Editor’s note: This column was inspired by the One Billion Rising rally and flash mob at the state office building atrium on Feb. 14, and was submitted by the author.
It was me.
“It could be anyone,” she said today. “One out of three women is raped or beaten in her lifetime in our world today.”
I was one.
My soul still screams.
I remain forever one who was raped by one of the hims who do the raping.
“It could be anyone,” she said.
But it was me.
It was my heart crushed by the weight of him pushing against my chest.
It was my voice unheard pleading, “No, please no.”
It was my beliefs shattered by this priest, my teacher, who violated me and my Church, robbing me of all spiritual connection to my rich religious past.
It was my vocation to be a nun, and serve God, stolen by him, replaced with emptiness.
It was my twenty-first birthday forever unmentionable in all the questionings, “What did you do for your birthday.” The special twenty-first birthday I only realized later he had calculated in advance would be the night, the night I would be of age, the night to invite me to his room to hear his poetry.
It could have been anyone. But it was ME!!!
I looked around the room. One of every eight women was weeping as she spoke. Other ones out of threes, I thought. Or mothers or sisters of the ones.
“One Billion Rising,” this movement against rape, against violence of women, this movement is called. I’m one out of a billion rising and I’m one out of three raped.
Please go to onebillionrising.org for more info on global happenings on this important issue.
• Dr. Maureen Longworth is a board certified family physician with advanced training in domestic violence care. She collaborated with AWARE to provide training for Bartlett Hospital staff and to require mandatory safety and violence screening of Bartlett patients which is in place today.
Comments (13)
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Thanks for sharing. I have two little girls and I fear for their future in this regard. I will raise them to be strong and aware, and I promise to teach them the tools as best I can to prevent this from ever happening to them.
Parents of sons. Please do the same.
When?
Is it time to address Islam?
Protect yourself
Did they vomit or scream or tell them they were ministrating?
Seems I heard some Lib say that was all a rape victim needed to do to stop an attacker. What an idiot!
Me, I think women should be packing some real heat in the form of a concealed carry pistol and shoot the perp many times; and right where it counts the most!
AKjustice
It was the University of Colorado, not "some lib."
And how disgusting of you to go on about your personal, political agenda here.
Rape
AK Justice - Yep, I'll be sure to give my daughter a 9mm when she turns 8. Rape doesn't just happen while a women/girls is walking down the street. It happens at church, it happens, in dorm rooms, it happens in play rooms, it happens at school, it happens everywhere. While protecting themselves is a fine idea in limited situations, the reality is that rape occures often when it a gun is not at the ready. The reality is that bringing a gun into the situation is likely to result in the death of the intended victum.
Real solution: education children to respect women and when needed remove the rapists from the street and address the issue (castration etc).
So why the thumbs down on my post. Someone doesn't like the idea of educated and prepared girls?
Its easy to be male, but it
Its easy to be male, but it takes a lot of work to be a man...
Rain, My oldest daughter is
Rain, My oldest daughter is well on her way to getting her blackbelt. Not a guarantee to prevent it, but will certainly help...
Thanks Kpawsuh
Glad to see we finally 100% agree on something. Too bad it is at such a big cost to so many.
May your daughter inflict great pain and injury on anyone who tries.
I told her that if anyone,
I told her that if anyone, regardless of who it is, touches her inappropriately, even if its me, to beat the living poo out of them.
And this from the Colorado
And this from the Colorado DEMOCRAT State Rep. Salazar on why college campuses should be gun free.
"It’s why we have call boxes, it’s why we have safe zones, it’s why we have the whistles. Because you just don’t know who you’re gonna be shooting at,” Salazar said, according to a transcript of his remarks published by the Denver Post. “And you don’t know if you feel like you’re gonna be raped, or if you feel like someone’s been following you around or if you feel like you’re in trouble when you may actually not be, that you pop out that gun and you pop … pop a round at somebody.”
So ladies, just get out your whistles the next time "you feel like you're gonna be raped" because we wouldn't want you to "pop a round at somebody". What a joke...
Ok, this isn't an 'opinion'
Ok, this isn't an 'opinion' piece, it's some ditzy prose ad for a 'progessive, or as I like to call it 'commie', cause. What you've got here is a typical SWPL cause - something everyone agrees on and can feel good about 'participating' but totally useless in reality.
Really, is there anyone out there that is pro rape? Anyone? Anyone out there for beating the snot out of women? Anyone? Ok, muslims, but anyone else?
Anyone out there unaware of rape as problem? Does anyone think we're lacking criminal penalties for rape or violence against women?
What about violence against men? Is that a problem? Apparently not. Is focusing on issues women, to the exclusion of men's issues, a problem?
Here is a excerpt of the accomplishment of the advocated org:
"Created solidarity and safe and free space, through our creativity and numbers, for violated women to tell their stories, many for the first time, and heal their trauma by dancing in public, communal open spaces."
What the flying dog meat is that supposed to mean?
Or this:
"Inspired millions of men to stand and rise as our allies, deconstructing patriarchy alongside us."
Now, you may not know this, but as a (secret) card carrying member of the patriarchy I have to laugh at those millions of men who didn't get invited. Losers! See, if you'd only been considered worthy of membership, you wouldn't have to stand with the wimmin folk. Hey, shape up, you don't have to be a mangina.
maybe you could form your own org.:
populated by the 5% or so of those men who are the victims of female sexual violence, to raise awareness about all those dismissed by the court system as "nancy-boys"---You could furnish the site with your own allusive prose, and pout all you want about how "It Should Still Be About Us."
Call it "Fifty Million Rising" and see if you get any hits...
Thanks for sharing your story
Dr. Longworth, It took incredible courage and grace for you to share your personal story in The Empire. I hope that the support of those close to you and those involved in the One Billion Rising movement help shield you from suffering any further hurt from the comments of those who would dismiss or minimize your experience. I pray that God opens their hearts and helps them understand the pain they cause others through their words.