woman that with her physical gesture and body communicates dissent (credit to Andrea Piacquadio from pexel)
Editor’s Letter
When will we decide to change? When will we finally say, “Enough”? Ever since we became a society where women have to live in fear, have to think about the route they’ll take to get home, how to dress, and the right words to use so as not to provoke or be misunderstood. Ever since we became a society that no longer listens to a “no”? Since when has it become negotiable? No, it’s not a word, it’s a sentence, and as such, it’s not open to interpretation but has a clear and precise meaning.
NO
[noh] adverb
(a negative used to express dissent, denial, or refusal, as in response to a question or request)
No means No, and it applies to everyone. It applies to Jane Doe (fictitious name), the Cornell University student, it applies to the 30 young men in the fraternity at the University of Wisconsin, it applies to anyone who has a voice and makes it heard but may not be listened to.
No, nein, non, nee, nei, nie, the languages change, but the meaning does not. When will we learn that words have value, weight and truth? When will we learn to raise generations to respect others instead of teaching them to be cautious to avoid danger? When will we understand that it’s not the victim’s fault, not an individual’s fault, but society’s?
This is not the kind of civilization I want to be a part of. I want to be free to go out at night without fear, to dress however I choose, to go to a party without worry. I don’t want to be afraid anymore; we don’t want to be afraid anymore.
We no longer want to stand at the door with our parents telling us, “Don’t let your drink out of your sight, don’t trust strangers, don’t trust parties, don’t trust ‘friends.,” How many more times must we hear these warnings before we start educating instead? When will we realize that the first lesson is respect?
I’m studying journalism, I want to be a journalist, and I’m doing journalism. And believe me, on days like these, it’s hard. It’s incredibly hard to stick to the facts and remember “innocent until proven guilty” when we’re overwhelmed by disgust at the realities we’re forced to report on.
An unnamed young woman with a dream, one that may never come true, has finally received the attention she deserves, only two years after the night in October 2024 that turned her life upside down. The academic community is outraged, America and the world is outraged, but during these two years of emptiness, who stood by her? Who gave her the justice she deserves?
For the past 48 hours, everyone has taken a stand, made their voices heard, and expressed their outrage. But who was there for her during that time? Who supported her in her fight? Who held those responsible accountable? Those seven fraternity brothers, who may still be walking around campus, may already have graduated or will graduate soon from Cornell, is something Jane Doe, on the other hand, will never get to do.
I scroll through social media and see thousands of indignant people. I wonder how many other Jane Does have faced silence before anyone started listening, and I wonder how many more Jane Does there will be before anything truly changes.When will we give a voice and justice to the 5,950 people who reported rapes on college campuses in 2024, as documented in the CSS reports?
Of all the words I’ve read in recent days, the punch to the gut came from the words of Cornell professor Kate Manne. “She (Jane Doe) therefore faced more severe consequences than most of the men she alleges gang-raped her,” Manne said in a recent New York Magazine report. “And rape can effectively be a punishment for the crime of being female.” The conclusions are up to each of us. The consequences, unfortunately, are as well.
Today, I’m speaking to us, the students, the future leaders and future parents: teach your children respect and explain the true value and meaning of words.
One day, I hope you’ll be able to tell your daughter not to be afraid.
But until that day comes, we’ll keep teaching them how to survive.
