Murder Of The Mind

[stinglikeabee]

From The Guardian: Filmmaker Lisa F Jackson survived a terrifying sexual assault in New York. But she was still shocked by the tales women told her when she made a documentary about rape in the Congo.

The article goes briefly into her experience filming the documentary The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo (broadcast on HBO, also recently highlighted by parlance). She describes a sort of 'moral inversion' where the women raped are ashamed, but the men who commit these rapes are not. When Jackson sought out the rapists, one told her they were 'inducted' into rape -- it's the 'just following orders' rationale applied to intentional sexual assault. I've yet to see the programme myself, and want to hear the interviews and try to understand why the rapes are so brutal (victims as young as four years old), why so widespread, and why so ignored by the world. Given things the way it is right now, I shouldn't be surprised if there are no clear answers. Jackson, despite having her personal case highly publicized, never found her rapists prosecuted.

The title of this post comes from a quote by one of the detectives in New York's Sex Crimes Unit Jackson is trying to film. When his colleagues congratulated him on the promotion to Homicide, he replied he HAS been working homicide for the last 15 years, 'that's what rape is: murder of the mind.'

Comments

[parlance.livejournal.com]

'that's what rape is: murder of the mind.'

*nods* If only more people got that.

[stinglikeabee.livejournal.com]

If only MORE men get that. Two days ago when I was in El Segundo, I overheard a group of people at a cafe discussing the area. There was a sharp scream outside and one of the women jumped up, pepper spray in her hand. The guys at her table laughed for her reacting that way, but she snarled at them their reaction (dismissive laughter) was how rapes happen in El Segundo. Her girl friend agreed and held up her taser, and they both left the cafe to find out what was happening.
I was kinda ashamed that a) I was trying to ignore the scream, thinking it was just a bunch of kids, b) I didn't have a weapon with me to protect myself, c) I thought El Segundo was a safe as houses.

Luckily it was just a bunch of kids playing around, but it was definitely a wakeup call. Those women really knew the score.

[parlance.livejournal.com]

Wow, yes, that's a different reality. I don't care pepper spray (though perhaps I should).

Be nice if at least one of those men had a think.ø