So, I wonder: If your spouse brutally raped a neighbor who turned around and killed him, would you press charges?
Today's paper had a story about a woman who was beaten up and raped by a man from her village who was known to be a "local criminal" and knew that she lived alone. After the act he passed out (he'd been drinking heavily) and she prepared to self-immolate due to the shame. Something stopped her though and instead she threw the the kerosine-soaked sari on him and burnt him alive. A rape case was registered by the police against the deceased, and on request from the widow, a murder case against the rape victim.
So, I wonder: If your spouse brutally raped a neighbor who turned around and killed him, would you press charges?
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OK, not all rants, but here's the link to the articles I've been writing for the Volcano Vent. You can get to the old ones by clicking the Archives link under my photo:
http://volcanovent.com/Scheffler.html I think today's headlines were the most optimistic thing I've read since picking up my first Indian newspaper. Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, is taking a no-nonsense legal approach to the harassment spawning from the social boycott and fatwa called against the Kashmiri girls in the band.
Until everyone does everything in their power to ensure that people are treated fairly, regardless of their sex or age, we will continue to see the senseless violence against women and girls that has been in the news since my arrival but only recently brought to the attention of the masses. It's easy to look at cases like this and let them ride: what does it really matter if three girls sing? Most everyone decided their own hides were more important than young dreams and kept quiet in the wake of the controversy. Thank you, Mr. Abdullah, your actions are a ray of hope in the effort to change the violent manifestation of something so much deeper than what we are exposed to in the news. While groups debate the death penalty and juvenile justice, I am uplifted knowing that people are out there, tackling such problems at their long and amorphous roots. (and, no, I'm not just talking about India) While the US talks of putting armed guards in the schools to prevent shootings, India is legislating overcoats for schoolgirls to prevent rapes. Anyone else see something wrong with this picture?
Fair warning: This one is a rant. If you're not in the mood, wait a bit and I'll post again when I have my latest field visit pictures sorted.
Watching one's own country through the lens of foreign media is always interesting. Today I see the US portrayed as a vigilante nation. We shot the native people of the continent we landed on, shot the people from the population from whence we came, cowboys shot whoever got in their way, it's no wonder that today we shoot children. We just like to carry guns and shoot people with them. |
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