How do you change the course of culture? a response to the rape story

Last night I heard about, found and read the college rape story that many are talking about. I have thought about it many times today and was ranting about it with friends this evening. I was reminded of an article a few weeks ago about why kids sext.

It took the author of yesterday’s article 9000 words (according to the local news) to tell the story. It would take more than that to think through and express all that needs to be said about this horror.

For me, figuring out who to blame is not helpful right now. Rather, I wish to think through some bigger questions.

Who are the less-than-obvious victims?

Who has victimized them?

How did the young men who committed this crime learn that there are no consequences for their actions?

Or worse

How have these young men come to the conclusion that what they did is acceptable?

What, in their upbringing, taught them (through explicit or implicit means) that this behavior is acceptable? or at least that they could get away with it? or that someone could get them out of trouble?

How have violent video games, porn and certain types of music and film that is exploitative of humans, especially women, taught them that this behavior is acceptable?

What are the factors in their upbringing that have taught these young people that it is not just acceptable but expected that they would behave in the ways described?

Why were the victims ‘friends’ debating her need to go to the hospital after her assault verses her reputation and future popularity?

Why has a government placed the privacy of individuals over the good of the community through enacting ‘privacy laws’ that have the result of protecting rapists?

Why does the reputation of an institution outweigh the well being of even one rape victim? let alone scores? hundreds?

What is it about the human being that causes him or her to look at another human being as an object to be oppressed?

How long does it take a person to become so desensitized by these kind of stories that they shrug with indifference?

Why are we not outraged?

If we are outraged, why do we keep it to ourselves?

Why are the outraged not protesting against this culture of violence on our college campuses?

Why is it that this will likely fade away with the news cycle?

Why are we so apathetic?

Who, that has a voice, will speak out against this culture of drunkenness, violence, rape and murder that seems to be an ongoing story in this community?

This is a problem of culture and is like a gigantic out of control barge of trash that no one has any control over and no one seems to know how to stop it as it destroys one life after another.

A friend reminded me of this:

All that we call human history–money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery–is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy. – C. S. Lewis

The last 24 hours since I read this article makes me realize the importance of the brief talk I was pointed to and posted yesterday afternoon… how we were meant to be. I urge you to take 17 minutes and watch and think.


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Filed under crisis at UVa, culture, shifts

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