genuine, and, two, are unneeded insertions into a conversation in which many of us don’t really have a place.

Pitzer is so small. The girl who wrote the letter literally lived in my dorm. I’ve probably walked past her so many times and honestly, quite possibly, so have you. You would’ve given her a smile or a nod at best, but chances are, like me, you pretended to suddenly take interest in your phone or your nails or the sky—anything to have avoided eye contact with some stranger. That so many people only took interest in this student after her incident bothers me. Was she not worth befriending before? The personal issues she mentions going through were going on way before the incident happened. Where were you then?

Then there’s the fact that so many people who have posted about this don’t realise that by doing so they are forcing their way into a dialogue of which they have no part unless they actively do something to help. Sharing a link is not enough! I want to go so far as to say that those who have simply written a post are actually detracting from the words and work of those who are genuinely committed to this issue. So many of these posts—whether they are one-off posts or posts by people who have personally taken advantage of women (I know, the hypocrisy is so painful)—are so empty and end up doing more harm than good because they direct, for even just a moment, the focus away from the victims and the issue at hand to themselves.

I do realise that by writing about those who take attention away from the Pitzer student and rape culture in general, I am guilty of my own condemnation. I guess my hopes are just that we fix the way we talk about issues like this so we can better unite and rally against those who perpetrate such heinous crimes in the future. There is no denying that the 5Cs are made up of incredibly intelligent and understanding people and I want to hope that we’ll find a better way of doing this. But it is already the summer and time has dampened the impact of the incident. Since the publication of the letter, two Republican nominees have dropped out from the race, seniors everywhere have graduated, Gucci Mane has been released from prison, and we are all home—far, far away from the happenings of a college campus. There’s not much time or reason to worry about the student anymore. Good thing we shared the link right after it was posted, right?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

21675
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

948681
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

125577
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lots of people sat on the cinema wearing 3D glasses
Pinterest

Ever wonder what your friend meant when they started babbling about you taking their stapler? Or how whenever you ask your friend for a favor they respond with "As You Wish?" Are you looking for new and creative ways to insult your friends?

Well, look no further. Here is a list of 70 of the most quotable movies of all time. Here you will find answers to your questions along with a multitude of other things such as; new insults for your friends, interesting characters, fantastic story lines, and of course quotes to log into your mind for future use.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments