June 1, 2016
Page 7
O PINION
Your Carpet
Best Cleaning
Choice
Martin
Cleaning
Service
Carpet & Upholstery
Cleaning
Residential &
Commercial Services
Minimum Service CHG.
$45.00
A small distance/travel
charge may be applied
CARPET CLEANING
2 Cleaning Areas or
more $30.00 Each Area
Pre-Spray Trafic Areas
(Includes: 1 small Hallway)
1 Cleaning Area (only)
$40.00
Includes Pre-Spray Trafic Area
(Hallway Extra)
Changing How Men View and Talk about Women
‘I’m not your
Shorty’
by l aura f inley
Like most wom-
en—84
percent
across 22 countries,
in fact -- I have been
catcalled by random men many
times. In a widely shared 2014
experiment, a woman in New York
City received 100 catcalls in just
10 hours.
But last night was deinitely the
scariest I have ever experienced.
This man amped up his harass-
ment, not only hollering a barrage
of “compliments” but following
me as well as I walked through an
apartment complex.
Surely he felt quite clever at
the uniquely revolting ways that
he described my body and the
things he planned to do to me. His
amusement at my fear was clear
from both his commentary and
his demeanor. I am both proud
and sad to say I said nothing and
responded with a hasty retreat.
Upon arriving home, described
what happened to my 12-year-old
daughter.
I feel good that I sensed that the
potential danger with this one was
greater than with the typical de-
generate that shouts out at wom-
en. Some women who have been
sexually assaulted by strangers re-
port that they sensed something
was off but chose to ignore their
feelings. And, I think it was re-
ally important to discuss what
he did and how I felt with my
daughter, who, unfortunately,
already has experience with
guys hooting at her.
A 2014 survey found that 71
percent of women experience
street harassment for the irst
time between the ages of 11 and
him. I do. He didn’t have to hold
his tongue out of fear of escalating
the situation. I did.
Like so many women, I wish I
had felt comfortable telling him
how unwelcome and repulsive his
comments were. I wish I didn’t
have to prepare my child for how
to handle these things, or mental-
ly ready myself for harassment
before I walk somewhere. I wish
that women didn’t have to change
their lives in any way for fear that
someone will do worse than shout
A 2014 survey found that 71
percent of women experience street
harassment for the irst time between
the ages of 11 and 17. More than half
of the reporting women had been
fondled or groped on the street.
17. More than half of the report-
ing women had been fondled or
groped on the street.
What makes me sad, though, is
the power this individual ended up
having over me. He didn’t change
what he was doing or where he
was going last night. I did. He
doesn’t have that scary experi-
ence as background the next time
he goes somewhere that is new to
out obscenities.
One way to address catcalling
is to criminalize it. Belgium and
Portugal have laws about street
harassment and issue ines to of-
fenders, while other countries like
Canada and Argentina use existing
harassment laws to address it. The
U.S. could do the same, but gen-
erally does not. Nor do I neces-
sarily believe that these laws will
deter men from harassing women
on the streets, although it is a sign
that the government recognizes
the scope of the problem and the
seriousness of the issue.
More important than crimi-
nalizing catcalling, however, is
changing the way men are taught
to view and talk about women.
We need to teach young men
that hollering at women just isn’t
okay. That a genuine compliment
is always nice, but a litany of ad-
jectives to describe women’s anat-
omy shouted from across the road
is not. They might feel quite cute
when they compete with each oth-
er to offer up new harangues, but
women do not ind them at all wit-
ty for doing so.
We need to teach young men
that true power isn’t about making
women fear you. Such conversa-
tions need to happen in homes,
schools, churches, and other insti-
tutions. And they need to happen
often, starting at a young age.
It’s time we put some more fo-
cus on the daily microaggressions
that women must endure, rather
than treating them as if they’re an
inevitable fact of life if you were
born with a vagina.
Laura Finley teaches in the
Barry University Department of
Sociology and Criminology and is
syndicated by PeaceVoice.
Stairs (12-16 stairs - With
Other Services) : $25.00
Area/Oriental Rugs:
$25.00 Minimum
Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool) :
$40.00 Minimum
Heavily Soiled Area:
Additional $10.00 each area
(Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying)
UPHOLSTERY
CLEANING
Sofa: $69.00
Loveseat: $49.00
Sectional: $109 - $139
Chair or Recliner:
$25 - $49
Throw Pillows (With
Other Services) : $5.00
ADDITIONAL
SERVICES
• Area & Oriental Rug
Cleaning
• Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning
• Deodorizing & Pet
Odor Treatment
• Spot & Stain
Removal Service
• Scotchguard Protection
• Minor Water Damage
Services
SEE CURRENT FLYER
FOR ADDITIONAL
PRICES & SERVICES
Call for Appointment
(503) 281-3949