VANDERBILT POLITICAL REVIEW
DOMESTIC
Rape: A Global Epidemic
Female dehumanization and the way forward
T
he urgency behind collective
responsibility is well explicated by Civil Rights activist
Martin Luther King Jr.’s conclusion
that “injustice anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere.” Even if one is
not the direct victim of systematic oppression, the consequence of injustice
is far-reaching in its implications and
intractability. Though there is clear
fault with a system that cannot prevent
or redress power imbalances, passivity plays a darker, more destructive
role. The misguided social perception of rape and bystander apathy not
only permits the continuation of human rights atrocities but also confirms
the falsification of victim worthlessness and inferiority. The one-dimensional structure of institutionalized
discrimination divides mechanically.
The complex thinking-nature of man
demonstrates individual autonomy.
Therefore, the culture of inequality
is the conscious compliance and selfdetermined perpetuation of violence.
As a society, how do we put a definitive end to the high rates of abuse
and assault?
Rape culture is the
normalization of power-based sexual violence. Despite efforts to obstruct violation, we are present witnesses to growing cases of atrocities.
Specifically, this summer oversaw a
difficult season of reconciliation for the
Vanderbilt student body. The two-year
court battle that would have resulted
in the conviction of former university
athletes who raped an unconscious
Vanderbilt student in 2013, ended with
release. Though the retraction was due
to discovery of a jury member possessed unfair bias undermining one’s
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by LAUREN PAK ‘17
constitutional right to fair trial, the
lack of strong resolution demonstrates
institutional weakness and flaws. The
national attention given to this particular case became the platform for underrepresented students subjected to similar abuse. Retrial forces unwarranted
victim reenactment. At a universitylevel, the case uncovered unresolved
feelings of insecurity, administrative
distrust, bitterness, and community
retraction. With trauma revisited, and
the raw pain proves how in-depth healing had never been resolutely achieved.
Through a comparative