I know this is not a fun topic to read about. I, myself, have a hard time reading about it, and writing this isn't any easier. I'm doing this with good reason though, and I hope anyone and everyone finds reading this to be worth it.

I grew up in a small town. The culture there, while maybe unique, may not be so different from culture in cities and suburbs. Sexual assault is usually an out of sight, out of mind topic whether you are in a rural or urban, conservative or liberal community. Regardless of location or of a community's general political views, most people do not approve of rape. So that's not necessarily the problem. The problem is people aren't talking about it. People don't know how to relate. And in the end, a large portion of our nation's people keep it too distant in their minds for it to be as important as it should be.

This is where I ask everyone to stop a moment and think about it. It's uncomfortable, I know. We all have plenty of things to worry about without spending time thinking about something so uncomfortable, but we all need to do it. I know I'd prefer to think about things I need to do in my everyday life, like school, work, and relationships, but I need to do it too.

I can never and will never pretend to know what it's like to be the victim of sexual assault, or even simply what it's like to be scared of becoming one on a daily basis. Because of this, I likely never would have come to my current perspective if not for coming across someone who had been victimized.

And I did. I have met far more than one person who was the victim of some sort of sexual assault. There is nothing positive about that, but if any good can come from it, the good is that I have been made aware. And I am sure that there are plenty of people like me, whose perspectives have adapted over time due to personally knowing a victim.

The problem is, sexual assault is one of the most mortifying events any person can have to deal with. Thus, victims are often anything but motivated to tell people about what happened.

So I'm not going to pretend that the solution to creating a more empathetic general public is getting every single victim to start recounting to everyone and their dogs the horrific experiences they've gone through. That means that what I'm calling for is anyone and everyone to think about sexual assault more. If you are a man who has no personal connections with the issue (and this is about as uncomfortable as it can get), picture your daughter, wife, or other close loved one. I know you don't want to, but that's just it. Why wouldn't you want to imagine the possibility of one of them experiencing sexual assault? Because it's one of the most terrifying things you can imagine. If you are a woman who has no personal experiences or connections to the issue, do the same thing.

The fact is, it's horrifying when you try to relate it to someone you love. Of course, the odds are in your favor of never having to experience something so heinous, but the odds are high of you knowing someone who has, even if they haven't ever and won't ever tell you about it. It's not their job to tell you, but it is your job to be a good member of society, one who always thinks about and treats sexual assault as the serious problem that it is.

I want to conclude with this. I don't care who you are. I identify as liberal but I have plenty of friends on both sides. I'm from a small town but I probably have just as many friends from cities. When it comes down to it, the single largest sexual assault problem is a male victimizing a female. And far and away the most common situation is between two people who in some way know each other. Think about how less often it would happen if every man's friends made it clear on a regular basis that they found sexual assault disgusting. It doesn't sound like a perfect solution, but it's the type of solution we need.

I'm not blaming anyone, but I do know there's plenty of room for improvement. And I know that no one person, no one small group can change it all, but if everyone tries, a difference can be made. Just think about it. Really, really think about it, and I promise you it will make a world of difference.