Thursday, October 16, 2014

Guest Post: "Why Didn't Anyone Do Something?" by J.T. Cardwell

"Why didn't anyone do something?"

From Facebook: 15 October 2014 at 09:27

"Why didn't anyone do something to stop him?" my best friend looked directly at me and asked with overt disgust and incredulity as we sat on the couch in our living room. The expression in her face and voice was a plea for the justice that was missing from the story. Her eyes bored through mine. I began to open my mouth to answer but ... I couldn't. 
My friend was referring to the news story from Steubenville, Ohio where a female teen was carried around unconscious and at times naked or exposed, as if a sex doll, by another student throughout the night ... to multiple house-parties ... with dozens of witnesses. Despite being at parties or in a car surrounded by people, some of whom knew both her and the perpetrators, no one did anything to stop the ongoing victimization. Worse: several people photographed or recorded her being penetrated (raped) and posted pictures with "rapey" and lewd comments about the unconscious girl on social media.

Looking at my best friend's disgusted and incredulous expression, I recognized the real emotion she felt: betrayal. And I realized I didn't have an answer for her.

I didn't know how it was possible that those things happened in such a public manner and no one present did anything to stop it.

I didn't know how the community could defend the teen perpetrators, pointing to their bright future as football players, identifying them as the victims, and dismissing their behavior as simply 'boys being boys.' (Three CNN correspondents also expressed similar opinions)

I didn't know how the community could blame the girl for what happened to her while she was unconscious.

I didn't know why coaches and school administrators were impeding the investigation and attempting to conceal information.

I didn't know that my ignorance of these answers and my inability to explain my best friend's empathetic feelings of betrayal would cause me to be ... curious.

Sincerely and passionately and empathetically curious.

Sincere enough to stop, question, and re-evaluate the things I thought I knew.

Empathetic enough to open my eyes wide enough to finally recognize the complexity of the truth: rape culture isn't just an over-sensitive exaggeration college girls claim exists to get attention, as is often asserted. No. It was as American as apple pie. And it was now Steubenville, Ohio's legacy.


Once again I must apologize for my lack of content.  I've hit a serious wall of writer's block.  I'll attempt a response to this soon.  Thanks for reading.