Talk to boys about consent

Published 7:46 pm Thursday, October 11, 2018

I am tired.

I am tired of this country and its people constantly dismissing the lives, the health and the legitimacy of women.

Half the population is written off as second-class citizens, no matter their race, religion or ethnicity. Things get progressively worse for women that aren’t white and Christian.

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I’ve been angry about the treatment of women in this country for a very long time, but this administration, and now the confirmation to the Supreme Court of an alleged rapist, is the straw that punched the camel in the face.

There are a million things that I come home and cry about, and lately, I find myself screaming at the wall instead of crying.

The thing I think that bothers me the most is how men are so nervous about how they interact with women now. All I can say to that is good — I’m glad men are nervous now. Maybe, just maybe, it will stop them from treating women like sex objects.

If you’re nervous about how to act around women then you are the problem, because your actions are not appropriate.

It is so easy to have a normal and appropriate interaction with a woman. Be polite, don’t objectify her body and don’t touch her without her consent.

Unfortunately, those things aren’t being taught to the boys. That’s precisely why the country is so concerned about their young boys and the possibility of being accused of sexual assault.

If young boys are being taught to be decent people to the women around them, the likelihood of them being accused of anything is pretty slim.

According to available data, false reporting of sexual assault ranges from 2 to 10 percent, depending on the study you look at. Inconsistencies within these studies are due to a lack of understanding what sexual assault is, inconsistent definitions of false reporting and inconsistent terminology within law enforcement agencies.

So, the chance of someone being falsely accused is slim.

Rather than trashing the women that come forward to say something, because most do not, praise them for being courageous, and make sure to have a nice long conversation with your kids, spouse, friends or anyone else about what sexual assault and consent mean.

Be supportive of the women in your life. Be supportive of the women not in your life.

The world should not have to be reminded that women are sisters, moms, cousins or whatever to be reminded they should be treated with respect.

Women are people. Women are humans.

They deserve the same love and respect that everyone else does.