Reality
We all have two choices, it comes down to yes or no, whether to act or not to act, to go or not to go, to be great or horrible, bad or just good. Life really is THAT simple. We have choices and well....there are consequences, you would hope, pray, hold onto what little faith you have, there WILL be consequences.
The Law says if we just say "no" that will be enough. The government spends thousands in advertising campaigns supporting the Law....as if saying "no" is the answer. Well the numbers of victims are growing as I type, the thought of which is difficult to fathom, so many people let down, so many innocent victims, so much injustice. Where do they go? The police? The court system? From the time sexual assault victims straighten their clothes and wipe away their tears, fight off their fear and anger, society has stacked the odds against them. Each brick built upon myths, lies and stereotypes. Even to go as far as to claim certain types ....you know "those types" of people "deserve" to be assaulted. Have we evolved so far only to shift humanity into reverse gear? The blindness ...or is blindness too gentle a word? Ignorance? Pathetic ignorance?of society to shake their heads in disgust at reading another report of a child sexually assaulted, a woman gang raped, yet hold their head up, place the paper in the garbage and believe this doesn't happen to them or too communities like they live in.
In the court room victims are told its due to their appearance, their character, behaviour or choice of career, even sexual orientation. Even...can you believe it in a world as modern as ours....even told that because they wore a particular tye of boot they were "asking for it". This is what our justice system calls "evidence". A black dress (of which the jury never actually views, they just hear in "evidence" the defence interpretation of its appearance) described as "of gothic appearance" "witch like". Would this be then suggesting the Law believes people who choose to wear black deserve to be raped? are "asking for it?"
A female victim is told because she wore long black boots (oh yes..by the way the boots were hidden under a ground length dress!!) she should have known these boots are known by society to be sending a hidden (telegraphic? electronic? sensory? teleportic?) message to others they are "asking for it". These evidentary suggestions describe the accused as holding not only x-ray vision, but highly developed sensory perceptory skills, that they can pick up messages, even the victims cannot identify, requires further investigation, why use rats in such a ground breaking scientific discovery, surely with offenders having so little will power why not use the real thing.
So you, society, our communities, the law, the government, insists if victims just come forward, if they just report their crimes to police, all will be better, there WILL be consequences. Oh please. Research claims children attempt to report their assaults up to 30 times before an person actually listens. Is it no wonder adult victims have so much difficulty making their needs known, when our most vulnerable of all victims, children for goodness sake, cannot have their voices heard. Any change in law is so overwhelmed by the heated attack of civil libertarians about offenders rights, the changes have so little impact. Take protecting children. Protecting children....mmmm...let me see...oh yes, the civil libertarians were more concerned with the privacy of pedophiles after they are released from prison, they attacked suggestions of a 'megan's law' in Australia, with total disregard for the safety and welbeing of our children.
Oh yes by the way has Australia even signed the 'convention for the rights of the child'? Maybe the paperwork is buried under taxes, superannuation increases for politicians, funding cuts and oh yes HUMAN RIGHTS. Who are these people? Maybe they are still evolving? Cognitively so to speak. They walk and talk like human beings, yet there is something missing, biological differences from the original mould, compassion, understanding, empathy and truth.
There is a inbalance, a sense of instability in society for victims of violence. For too long our needs, our voices have been silenced by being referred to as "just a witness" in a crime of which they are the victim. For too long we have been doing just what society has asked of us, enjoying life, walking home with the view we lived in a free nation, where we had choices. We have been going to bed at night and turning out the light, believing with our windows locked we were safe to fall asleep, as children we have placed our trust in those we look up to, those who have brought us gifts, taken us special places and held our hands, we have thought we were safe. We have shared in celebration with trusted friends, colleagues we have shared our lives with and when they offer to walk us home, we felt more safe that we were with a trusted friend. We said "I do" and listened to the words of the minister/priest tattooed on our heart, we believed in the love you sold us, the safety of marriage build on respect. We have done what you have asked of us society, but you have misled us, we were not safe and now you tell us we are too blame.
IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
The Law says if we just say "no" that will be enough. The government spends thousands in advertising campaigns supporting the Law....as if saying "no" is the answer. Well the numbers of victims are growing as I type, the thought of which is difficult to fathom, so many people let down, so many innocent victims, so much injustice. Where do they go? The police? The court system? From the time sexual assault victims straighten their clothes and wipe away their tears, fight off their fear and anger, society has stacked the odds against them. Each brick built upon myths, lies and stereotypes. Even to go as far as to claim certain types ....you know "those types" of people "deserve" to be assaulted. Have we evolved so far only to shift humanity into reverse gear? The blindness ...or is blindness too gentle a word? Ignorance? Pathetic ignorance?of society to shake their heads in disgust at reading another report of a child sexually assaulted, a woman gang raped, yet hold their head up, place the paper in the garbage and believe this doesn't happen to them or too communities like they live in.
In the court room victims are told its due to their appearance, their character, behaviour or choice of career, even sexual orientation. Even...can you believe it in a world as modern as ours....even told that because they wore a particular tye of boot they were "asking for it". This is what our justice system calls "evidence". A black dress (of which the jury never actually views, they just hear in "evidence" the defence interpretation of its appearance) described as "of gothic appearance" "witch like". Would this be then suggesting the Law believes people who choose to wear black deserve to be raped? are "asking for it?"
A female victim is told because she wore long black boots (oh yes..by the way the boots were hidden under a ground length dress!!) she should have known these boots are known by society to be sending a hidden (telegraphic? electronic? sensory? teleportic?) message to others they are "asking for it". These evidentary suggestions describe the accused as holding not only x-ray vision, but highly developed sensory perceptory skills, that they can pick up messages, even the victims cannot identify, requires further investigation, why use rats in such a ground breaking scientific discovery, surely with offenders having so little will power why not use the real thing.
So you, society, our communities, the law, the government, insists if victims just come forward, if they just report their crimes to police, all will be better, there WILL be consequences. Oh please. Research claims children attempt to report their assaults up to 30 times before an person actually listens. Is it no wonder adult victims have so much difficulty making their needs known, when our most vulnerable of all victims, children for goodness sake, cannot have their voices heard. Any change in law is so overwhelmed by the heated attack of civil libertarians about offenders rights, the changes have so little impact. Take protecting children. Protecting children....mmmm...let me see...oh yes, the civil libertarians were more concerned with the privacy of pedophiles after they are released from prison, they attacked suggestions of a 'megan's law' in Australia, with total disregard for the safety and welbeing of our children.
Oh yes by the way has Australia even signed the 'convention for the rights of the child'? Maybe the paperwork is buried under taxes, superannuation increases for politicians, funding cuts and oh yes HUMAN RIGHTS. Who are these people? Maybe they are still evolving? Cognitively so to speak. They walk and talk like human beings, yet there is something missing, biological differences from the original mould, compassion, understanding, empathy and truth.
There is a inbalance, a sense of instability in society for victims of violence. For too long our needs, our voices have been silenced by being referred to as "just a witness" in a crime of which they are the victim. For too long we have been doing just what society has asked of us, enjoying life, walking home with the view we lived in a free nation, where we had choices. We have been going to bed at night and turning out the light, believing with our windows locked we were safe to fall asleep, as children we have placed our trust in those we look up to, those who have brought us gifts, taken us special places and held our hands, we have thought we were safe. We have shared in celebration with trusted friends, colleagues we have shared our lives with and when they offer to walk us home, we felt more safe that we were with a trusted friend. We said "I do" and listened to the words of the minister/priest tattooed on our heart, we believed in the love you sold us, the safety of marriage build on respect. We have done what you have asked of us society, but you have misled us, we were not safe and now you tell us we are too blame.
IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
posted by Surviving @ 2:10:00 pm
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