Why isn't the whole world crying?
Joss Whedon once wanted to know why so many people considered half of the human race (women) to be broken. (I've tried like hell but I can't find the link to this.)
Joss, man, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but maybe because it's that so many men set out to deliberately break us, in places like the "Democratic Republic" of Congo, where 33 women were raped en masse on New Year's by armed rebels (their way of battering in 2011?). Congo is a particularly gaudy offender, since rape is a weapon of war there, and they have 15,000 victims approximately so far to show for their efforts.
Don't get me wrong. It's not just the rebels of Congo I hate for their raping. It's just their way of marking New Year's Day.
edited to add:
And in case anyone thinks I have noticed recent events only in Africa, there is now an Amnesty International report on the sudden increase of rapes of women and girls by groups of men in Haiti.
The U.S. is no better. We still have the highest rape statistics in the world. But this predation on isolated women and girls by packs of armed men, with no help within thousands of miles, makes me feel sick at heart.
I know what will be said if we asked our government to go to the help of these people: "We're not the world's policeman." "We're cleaning up one war and involved in another." "The country can't afford it." And the rest of the world will say the same, except their replies on their wars may vary. And so nothing will be done except by a few small groups whose members will be driven out or killed.
And people ask why I write fantasy.
Joss, man, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but maybe because it's that so many men set out to deliberately break us, in places like the "Democratic Republic" of Congo, where 33 women were raped en masse on New Year's by armed rebels (their way of battering in 2011?). Congo is a particularly gaudy offender, since rape is a weapon of war there, and they have 15,000 victims approximately so far to show for their efforts.
Don't get me wrong. It's not just the rebels of Congo I hate for their raping. It's just their way of marking New Year's Day.
edited to add:
And in case anyone thinks I have noticed recent events only in Africa, there is now an Amnesty International report on the sudden increase of rapes of women and girls by groups of men in Haiti.
The U.S. is no better. We still have the highest rape statistics in the world. But this predation on isolated women and girls by packs of armed men, with no help within thousands of miles, makes me feel sick at heart.
I know what will be said if we asked our government to go to the help of these people: "We're not the world's policeman." "We're cleaning up one war and involved in another." "The country can't afford it." And the rest of the world will say the same, except their replies on their wars may vary. And so nothing will be done except by a few small groups whose members will be driven out or killed.
And people ask why I write fantasy.
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Alexandra
(new)
Jan 12, 2011 05:25AM
Amen. Simply Amen.
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I agree. I read fantasy and silly fairy like-like books because the world tends to depress and sicken me. Thank you for reminding us to think about others!
This I agree with, and, unfortunately, rape is considered to be part of a winning side's right... has been for thousands of years... unfortunately. Yet also is true is that more harm would come from interference from an outside goverment than what is done now, as such interference would, at best, cost more lives than rape victims so far in these countries. I honestly wish and pray that the goverments whose population uses such tactics as rape will change...And yes, I too read fantasy and science fiction to get away in part from the real, depressing world... at least for a time... a gateway of sorts to a different world and time...
I think this may be the link to the Joss Whedon quote you're referencing: http://whedonesque.com/comments/13271... It's a post he wrote right after the Dua Khalil stoning in 2007.
