~My good thoughts and prayers are with the Isla Vista community~
I thought it would be worth collecting my favorite media responses (so far) to the Elliot Rodger incident, and posting them here. I have many thoughts and feelings about the shooting, and many others have already responded articulately and comprehensively. Many of my own thoughts have been encapsulated by others, and while I have been distressed over the shooting, I feel heartened reading all of the strong, emphatic responses by other feminists. I am distressed and saddened, knowing this will likely not be the last incident of its kind, and yet strengthened knowing that so many people I know, men and women, share a vision of gender equality and non-violence.
Laci Green on Upworthy
Jessica Valenti on #YesAllWomen
Your Princess is in Another Castle
When Women Refuse Tumblr
Dude, It’s You
Yes, All Men
Why It’s So Hard for Men to See Misogyny
I posted the Laci Green video on my Facebook wall, and I was not prepared for an acquaintance from high school to side with Elliot’s misogynistic beliefs and attitudes. I have been feeling embarrassed to have such grossness on my Facebook wall, so I keep countering his comments with my own- I can’t let him have the last word on my wall, can I? I have been thankful to my friends who have also been stepping in, bolstering the side of equality. A good friend of mine, too, sent me a message that she had received from a friend of hers who was going through the exact same thing. It was inspirational, and reminded me that I didn’t need to be an “expert” in order to argue with this guy and I didn’t need to apologize to anyone for his behavior and beliefs.
My #YesAllWomen contributions (not that I am on Twitter, but if I was, these would be mine):
Vigilant when I walk by large vans
Cautious when I open my front door at night
Thought about how fast I could run if I need to escape an attacker
Worried that I haven’t taken self-defense and that if I am attacked I will be criticized for not fighting harder
Worried that if I am attacked someone will out me as a stripper and I will no longer look like a “good victim”
Thought about getting an actual guard dog so when we are walking around our neighborhood I would have another form of protection
Do you have any favorite articles on the subject that I don’t have listed? Please share! Reading other people’s thoughts, opinions, and analyses of what happened is helping me process🙂