Melissa Harris-Perry, a victim of sexual assault, narrates an open letter to Mourdock. Powerful...

[trailmonkee]

Melissa Harris-Perry of MSNBC, a victim of sexual assault, narrates an open letter to Mourdock. Astonishingly powerful. (@Jonathan Alter)

from mediaite: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/melissa-harris-perrys-open-letter-to-richard-mourdock-rape-survivors-are-the-gift-to-ourselves/

On Saturday, MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry presented an open letter to GOP senate candidate Richard Mourdock, drawing on her own experience with sexual assault. In this highly personal response to Mourdock’s statement about pregnancy resulting from rape being something that “God intended to happen,” Harris-Perry shared that she flinches sometimes at others’ touch and that some times of year can be harder because of associated memories. These, she explained, are “triggers” for her and for other survivors, and she spends her life trying to either avoid or manage these. A political race, she added, shouldn’t have to come with a trigger warning.

Survivors of sexual assault, she said, learn not to judge one another’s responses to their respective experiences. She then shared that, as a descendant of American slaves, some of her foremothers were women whose children — conceived through rape — increased the wealth of their rapists. And even these children, as complicated and painful and harrowing as their births may have been, were loved.


She continued:

I do not doubt the compassion or judge the choice of a survivor who carries a rape pregnancy to term. But the whole point is choice, consent. You see, Mr. Mourdock, the violation of rape is more than physical. Rapists strip women of our right to choose, of our right to say no, of our right to control what is happening to our bodies. And most of our assailants tell us it’s our fault. And they tell us to be silent. And sometimes they even tell us it’s God’s will. That is the core violation of rape. it takes away choice.
Now, Richard, you believe it’s fine to ignore a woman’s right to choose because of your interpretation of divinity. Does that sound familiar? So let me explain something to you. When we survive sexual assault, we are the gift. When we survive and we go on to love and to work and to speak out and to have fun and to laugh and dance and to cry and to live, when we do that, we defeat our attackers. For a moment they strip us of our choices and we heal when we take our choices back. We are the gift to ourselves and our families and our communities and our nation when we survive. So let me say this very clearly to you, Mr. Mourdock, and to all of your shameless endorsers: We did not survive an attack on our consent just to turn around and give up our right to choose to you. Not without a fight.

Are you sure you want to have that fight?

Sincerely, Melissa.

[babylonsister]

1. Fantastic! Rec'd, thanks for sharing as I missed her today. nt

[ProudProgressiveNow]

26. DU link!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101772658

[MsPithy]

30. Don't worry about missing any MSNBC show.

They are really good about providing the shows online.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8004316/

Select msnbc in the column on the left, and all the shows are there. I love Martin Bashir, who I never watched before I found this video link.

[trailmonkee]

39. we dvr both days.... always good

[toby jo]

2. Can't be said enough.

[goclark]

13. we love you mhp.. k and r

You are a beautiful woman and a treasure!
every woman and every man should read your words!

[MrYikes]

3. I just emailed her to let her know these threads exist and that we think highly of her.

[appacom]

6. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and

for reminding me that men - our fathers, brothers, sons and friends - are our partners in making the world a safe place for us all.

[B Stieg]

21. Nice work!

[trailmonkee]

25. Thank You

[Sekhmets Daughter]

4. I was watching....

It was very powerful. She is sooooo smart.

[TahitiNut]

47. She's got it ALL goin' on.

I rarely miss her show and watched this one with rapt attention. I've been very close to a few women who were victims of rape and sexual abuse ... and know I've been in the company of true HEROES. Without exception, it beggared my imagination that they overcame such horror and became the PEOPLE they were. Melissa is no exception and her 'letter' hit the mark dead center, even though Mourdock is totally without any essential human attribute that could lead to a glimmer of comprehension.

All I can say is, James Perry must be one tremendous fella to deserve her.

[stopwastingmymoney]

5. Omg that kills me

Thank you Melissa, for sharing that with us.

You are brave and strong and wonderful. Thank you for saying that so well. Women everywhere are grateful.

[beac]

7. K&R for OUR choice! n/t

[heaven05]

8. smack!

