We are not your weapons – we are women

[Brooklyns_Finest]

We are not your weapons – we are women
By Amanda Kijera, civic journalist and activist in Haiti

Two weeks ago, on a Monday morning, I started to write what I thought was a very clever editorial about violence against women in Haiti. The case, I believed, was being overstated by women’s organizations in need of additional resources. Ever committed to preserving the dignity of Black men in a world which constantly stereotypes them as violent savages, I viewed this writing as yet one more opportunity to fight “the man” on behalf of my brothers. That night, before I could finish the piece, I was held on a rooftop in Haiti and raped repeatedly by one of the very men who I had spent the bulk of my life advocating for.

It hurt. The experience was almost more than I could bear. I begged him to stop. Afraid he would kill me, I pleaded with him to honor my commitment to Haiti, to him as a brother in the mutual struggle for an end to our common oppression, but to no avail. He didn’t care that I was a Malcolm X scholar. He told me to shut up, and then slapped me in the face. Overpowered, I gave up fighting halfway through the night.

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/04/23/we-are-not-your-weapons-we-are-women/

This is apparently a hot topic on the internet today. A friend sent it to me. I wonder what your thoughts are.

[geckosfeet]

1. Some of the comments on that post are truly revolting.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

2. Of course

That is expected on the interwebs.

I wonder what her mindset will be in the coming weeks and months. I wonder if her opinions will change.

[redqueen]

3. Mostly good... but...

"Not once did I envision myself becoming a receptacle for a Black man’s rage at the white world, but that is what I became."

:wtf:

I dunno how that works. Rape is rape... it's not rationalized by rage at the world. End of.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

5. Yeah

She seemed way too poetic about what was purely an act of violence.

[redqueen]

6. And this part ...

"While I take issue with my brother’s behavior, I’m grateful for the experience."

Sick sick sick sick sick. Fucking fucked up as all hell.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

7. I saw that too

Very odd.

[redqueen]

8. Apparently in the comments there are people who 'get it'...

IMO there is no getting it... it's just fucked.

[Odin2005]

4. Good God.

:cry:

[femrap]

9. As Shirley Chisholm used to say....

"Men are men."

What a pity that it took being raped for her to see the oppression of women and herself. Way to many women stand with the Patriarchy thinking it will somehow protect them.

There are some men where dialogue just isn't going to cut it....a 2 by 4 might.

Rapists should be jailed for life....or at least get a sentence equal to that of crime against almighty property and $$$.

I hadn't heard that Chinese saying before....'women are like grass.' And I wish I hadn't cuz now I'm:mad: :mad: :mad: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :grr: :grr: :grr: