I'll add the quote from the news : "Police say they have made an arrest after a man was forced to watch a teen sexually assault his girlfriend at gunpoint."
This alone trivializes the crime, as if watching the crime was worse than suffering it. From: owner-univc...@list.purple.com [mailto:owner-univc...@list.purple.com] On Behalf Of Joe Clarke Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2011 2:05 PM To: Glenn Cc: UnivCity@list.purple.com Subject: Re: [UC] Many victims of violence Glenn, You know one way to further assault the victim is by politicizing the crime, rather than seeking justice for the victim(s). Politicization of people makes them mindless pawns of greater socia-economic-historic forces, and leaves them with no sense of reponsibility or agency for doing good. Politicization of people and their acts deprives them of their human diginty which includes making moral decisions-no matter how poorly. The Community Organizer, John McKnight, talks of an old woman from an "inner city" neighborhood who pleaded with him and other social service agencies who came to help, "Please don't turn me into a helpless victim. That puts me into a worse prison than this (her situation))" She could of said "Don't make me into a "benign stereotype", which you seem to be good at doing; "don't make me into a victim, a problem or a socio/psycho-pathology". When we pity anyone we secretly express our own superiority and hidden contempt for them. The rush to spread out the blame on society is a way of diminishing the sense of helplessness and hopelessness that the spreader has. If you want to be detoxified from the addiction to words - do something, take action. Once reality gets a chance to have a turn at influencing you, you'll have cast off your chains to your computer commentary. Joe On Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 12:45 PM, Glenn <glen...@earthlink.net<mailto:glen...@earthlink.net>> wrote: It is quite likely that there have been other victims of this young perpetrator's violence, who are suffering and without help. I hope we all include those suffering in silence in our prayers. The incident reported was horrible and requires our serious consideration and discussion. We owe that to all victims of violence. If you compare self report studies with crime statistics, it's clear that most victims of violence and sexual assaults suffer without help. Just like the news reports call 48th and Springfield, southwest Philadelphia, and not university city; the entire system is based on manipulation and fraud. (Go watch the poor people in tears being turned away from the DA's office on any day of the week!) The unequal system refuses to help the vast majority of victims of violence while blaming them for their lack of private resources and the communities in which they reside. The often absurd, NIMBY driven solutions to crime, also requires us to turn our backs on huge neighborhoods and populations who are victimized by violence daily. If we are going to stand for real, long term, policies to reduce violence and crime, we need to confront our own willingness to turn our backs on the majority of victims and communities. If there are flash mobs in center city and UCD, don't the people in other neighborhoods also suffer from violent perpetrators? I'm not diminishing the pain and trauma of these university city victims at all, but I'm begging people to open their hearts and minds to the victims across Philadelphia and the US so we can finally address these issues honestly. Next time we hear that upscale lights on commercial corridors or kicking poor people from the park is the answer to crime, I hope more people stand up and scream "LIARS" Let's start looking at and discussing our real problems honestly. And let's keep our neighbors security and needs in our thoughts as much as we consider our own! Glenn PS: Thanks Rick..." As Eldridge Cleaver said we all suffer, and it wasn't what we wanted, the greed&war machined people wanted us to feel it as inevitable! WE NEED A FAIR SOCIETY. Meanwhile we all suffer, the poor suffer the most, and the rich are plagued by indifference and callousness. Please teach us to be kinder. Please teach us to share. Please teach us and reach us with safer non-rape and non-repo forms of sex and power drives for our gratification and fulfillment! Please have mercy and justice. Help." ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. -- I think what weakens people most is fear of wasting their strength. Etty Hillesum<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/ettyhilles124704.html>
