#fatuma

Take Back the Night

Sexual and domestic violence are rampant and they affect a countless number of people of all genders every day. There is a culture that both excuses and enables these crimes, one that undermines the trauma of survivors. Misogyny is a prevalent evil that lives in most societies, nearly as inescapable as death. It is that misogyny, that demoralization of women, that fosters violence towards them. Furthermore, that same violence is done to men and their suffering is disregarded, if their experience is reported on at all. Both the justice system and the social mores of the world we live in have let survivors down egregiously, destroying their desire for retribution and giving violence more room to grow.

Nevertheless, there are those who refuse to accept this state of things. ‘Take Back the Night’ is both an organization and a series of protests that began as early as the 70s as a result of the prevalent sexual and domestic violence cases of the time. Two independent marches first happened in Philadelphia in 1975 and in Brussels in 1976 where women with candles walked through the night streets. The march is now popular on college campuses as a vigil to those who have been affected by assault and as a protest against that violence. They are held annually all over the world.

The first Take Back the Night march occurred following the murder of Susan Alexander Speeth, a young microbiologist, who was stabbed to death while walking home alone. Cases such as these are innumerable and have no signs of ending. Women and girls everywhere are warned to stay indoors and never go out at night, to behave in ways that won’t invite danger and monitor their every move so as to avoid getting attacked. It is too often the responsibility of the woman or girl to keep herself safe and not be murdered. As if her clothes or manner of walking will keep an attacker at bay.

Take Back the Night marches are heavily attended, more so now more than ever thanks to the advancement of technology and rampant use of social media. It’s safe to assume that the ones who attended the very first protest would be proud of how far their movement has some – or, rather, devastated that women still, after over forty years, have to march for the chance to live without fear of assault.

Hibsch, J. (2010). Students ‘Take Back the Night’ on Columbia streets. [online] Themaneater.com. Available at:https://www.themaneater.com/stories/campus/students-take-back-night[Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].

i feel u🙍

summer literally got me like

see like, ur against it but ur still friends with every dc demon on this hell site?? naahh wyd

id join but my wifis not so good atm smh

i knooo we were so ooc im cringe evry time it comes on tv

ikno those movies r so ooc its wildt