There is much to be said about our country at the moment, and I can't say that I am too proud of the nation that we have become as of late.
There are mass-shootings on the daily, our nation is in the process of deciding between the two most hated people in America as the leaders of our nation, and we have witnessed a white (but talented, let's never forget that, of course) boy, Brock Turner, guilty of sexual assault, be "punished" with only a few months in jail.
I am absolutely mortified by the fact that a girl who had her entire world turned upside down did not receive the justice that she deserved. Although it will never make up for the amount of trauma the sexual assault caused her, it would at least leave her with some peace and some knowledge that at least her voice was heard.
But, no. She was told by the judge of the case that no matter how much her life has changed because of an ignorant boy, who committed "20 minutes of action," it did not compare to the trauma that this same boy "endured."
She was told that his life and his future was more important than her life, her wellbeing, her mental health, and so much more. And I'm completely astounded that I live in a country with a justice system that would allow this.
That is the reason why women are scared to speak out. That's why so many girls are sexually assaulted but never talk about it. They are scared of being belittled for being taken advantage of. Victim blaming is such a prevalent issue and it is the reason that so many girls feel they have no voice.
Women, whether we like to admit it or not, always have the lesser say. Women are constantly shown as being high strung, or "bitchy," or dramatic in our society. These are women's "classic" character traits. And while this may just seem as a playful characterization of women in movies, books, etc. it is actually such a toxic idea, because we ultimately learn to believe it ourselves.
Women being to believe that they are being dramatic or high strung if they state that something wrong was done to them. It was their fault somehow, they could have done something to stop whatever happened to them. They're to blame, if only they were a bit more firm with their answer, if only they had covered up more, if only they drank less, if only, if only.
This is dangerous thinking. And the fact that the woman in this case was told that her sexual assault was not worth anything more than three months in a county jail is degrading and our society's progression takes three steps backwards.
We need to destroy the idea that women are to blame for their own sexual assault once and for all. Brock Turner's sexual assault was a crime but we cannot continue to silence women because cases like these do just that. Women become scared to voice themselves because they believe nothing will come of it and, as a result, they remain quiet.
Remember to speak up.
Remember to fight for those who need a voice.
Keep our women loud and fighting always.
