COMMENTARY||
According to a BBC report, “Indian authorities have charged five men with the kidnap, gang-rape and murder of a woman in Delhi last month.
Protests have been taking place every day since the gang-rape, with protesters expressing anger over attitudes to women in India and calling for changes to the laws on violence against women.
They say women in Delhi and across the country are frequently subjected to harassment and sexual assault, that reports of crimes against women are not taken seriously and that conviction rates are too low.”
Who's to blame?
Clearly, the men in question should be held responsible for their horrendous actions upon being found guilty. There is no denying their lack of conscience or morality. Yet, the issue goes much deeper. What type of attitude toward women has their society taught them? On the other hand, isn't an individual responsible for making their own decisions, despite the society they live in?
Are attitudes here in the U.S. All that much different?
While we certainly have come a long way in gaining equal rights, women in our country also have a long way to go. Women here receive a daily dose of brainwashing from commercial ads that subliminally place value on looks above all. Some music encourages womanizing. And yes, we have rapes, prostitution and strip clubs galore. Some might argue that prostitution and strip clubs in America are largely made up of willing participants.
Statistically speaking:
According to Laws.com, “What is the murder rate for an American prostitute? 204 for every 100,000. Over 20 times the national average.”
According to The Polaris Project, which describes itself as working for a world without slavery, “Victims of both sex and labor trafficking may be found in hostess clubs and strip clubs in the United States. In situations of sex trafficking, a victim may be forced to provide commercial sex to the club patrons by a pimp, employer, or other controller, in addition to his or her work as a dancer or hostess. Victims may be U.S. citizens, undocumented immigrants, or foreign nationals with tourist, summer work, or entertainment group visas. Though the victims tend to be adult women, some of these networks may also exploit minors.”
Also keep in mind:
According to one infourusa.org, a web organization fighting against U.S. rape crimes, "99% of rapes are committed by males. In the year 2000, 246,000 women survived rape and sexual assault. This computes to 28 women every hour.”
Never assume.
Never assume that this type of crime couldn't possibly happen in the U.S. It can and it does. The statistics above clearly indicate an underlying attitude of female inferiority. Yes, we have it slightly better than women in some other countries. That doesn’t guarantee we won't become victims of sexual crimes.
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