involved in this, I dearly hope it shakes out not only with prosecutions, jail time, and even death penalties assessed, but also with a new age for women in this country. We are SO far behind other countries in their treatment of women (and some we're just on par with... e.g. Afghanistan), that I hope what these women went through would have a positive outcome... not only for them, but in the name of ALL women.
May the marble ceiling be demolished.
May the glass ceiling be broken into small shards.
May men finally treat women with respect and deference.
May married men realize what a jewel they have in their wives, and treat them as such.
May the default be belief, pending investigation, on any crimes reported by women.
May men who do not treat women with respect and justice be shamed into oblivion, and jailed if necessary.
I don't think these are "pie in the sky" wishes. For men in this country, this is the default. Most of us women only want a chance to succeed, a chance to walk down the street regardless of day or night, and not worry we'll be assaulted, raped, or at the very least wolf-whistled at. I'm an old time feminist... not the section who hate men... but those who want equality and equity with men. But I'll admit, I went through a period after a couple of bad experiences with men where I wanted nothing to do with them. I saw the entire species as evil incarnate. But I was young, and hurt, and no one would believe my story. To this day, I carry sore spots that are too easily triggered. But at least I realized you can't hate an entire species for the crimes of a few. Life would have been so much less enjoyable had I stayed in that hating mode. And so I still hope, one day, to see some form of parity for all minorities... not just women, but all of us who are on the "fringes" for one reason or another. Make the experiences these girls suffered count for something good in the end. That's all I ask.
= new reply since forum marked as read