Monday, June 06, 2011

Rant number... I don't know at least 7, 8 maybe???

Why does society tolerate violence against Women? Why do we hear about it and do nothing?
When we hear men justify violence? Why do we allow this? When we hear them blame alcohol why is this ok? Not everyone who drinks becomes violent, in fact most people don't so therefore alcohol can not be blamed. Or this: She was asking for it- look at what she was wearing? If a man is walking around without a shirt on is he asking to be sexually assaulted? Can't we wear what we like?

image
How can we , as a society continue to allow this to happen? Before the age of 25, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5-6 boys will be sexually assaulted in Australia. These are reported assaults, the ones we know about . This doesn't include the ones where the victim was drunk and feels embarrassed, ashamed, intimidated, scared to report etc etc etc.

In Australia it would appear that when you report being directly involved in the sexual assault of a woman with your team mates, you just go on TV look regretful- but never actually say sorry to the victim, and then you get your own TV Show? Or you smash a glass in the face of your girlfriend and three years later you are inducted into the Football Hall of Fame? Or you and your teams mates sexually assault a young woman but because there is not enough "evidence"  you just walk free?

Why does this continue? What are we teaching young people about violence, when footballers in particular , seem to get away with it?
Am I the only person outraged by this?

18 comments:

  1. No you are not the only person that gets the hairs on the back of her neck up about this. No you are not alone on this one. xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are definitely not alone..I have been amazed too at how they are still lauded by the football community when these men have done such appalling acts. I was listening to 'the circle' this morning and a guest said the three biggest businesses on earth are trading in arms, drugs and women..abducting and then selling them into prostitution!! The mistreatment of women is not new..but doesn't diminish in its ugliness...and what's with Australia's government wanting to send vulnerable and unaccompanied women and children refugees off to Malaysia..my little rant!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. You are not alone. I find it almost impossible to believe the amount of money our government spends on overseas sport events and is able to justify how little resources are out there for women and children who are being abused. They say it takes an average of 7 times for women to leave a relationship of domestic violence. How scary is that? And with a lack of services, no wonder. As a social worker, I am appalled at the number of women I see who have no support from family and friends because they have "burnt their bridges". What happened to compassion?

    Just wondering, are there any "bloggers unite" type events or groups that promote non-violence? Hmmm will have a look around but if you think of anything let me know, as I'd be keen to be involved.

    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Grrrr, it all sucks.
    Seems their ability to play football/sport out weighs any wrong doing. Club officials put them into rehab and so on and still keep them part of the team. I am sure there is many younger up and coming players that would deserve a place in the team. They are very poor role models for our young boys.

    ReplyDelete
  5. totally not alone. makes me rageful.
    Footballers especially.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You are so not alone, Cath. It has me screaming at the rafters too. Also, I'm still fuming about the breach of trust with the army cadets a couple of months ago and how she was villified by her commander for going to the media. It sickens and infuriates me. There are definitely big things wrong in our society. Things that have to change. It's very right of you to keep this issue in the spotlight.
    Kx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh Cath - I feel the same and feel very speechless at the whole thing... NOt sure what I can do to change this...

    ReplyDelete
  8. It seems footy players have their own rules. Look how violent they can be towards each other on the field -camera right on them. If anyone else did this to anyone off the field it's a chargable offence.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Cath, I have heard a few people speaking about the 'normalisation of porn' lately- and how the porn people use now would have been seen as really hard core 20 years ago and much of it is very violent (but not rated as violent necessarily because to be rated a violent the women have to be objecting to what is being done to them- der, they're actors..)The people talking against it (porn) are being portrayed as 'wowsers', our young people think it's normal, it's a MASSIVE industry and very easily accessible. To my mind, that can't help.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I feel all this. I went on SlutWalk last weekend to protest against victim blaming - the idea that a woman (or man) was "asking for it" and the attacker therefore is less culpable.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh - and my placard said "Teach your sons not to rape".

    ReplyDelete
  12. Last year I went to a lunch for white ribbon day, the day to support abused women, by encouraging men to stop it.

    The AFL were speakers and started by showing their latest short clip for YouTube etc, it was brilliant, empowering and gave me so much hope that the AFL had realized the errors and would no longer allow such horrid behaviour.

    A few weeks later the St Kilda school girl story came out.

    Good marketing and excellent direction is not enough, clearly.

    ReplyDelete
  13. definitely definitely not alone x

    ReplyDelete
  14. Course you're not alone. You can come and see what I look like when the blood starts boiling.

    ReplyDelete
  15. No, you're not the only one outraged by it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Of course you're not alone!!
    But now I'm stressing that there's news I've missed. What's going on?
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  17. No you are not on your own, it's disgusting the way bad behaviour is excused. Listening to the radio this afternoon and I heard talk of rape being used as a weapon of war and soldiers being issued with Viagra for that very purpose! How sick is that?

    ReplyDelete

what a nice person you are- taking the time to comment in this busy hectic world...Thank you!!