Question B

[Jonetta]

Teri Howe loves everything about her job, except for the unwanted attention from other male officers. Before we learned more about her history, how did you believe she should have handled any man grabbing her butt in public, regardless of rank?

[Anita]

You could tell she didn't like it, but didn't do anything, except run, to make it stop. I would have liked to see her grab a finger and break it for the repeat offender. Just one, but it would have made a point.

[Sharon]

Teri didn't know how to deal with the unwanted attention because she didn't like the spotlight. Also, she didn't want to make waves and lose her ability to fly. She should have reported the situation, but the military didn't take these allegations seriously when this book was written. Add to that, she dated the one officer. It put her in he said; she said situation.

[Jonetta]

Teri was paralyzed with fear and guilt over what she believed might have been her complicity in the situation. I found this so sad that women often felt trapped between a rock and a hard place in male-dominated roles. Her past really didn’t help much with that early predatory man her mother let into their home. What a mess.

She needed to have confidence in her own voice but sadly it just wasn’t there.

[Lauren]

Before the information on her past is revealed, I would have expected her to be more assertive in rejecting the jerk's advances.

However, once it becomes clear that she has difficulty standing up for herself against aggressive males, I realized there had to be more to her character.

As to her not reporting the incidents, she was afraid that her past would be turned against her. Victim blaming and shaming is, unfortunately, very real.

[Jonetta]

That makes me sad and angry, how it’s allowed in our judicial system to victimize the victim and have it work.

[Lauren]

Jonetta wrote: "That makes me sad and angry, how it’s allowed in our judicial system to victimize the victim and have it work."

It's infuriating.

[Sharon]

It is infuriating and all too real.

[Robin]

I also expected Teri to be more assertive with the jerks who were harassing her. But once I learned about her past problems with her mother's boyfriends, I could understand why she reacted the way she did.