Comments on: Beautiful Sunsets http://www.endthesilencecampaign.org Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:21:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Charlotte http://www.endthesilencecampaign.org/stories/beautiful-sunsets-tori/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Charlotte Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:52:52 +0000 http://endthesilencecampaign.wordpress.com/?page_id=75#comment-12 Tori, You capture so well the fact that predators often seem so perfectly sweet and kind and trustworthy, and that we just can't always divine beforehand who will hurt us. Your narrative also relates how vulnerable people are to the prodding and persuasions of other people -- I think there's not a woman alive who hasn't been there, pushed by a man to get into a situation that she feels somewhere in her gut might not be the best, but she goes because for the most part it seems ok. Because most of the time it is. Most of the time, if we get into dicey situations, we're able to get safe again. I've been in those situations scores of times. But then about 15-25% of the time, we know from statistics, it's not ok, we can't make it ok. The man we were happy to be getting to know doesn't want to get to know us. He's been playing with us, deceiving us, trapping us. He's a predator. And it's not our fault. Know that every woman out there has either experienced something similar to you, or been so close to tragedy themselves that it scares the hell out of them. The latter are usually the least sympathetic with rape survivors. But only because they know how close they have been to hell, and they can't face the reality that they are vulnerable. I hear you, and I am glad you have spoken. -- Charlotte Anne Stuart Tori,

You capture so well the fact that predators often seem so perfectly sweet and kind and trustworthy, and that we just can’t always divine beforehand who will hurt us. Your narrative also relates how vulnerable people are to the prodding and persuasions of other people — I think there’s not a woman alive who hasn’t been there, pushed by a man to get into a situation that she feels somewhere in her gut might not be the best, but she goes because for the most part it seems ok. Because most of the time it is. Most of the time, if we get into dicey situations, we’re able to get safe again. I’ve been in those situations scores of times. But then about 15-25% of the time, we know from statistics, it’s not ok, we can’t make it ok. The man we were happy to be getting to know doesn’t want to get to know us. He’s been playing with us, deceiving us, trapping us. He’s a predator. And it’s not our fault. Know that every woman out there has either experienced something similar to you, or been so close to tragedy themselves that it scares the hell out of them. The latter are usually the least sympathetic with rape survivors. But only because they know how close they have been to hell, and they can’t face the reality that they are vulnerable.

I hear you, and I am glad you have spoken. — Charlotte Anne Stuart

]]> By: Tori http://www.endthesilencecampaign.org/stories/beautiful-sunsets-tori/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Tori Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:57:30 +0000 http://endthesilencecampaign.wordpress.com/?page_id=75#comment-11 Thank you, Emily. At the time I wrote the story I felt really bad and worthless. But as the days, hours, and minutes pass I do feel better. Coming to terms with these horrible things that happen to you and your body is a difficult thing to process and make sense out of. I believe in God. I belive that even the bad things that happen to us can be made into something good, pure and right. I am working on this right now. To other girls in a similar situation I want to say that talking about what happened to you is so healing. I never told anyone about what happened to me at the beach. I was going to take it to my grave with me. I did not tell for 20 years. Not talking about your rape causes damage in your own life. My advice is to talk and tell. Thank you, Emily. At the time I wrote the story I felt really bad and worthless. But as the days, hours, and minutes pass I do feel better. Coming to terms with these horrible things that happen to you and your body is a difficult thing to process and make sense out of.
I believe in God. I belive that even the bad things that happen to us can be made into something good, pure and right. I am working on this right now.
To other girls in a similar situation I want to say that talking about what happened to you is so healing. I never told anyone about what happened to me at the beach. I was going to take it to my grave with me. I did not tell for 20 years. Not talking about your rape causes damage in your own life. My advice is to talk and tell.

]]> By: Emily http://www.endthesilencecampaign.org/stories/beautiful-sunsets-tori/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Emily Sat, 21 Mar 2009 05:19:43 +0000 http://endthesilencecampaign.wordpress.com/?page_id=75#comment-10 Dear Tori, Thank you for your beautiful story. God made you because you are deserving of life. This man's evil was not yours. Thank you for your words. I hope that together, through the power of words, we can find something close to peace. Thank you, Emily Dear Tori,

Thank you for your beautiful story. God made you because you are deserving of life. This man’s evil was not yours. Thank you for your words. I hope that together, through the power of words, we can find something close to peace.

Thank you,

Emily

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