I don’t know about you, but I’m still reeling from last week’s horrific news story in Cleveland. In a matter of days, we’ve learned the details about what these three women endured while they were imprisoned by this man for an entire 10 YEARS. Let me say it again: THREE WOMEN WERE IMPRISONED IN A HOUSE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 10 YEARS. If I sound angry, it’s because I am.
I’m outraged, but not just for obvious reasons. Not just because three young women had 10 years of their lives ripped away from them in an endless cycle of rape and abuse. Not just because, as young teenage girls, they were offered rides by a man already convicted of domestic violence and assault and needless to say, never made it home.
Nor am I outraged just because, so far, we’ve learned that two of the women were impregnated by their attacker. One of them gave birth to a daughter, who grew up in the house and is now six years old. The other, who says that she was pregnant five times, miscarried after being beaten and starved.
I’m outraged not just because police were called several times to the house, but never bother to investigated any further than the CHAINED SHUT FRONT DOOT. Not just because they never looked into neighbors’ reports of hearing strange noises coming from inside the house, seeing bizarre sightings like, I don’t know, NAKED WOMEN CRAWLING ON DOG LEASHES IN THE BACKYARD, or a little girl staring out the window of an abandoned house.
No, I’m not outraged just because of these atrocities. Not just because of the unimaginable suffering, fear, and hopelessness that each of these women surely felt, and the hope for freedom she probably lost.
I’m outraged that all of these things happened, and continue to happen to women all over the world, and yet it’s still easier to turn a blind eye and say you didn’t notice anything. It’s still more convenient for us to choose “not to get involved.” It’s still ok to chalk things up to “private issues” and simply walk away.
And on top of all that, some still have the audacity to question if feminism is really relevant in today’s “progressive society.” I mean, do you know any women who still need advocacy, who still need someone to step up for them and say “Yes, I care?”
I’m outraged, of course, that women are kidnapped, tortured, and murdered, everyday, everywhere.
But what really kills me, what really breaks my heart, is the realization that at the end of the day, it seems like no one really cares–not even the people who are paid to.
Alexa says... 