Women’s Struggles
If you know much about my TV watching habits or my DVR recording schedule, you can quickly learn that I'm a fan of 60 minutes. A few weeks ago Lara Logan "broke her silence" on the program regarding the sexual assault she suffered while reporting from Egypt in the midst of their revolution. It's description that is graphic, but not gratuitous. She describes Tahrir Square in Eqypt when the camera battery dies in the midst of reporting. A few moments later, a crowd of men grab for her and eventually pull her from her security detail. She describes how she was assaulted, exposed, photographed and eventually saved. She describes how she thought of her children and family. She describes how she lost any sense of pride as she was violated. It was a very eye opening tale and just informed me to the thoughts and terrible experience this must have been.
I by no means profess to know what it's like to be a woman. I was born a man through no choice of my own. As a man I am sympathetic to the plight of women, but can by no means fully understand their experiences. However, Lara Logan's description of her experience helped me understand a little more what it may be like to live as a woman. I don't think that Lara Logan's specific experience is a common happening for Americans. I believe sexual assault happens but not in the specific way Lara dealt with it. But it makes me more aware of this issue.
I have no new conclusions, but rather questions and thoughts to ponder.
- Why didn't more people stand up for Lara?
- What would cause a group of what would otherwise seemingly be normal men to attack a vulnerable woman?
- Do women in America and the world have to be on guard 24/7?
- What is my role as a man? Do I protect and defend? Is that chauvinistic?
I hope this makes you think more either as a woman or how to treat women. I hope this is eye opening. I hope we can all learn and sympathize. I hope we can put an end to discrimination and sexual abuses.