“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” --Desmond Tutu

I grew up in a small town with a lot of character. It was safe and it was full of a lot of people who had good intentions and decent etiquette. I was, for the most part, sheltered from malicious acts of violence and didn't experience a lot of unjust behavior. But then I left. I moved, and my parents were not there to make sure I kept my rose-tinted glasses on at all times. I became an inhabitant of a college campus and understood how relevant rape culture was, how desensitized we are to the idea of sexual violence.

One in three women experience sexual violence in their lifetime.

For those of you who read that last sentence and weren’t automatically drenched in shock, let me say it again: one in three women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime.

We have attributed this epidemic to short skirts and cheap vodka— to loose morals and misinterpretations, and apparently the idea that an entire society has suddenly, and without alerting Webster's dictionary, redefined what the word "no" means. We have allowed the idea of masculinity to be synonymous with aggressive behavior.

Rape does not just happen. It is not a right of passage; it is not a part of growing up. It is wrong; it is horrendously wrong.

So why doesn't our society treat it that way?

Why does money, power, and status get to define whether a rapist pays for his or her crimes?

I want to acknowledge that as functioning members of society, we have a duty to never turn a blind eye to the problem. To always be aware that rape is a sensitive topic, but it does no good to remain silent about its prominence in our culture. Objectifying a human body is not normal, and it should not be accepted. Be constantly aware that change is possible, and necessary, and that the answer to ending rape culture is standing up against it.

It is important to understand that how powerful you are should not be about your physical strength, but rather the strength of your character.

A college campus should not be a dangerous place to reside, and respecting somebody’s body should not be something we treat as optional -- it is a human right.

Change will happen when we understand that this is an epidemic that affects everyone. And that everyone, no matter who you are, is capable of contributing to the end of rape culture. We can do this by acknowledging that it exists, and by talking about the problem. We can do this by refusing to accept that rape culture is inevitable.

It is not.

It is the job of every single human being to enforce change, and to stand up for injustice. It will happen slowly, but it will happen. Never doubt the ability you have to promote change. It is going to be lots of small groups of people passionately advocating for more than what we have, for always making justice a priority.

Never doubt the ability small groups of passionate people have to make a difference.

It’s the only thing that ever has.