[Demoiselle]

9. "WE are the gift."

What a wonderful essay. Thank you, Melissa.

[We People]

10. Eloquent

...as usual! Thank you, Melissa - especially when you give voice to thousands, if not millions, of women who have struggled to be empowered again.

[classof56]

11. Melissa, you are more amazing than I ever thought.

You and your courage are gifts to all of us. You say we will not give up our right to choose without a fight. I join you in the battle!



OBAMA/BIDEN 2012

[postulater]

12. Exactly.

Her voice is much needed and valued.

[polmaven]

14. She was *marvelous*!!

I was glued to the tube watching her. She did tell him - and the rest of the "it's only rape" crowd what it is all about! Melissa is always very good, but today she was superb!

[me b zola]

15. K&R

Can we please have a raised fist smiley/emoticon?

[TahitiNut]

48. Something like this?

[libdem4life]

49. Yes, that...perfect.

[mstinamotorcity2]

16. Most Women will not admit

about sexual assault. They live with the knowledge all their lives. And while I'm at it, these type of things happen to men and children. But women are supposed to be used to it. And children shouldn't tell. And Men must never ever admit their manhood was violated. Prehistoric thinking. Time to tell the truth and put an end to the stigma of sexual assaults in this Country. For it is the only way we can Nyquil them here and around the world. The shame and humiliation belongs to the perpetrator not the survivor!!!!!!!!

[seabeyond]

28. very good post. nt

[rudyb]

17. Bless you Melissa

Thank you Melissa. Let peace be your pillar because from it there can be no wrong. You are a big inspiration to me! You are the proof that negates the rights' twisted version of reality. It is only a perversion in/of their mind that they cling to.
rudyb

[nolabear]

18. A loving K&R. Thanks to Melissa for her bravery.

It's happened more than anyone will ever know.

[redstatebluegirl]

19. How Brave of you Melissa...

I predict if these right wing zealots get elected ypu will see women marching in the streets to protect what rights we will have left. We will NOT be silent! Young women who have no way of knowing what it was like pre-birth control pills and abortion rights will be withus in force. Mess with us at your peril crazy white men!

[shireen]

20. it was very moving

I listened to her, not knowing she was a survivor. I heard her speaking for all women.

[StarryNite]

22. Thank you Melissa!

Nobody has the right to take away our choices. We are in that fight with you as women, as Americans, as human beings. Yes Melissa, you are a gift.

[liberalmuse]

23. Wonderful!

I'm so glad she wrote this and mentioned triggers. I won't post certain things on my Tumblr because I know it is true that this ridiculous garbage being put out by so many GOP candidates are triggers causing needless emotional and mental distress to the millions of women and men who have been sexually abused or sexually assaulted. PTSD is real, and it doesn't take much to hurl people back into the hell they struggled for years to deal with and overcome. I'm so disgusted with these old "grey-faced" men, as Tina Fey calls them, that I want to punch them in the balls. I know that isn't nice, but I'm sick of them and all their self-righteous, bloviating mixed with misguided "concern" for fetuses while condescendingly patting we women on the head as if we were mindless dolts.

[femrap]

24. The Truth

is extremely powerful. I've always enjoyed seeing her on TV.

Women are going to have stand up to these political PRO-RAPISTS.

Romney
Ryan
Rapists.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

27. DU link.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101772658

[Jennicut]

29. So powerful.

I had no idea she went through something so horrible. Incredible courage. My love for her grows even more.

[MadrasT]

31. "A political race, she added, shouldn’t have to come with a trigger warning."

Last edited Sat Oct 27, 2012, 03:13 PM - Edit history (1)

As a rape survivor, I am feeling extremely raw from the seemingly incessant rape talk lately. I have been wondering how many others are having a hard time with it and I thank her for speaking to this point.

Great statement, through and through.

I am so sick of hearing men talking about rape I could scream.

Women have a right to choose no matter how they become pregnant. All this rape talk is completely unnecessary and I am fed up with the increasingly fine subdivisions they are trying to attach to abortion.

[JimDandy]

32. I don't usually get so emotional, but the sentiments in her letter had me tearing up

and were tearing me up.

