BILL
Continued from Page 1
Mid Laura Loronzen of the Congressional Caucus
for Women's Issues.
"We re seeing an epidemic in crimes against
women." Lorenzen said "It's pretty horrendous,
and not a lot is being done to slop it."
Every week, 21.000 women report to police they
have been beaten in their own homes, Biden said
in a Jan. 21 speech Every day. more than 2.500
women visit an emergency room because of vio
lence. Every hour, as many as 70 women will be
attacked by rapists.
The Violence Against Women Act represents an
attempt to fight the crime epidemic. Biden said in
his speech.
“We have waited too long already to recognize
the horror and the sweep of this type of violence."
he said. "For too many years, our idea of crime has
left no room for violence against women "
Caitilin Twain. ASUO safety affairs coordinator,
said about 50 students, including the rape victims
in this article, are working on a letter-writing cam
paign to encourage students to support the bill.
Students can stop by a table in the EMU Lobby
outside the Fishbowl any day except weekends
and Wednesdays to write letters to legislators. The
table will be out until March 5.
About 100 people have written letters at the
table and Twain said she hopes to collect 700 let
ters. She and three campaign volunteers will hand
deliver the letters to senators and representatives
in Washington, D.C.. during spring break
The letter-writing campaign will enable Twain
and other students who oversee the tables to edu
cate students about rape.
"I'm convinced everyone knows somebody who
has been raped." Twain said. "This is not a
woman's campaign or a survivor's campaign. This
is everybody's campaign."
Rape victims on campus say they believe the bill
will ensure that victims are not blamed for their
attacks. The bill would prohibit the use of a vic
tim's clothing In federal court to show that a vic
tim incited or invited sexual assault.
If the court system is changed so that judges and
lawyers no longer blanio rape victims, then per
haps everyone will stop blaming the victims.
£4 15. Lynn visited her mom in Colorado with
two high school friends. The trio met two men
whom they took to the house of Lynn's mom.
Lynn's mom wasn't home.
The men had brought along alcohol and Lynn
got drunk. Sho and one of the men kissed on her
mom s bed until she passed out. When she woke
up. he was raping her.
When Lynn told her best friend about the rape,
her friend reacted with anger — toward her
"I told my best friend, and she said. ’You're such
a whore.'" she said. "She said she didn't know if
she could be friends with me. That was the hard
est part — that my best friend couldn't support
me.
Diane pressed charges against the rapist and is
awaiting a trial. She said the man not only violat
ed her sexually but also destroyed the person she
had been
“Not a judge or a jury can give me that back."
she said.
RAPE
Continued from Page 1
But Michael said he calls what
happened with Elizabeth rape.
"1 went through all of the ratio
nalizations," he said. "We’d had
sex before I didn't hit her or rip
her clothes."
Michael felt guilty and worried
about other people finding out.
Ho also feared there was some
thing in him that would cause
him to rape again.
"It’s not like when I'm going
out with a girl. I think, ’What ran
1 do not to rape her,"' he said. "I
have to bo on top of these things
all the time."
Michael, now 23. said he feels
sexually aggressive toward
women who wear biker shorts
and short skirts. He said he wish
es women did not feel they must
dress in what he considers
provocative clothing. He also
wishes he didn't feel so angry
toward women.
"Angry is not pleasant." he
said. "1 get angry because 1 feel
like they're taunting me, and I'm
trying to work on this."
Michael has trouble touching
people, especially women. He
said he fears people will pull
away, look at him with disgust
and say, "Uhhh, yuck. Stop.” he
said.
"A pat on the (lack, anything."
he said. "It's like slow motion.
It's painful."
Mi< hael was bom the son of an
alcoholic father and a worka
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holic. co-dependent mother who
never kissed or hugged him.
When Michael was seven or
eight years old. a mate babysitter
sexually molested him. The
abuse lasted almost two years.
Michael was too frightened to tell
his parents.
Michael's mind blocked the
knowledge of the abuse But
when ho turned 13 years old. he
had growing fears of becoming
sexual. He cried uncontrollably
and his hands shook constantly,
he said. He turned to alcohol and
drugs, beginning with marijuana
and ending with cocaine when
he was 17.
At 1«, Michael kicked his
addictions. He saw a psycholo
gist and began remembering his
sexual abuse.
"Tlie images were too painful."
he said. "I would flinch I would
block it out with music, food,
alcohol. They weren't quite as
effective as illicit drugs ."
Michael recently told his par
ents about his child abuse. His
father didn’t say anything His
mother treated it ns a piece of
trivia. “Did you know the kid
across the street was molested,
too?" she asked
Michael said he feels violent
when he looks at women, but
believes tie's got a handle on his
problem. Ho doesn't believe he
will rape again and doesn’t like
to call himself a rapist
“It 's hard for ine to consider
myself a rapist when there's a
guy out there with a gun kid
napping women and raping
them." he said
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