Political First, Then Personal
Political Is Personal to Daisy, please read. Maybe I will save personal news for a different post.
Daisy Coleman is a brave teen rape survivor who spoke out to demand justice in her
case. Now, we need to show her we appreciate all she did to fight a culture that
permits rape.
Will you sign the card to Daisy?
click here
Click here
Daisy Coleman* is a hero.
In January 2012, when she was only 14 years old, Daisy was raped and dumped, unconscious,
on her front lawn in the middle of a freezing cold night.
1
She went to the police, but
instead of getting justice, she was bullied, harassed, and tormented by supporters
of her rapist
—a high school football player whose family has influential political ties. Her mom
was fired from her job.
Her house was literally burned down
.2
Every step of the way, Daisy has refused to be silenced
. When her case stalled, she went public and told her story to the world. But the
harassment continued right up until last week, when Daisy tried to take her own life.
3
Yesterday, the unthinkable happened.
Despite video of the rape being passed around her school
4
and a rape kit being performed the morning after the attack,
5
a Special Prosecutor announced that no rape charges would be filed.
Instead her rapist would face a misdemeanor charge and probation.
6
At this dark time, it is important to show Daisy that there are millions of us all
around the country who thank her for her bravery in speaking out.
As she recovers from her suicide attempt, let's fill her room with thousands of cards
from all over the country showing her support.
It's easy to believe the world consists of only bullies and rape apologists, when
you've experienced the level of harassment day in and day out that drove Daisy to
want to take her life.
But Daisy and her family deserve to know there are thousands of us who think she
is one of the bravest people we know. That there are thousands of us who are not
giving up on fighting rape culture. That’s why we’re collecting thousands of personal
notes of thanks and support for Daisy. We’re printing them all and delivering them
to her in Missouri
Can you add your note?
Sign the card to thank Daisy for speaking out.
Stories like Daisy's have tragically become an epidemic in this country. There was
Audrie Pott, a 16-year-old California
rape were spread online.
7
And 14-year-old Cherice Morales, who committed suicide after her 50-year-old teacher
raped her and a judge declared she was "as much in control of the situation" as her
rapist.
8
And 14-year-old Samantha Kelly of Michigan
for reporting a rape in 2010.
9
And 17-year-old Canadian Rehtaeh Parsons, who just last year took her life for the
same reasons.
10
Stories from survivors who are blamed for their rapes, shamed and bullied into keeping
quiet, and ignored by authorities are too common. It's no wonder that only 3% of
rapists ever spend a single day in jail.
11 But
in a country where one in five women are sexually assaulted, we have to do something
about this
.12
We have to change the culture that tolerates and even encourages rape. And by telling
her story, and demanding justice, Daisy helped do that.
Last fall, 75,000 UltraViolet members called for justice in Daisy's case. Now, we
need to support her one more time. Daisy and her family are stepping out of the public
eye and getting ready to move on with their lives. But as Daisy focuses on her future,
we can make sure she knows that we all appreciate what she's done to help change
the culture that has allowed rape to become an epidemic
. Will you sign the card?
Sign the card to Daisy.
Thanks for speaking out,
--Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, Malinda, Adam, and Gabriela, the UltraViolet team
*We wouldn't normally identify a sexual assault survivor by name, but Daisy and her
family have come forward publicly in pursuit of justice, and their names have appeared
in the media with their permission.
Sources:
1.
Nightmare in Maryville
, Kansas City
2. Ibid.
3.
Daisy Coleman, teen at center of Maryville
, Kansas City
4.
Daisy Coleman rape case: Maryville
, ABC News, January 9, 2014
5.
Nightmare in Maryville
, Kansas City
6.
, Kansas City
7.
Sexting, Shame and Suicide
, Rolling Stone, November 17, 2013
8.
, CNN, August 30, 2013
9.
Teen Bullied After Rape Allegation Commits Suicide
, Hartford
10.
Rehtaeh Parsons wanted to go public before her death
, CBC News, October 3, 2013
11.
Reporting Rates
, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
12.
Nearly 1 in 5 Women in U.S.
, New York Times, December 14, 2011
Want to support our work?
UltraViolet is funded by members like you, and our tiny staff ensures small contributions
go a long way.
Chip in here.
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
No comments:
Post a Comment