Hometown Blues

I'm from New Mexico. (And no, that's not one of the things about which I'm ashamed.) There have been some... interesting... things going on in my hometown lately regarding football players committing sexual assault (who's surprised?). There's some interesting news coverage. I'm hoping the links will remain active for a while. There's an interesting article that sums up some of the responses here. (Here's one especially infuriating quote from someone named Jan

"Frankly, however, I'm shocked that the Times didn't have the genius to ask, and print, the answers to some questions. ... Did the little girl's clothing, demeanor, or actions, by any chance tease or lure the boy into thinking and acting upon something improper?"

Unfortunately, the editor did not directly attack this viewpoint, but he did write a letter that made me glad that he was in my hometown. Click here to read the editor's response to the fury in the town after the original article ran.

Below I will paste the e-mail that I wrote to him.

******

I grew up in Farmington , but I now live in Austin , TX where I work in the field of sexual violence prevention. The article about the Aztec football player was forwarded to me by my boss here in Texas , and in looking for more information, I came across your column. I think it is vitally important that individuals in positions such as yours continue to break the silence around the issue of sexual assault and that you bring light to the cultural norms that perpetuate sexual violence. Keeping the silence, as you seem to understand, implicitly shows support for the perpetrator and leads to a climate that is unsafe and unsupportive for victim/survivors of sexual violence. Many individuals think that silence, in this case, would have been preferable because it would have protected the reputation of the football player, but he must face the consequences of his actions. We have so many obstacles in the movement to end sexual violence, many of which are evident in the reactions individuals have had to the Daily Times articles and your column regarding this situation. Please continue to make yourself heard and to bring attention to the fact that perpetrators and not victims are responsible for sexual assault. It is vital to continue pointing out that perpetrators make the decision to commit sexual violence and that victims are in no way responsible. Whether a victim is 3, 13, or 23, the way she dresses or acts is not the cause of sexual assault. This is a violent crime and the perpetrator alone is directly responsible for his actions. Unfortunately, the attitudes of our community members as well as the norms of our society often support attitudes that perpetuate these acts of violence. We must continue to work to change these norms and not remain silent about this issue. Thank you for speaking out.