What if you found out that your best friend is a victim of rape?
What if your cousin is? What if your little sister is?
You suddenly realize how often it happens and how many people it affects.
You suddenly realize how personal this problem actually is.
More often than not, victims of rape replay the moment in their heads analyzing what they could have done differently.
And people seem to ask questions often emphasizing the victim, such as “Were they drunk? How drunk? What were they wearing? Did they actually say no or just infer it?”
Yet, no matter what the answers to these questions are…rape is NEVER okay.
No matter what the circumstances were, what the asshole did is inexcusable in every way.
No matter what the victim was doing or state they were in, RAPE IS RAPE.
Nothing will ever justify how it has and will affect the victim in that moment, the next few weeks, and forever throughout their life.
That asshole will never be able to take back:
The Initial Moment:
The inevitable, overpowering sensitivity to fear and disbelief that comes in that moment, the very next second after, or the next day.
- A fear of touch, a fear of what people are capable of, and a fear of trusting anyone anymore.
- Along with fear, then follows a disbelief of reality, the denial that this is YOUR reality.
The Next Few Weeks:
A confrontation with reality and facing the consequences of someone else’s actions.
- Having to worry about things you never thought you would have to (Plan B, STD tests, explaining what happened to the doctor, or maybe even counseling)
- Having to wait for relief (Your period, something that was dreaded every month suddenly becomes your hope of relief as you wait for it to tell you that you're not pregnant)
- Feeling hesitant about if you should tell anyone or keep it to yourself (Because you know telling your parents, friends, siblings, or anyone you care about would devastate them)
Forever:
Throughout their life, the thought of that person will remind you of being taken advantage of, a time of powerlessness, anger, sadness, weakness, and REGRET.
However, the saddest part in all of this is that…. Life goes on.
That after a while, life oddly seems normal again...
But the thing is, what happened happened. It doesn’t just go away and once again, it's inexcusable.
So… To all those who have affected another person’s life for your own selfish desires…
Fuck you. If you are lonely, needy, or whatever your reason was, go fix yourself, don’t drag an innocent person down with it.