[Ilsa]

33. Incredible piece! She nailed it,

the triggers, OmG! I have them, too, esp a seasonal one.
My boss' boss said about my rape, "what's wrong with her? He didn't really hurt her." when my home was broken into, I was robbed and raped, my nose bloodied, and my left arm twisted and almost broken. Being terrified and afraid of catching STDs wasn't enough for him.

[peacebird]

34. I think your title should change to say "survivor" instead of "victim". As a survivor myself, it is

my preferred term, and she refers to it that way in her letter as well.

[liberal_at_heart]

35. "We are the gift"

Those are some one of the most poignant words I've heard in a long time.

[proReality]

36. I love this woman, she's beautiful inside and out. n/t

[Tarheel_Dem]

37. It was incredibly moving. nt

[ladym55]

38. MHP is the best

And she just proved it again today. It pains me that she went through the experience of sexual assault ... it pains me that ANY woman goes through that experience.

And yet select white men feel the need to define and describe the experience, and in their "infinite wisdom" feel THEY should make the decisions for women.

My heart goes out to every survivor of sexual assault, especially now as they must listen to the Richard Mourdocks, Paul Ryans, and Todd Akins spew their stupid self-righteousness and ignorance.

[felix_numinous]

40. The RW wants to psychologically dominate

as well as physically, and this is what ruins a culture. It ruins families and communities all the way up to countries. But it starts 'small'--personal domination condones cruelty on all levels--THIS is where it begins and where it can end.

[fortyfeetunder]

41. That's right Melissa!

She nailed it and, although I doubt Mourdock is listening, but maybe he should!

[crunch60]

42. Thank you Melissa for speaking up for rape victims everywhere, thank you for giving us a voice. nt

[derby378]

43. "Triggers," however, are not a gift

The nightmares, anxiety disorders, and flinching from the touch of a loved one that many rape victims experience - sometimes for the rest of their lives - are not what we'd refer to as gifts.

My wife, Ginny, has probably confided in some of you about the many things she's had to endure in her life, and I will not go into detail here. I knew - and she told me in so many words - that she brought a certain amount of baggage to our marriage. I wanted her to leave the baggage at the door, because I knew she hated dealing with it. I tried to deal with some of the triggers by making them go away, and yet I felt powerless in the face of those triggers when they suddenly manifested.

But Ginny always told me she loved me. She said that I was her best friend. Not long before her death, Ginny even told me that every once in a blue moon, she wished that she could have my child. Her devotion to me was never in doubt. It may have been tested by illness, hardship, and the fact that we were two completely different people (especially since I tended to vote Republican when she first met me), but she was devoted to me, and I would have taken a bullet for her.

Our species has only made a concerted effort to seriously deal with rape and the emotional and psychological trauma that results within the past 100 years or so. There may have been bright lights of inspiration here and there throughout history, but humankind had to wake up to the long-suppressed notion that women had the same inherent rights to life and liberty that men enjoyed.

But these political hack apologists for rape in the GOP have proved we still have much work to do. Every time a survivor of sexual assault suffers from a trigger, her assailant has prevailed once again. The ultimate goal must be to destroy the triggers and free these individuals from the mental prisons they are still confined to.

Because staring at the world through an invisible set of iron bars can be enough to drive you crazy.

God bless you, Melissa, and I hope you are able to find the deliverance and solace that you truly deserve.

[trailmonkee]

45. thank you

I appreciated your post very much

[blackspade]

44. FUCK YEAH!

Excellent finger to the American taliban.

[Oilwellian]

46. I saw it this morning

and was very moved. K&R

[Raster]

50. You GO, Girl! Rape and sexual assaults are not gifts from God or anything else...

...the acts of violence and control. And they are illegal and they are repulsive.

And quite frankly, what further evidence does anyone need to see that the "God" Mourdock speaks of is nothing more than a myth and superstition and deserves not one iota of relevance. Mourdock, on the other hand, obviously needs years of reparative therapy. Two words come to mind: sick ticket. Those words also come to mind for Rmoney/Lyin'.

[Dont call me Shirley]

51. Awesome Melissa, thank you!