Blog: The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression
I remember when I was thirteen and walking home from a basketball game . The snow banks were very high and you could not see the road. My girlfriend and I were laughing and walking home to make it home on time, when a group of drunk teenage boys came up from behind us and started molesting us. They said they were going to rape us until one of them pleaded saying they are too young let them go. We got away and ran to our friends house. I was too ashamed to tell my parents what happened and the next week at school the main guy ludely pushed me up against the wall saying he should have finished what he started. I feel shamed and embarrassed.I felt oppressed and dirty. This was so unfair that we as young innocent girls should have been made to feel this way. The incidence was completely unfair, as we had no one to help us or fight for us, and it made us feel so ashamed , when we were not the ones that did any thing wrong. This incident diminished the equity that I had felt existed in life and made me see that being a female made me subservient and a victim for male aggression and violence.The way that this incident could have turned into an opportunity for greater equity would have been if the boys were held responsible for their actions and the we as girls had some counselling behind this and neighborhood watches could have been formed.
You are right that you and your friend did nothing wrong and the boys should have been held accountable for their actions. You should also have felt that you could go to an adult and let them know so it wouldn't happen again to anyone. Thank you for sharing your story with us and I hope your life has been much better over the years.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that this happened to you. You and your friend did nothing wrong to be treated the way that the boys treated you. I feel that your ideas of what postive things could of happened such as the boys being held responsible for their actions, counseling, and neighboorhood watches are good ideas. I hope that you share your story with loved ones around them so if this situation happens to them that they can be empowered and understand how their reaction can help the situation. It sickens me that people think they have a right to oppress others in this way. I hope you have grown and learned from this experience.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you had to experience this cruel behavior. I am grateful that you shared this story and it makes me want to help raise awareness for this awful behavior. My heart goes out to you.
ReplyDeleteHello Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteIt is very unfortunate that you had that experience. Unfortunately, many women had felt oppressed in their life. Fortunately, there are laws that protect us from abuse, however still seems that men can get away with many things just because they are male.
Elizabeth I am so sorry this happen to you and your friends but it was good that the other boy had sense to tell the other boy to let you and your friends go. Police or the neighborhood watch should have been on duty to watch out for the young people that are in the street. This should not have been done but this shows that there was no respect for who you were.
ReplyDelete