Stop Blaming the Victim

Stop+Blaming+the+Victim

With recent events occurring on and off the campus of West Texas A&M University, it begs the question: when did it become okay to blame the victim?  Many members of the WTAMU community are aware of the sexual assault that happened near campus.  These acts are deplorable and unacceptable, no matter how you cut it.  Any assault, in any form, should not be tolerated.  So, why then, do some members of the community feel it necessary to say such things as, “Well, she shouldn’t have been drinking so much.”  The problem is not college aged students letting off steam by having a few drinks.  The problem is that grown men feel it necessary to sexually assault a fellow student who is obviously not able to give consent.  We, as a culture, need to stop blaming the victim for the events that befall them.  We, as a community, need to stop shaming the victim when they are the one assaulted or affronted.  The dialogue needs to change.  Instead of telling young women they are to blame for wearing skirts or having a few drinks, we need to address why certain men on campus feel it necessary to ruin the lives of a student by sexually assaulting them.  We need to become a part of the solution and show solidarity for those who have been harmed, no matter who or where or how.  Assault is assault is assault, no matter who is doing it or what organization he is a part of.  We are a family here at West Texas A&M University, perhaps we should start acting like it.