I am writing today out of complete disgust having to do with the disturbing and appalling events that I witnessed this past weekend. Having taken part in the Take Back the Night March, I have become more aware of the prevalent threat of sexual harassment, assault and degredation that females face on this campus. Taking into consideration this campus is composed of a diverse population of students whose residency is from a variety of areas, it is still utterly appalling and disappointing to hear and to see events that took place in the past weeks.
After listening to a female friend tell of being harassed on Court Street during a weeknight and hearing her story of being pinned to the wall by an inebriated male (while his three friends stood and watched without intervening to aid her), I was shocked that such a thing actually does occur here in our quaint town. While she was able to fight and make a getaway, the story will forever haunt me during my walk home every evening down the dreaded danger of Mill Street. This story was with me when my friend was sexually assaulted this weekend while innocently entering The Union.
Following her outside of the bar to confront this punk, we discovered him stumbling drunkenly out of the bar. My friend began to tell him exactly what she thought of him, rightfully so. After a lady-like slap to the cheek, which any self-respecting male would acknowledge was rightfully his, she spoke of her frustration in being handled as if she was merely a piece of meat.
I am assuming that most men are gentlemen, but that would be totally wrong. Instead of apologizing to this classy and conservative backlash, this jerk whips back and smacks (not slaps, I mean really smacks) her right across the face. My jaw fell to the ground in utter shock. In my naive world, a real man does not hit a woman, especially after grabbing her ass. This is not the most disturbing part.
The most amazing part of this story is that no one did a damn thing. No one asked if she was all right. No one began berating the jerk who smacked her. No one acted like anything out of the ordinary even occurred. As both my friend and I began yelling at this kid out of shock and rage, everyone scattered. C'mon people. This isn't New York City -it's Athens, Ohio. I guess I hoped that someone would have helped two females when one has just been physically and sexually assaulted in public. I was wrong. I suppose a call to the police department was most definitely in order, but due to the fact that I was denied assistance by a policemen when asking for a ride (or at least an escort) down Mill Street (a well-known danger area for females) at a deserted and menacing hour, I decided that perhaps serve and protect might not be at the top of their list.
This letter is an attempt to raise awareness about the danger that unfortunately still remains within this campus, as well as an attempt to illustrate the unfair and disgusting advances that females deal with daily. I shouldn't have to be afraid to walk home from work late at night. I shouldn't have to deal with a situation where it is me and another girl up against a large Neanderthal while a crowd merely looks on. And I shouldn't even have to write this letter. That kid this weekend is a potential rapist; that's the type of male that actually perpetrates such audacious acts of violence.
Thanks to everyone who enjoyed the show, and perhaps next time something like that occurs, you might want to recognize this kind of thing can happen to your mother, your sister or your girlfriend. Oh, one more thing. This letter goes out to the pitiful girl that claimed that piece of crap as her boyfriend. You are an example of why this kind of violence continues. I refuse to accept that behavior and implore the perpetrator and the onlookers to do the same.
-Jessica Botos,
Athens
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Letter to the Editor
