Every Day Thoughts

There may, perhaps, be people who are wondering what all the commotion was regarding women voters and "the rape thing."   Emory University Senior Caleb Peng made a video for Project Unspoken interviewing people of varying ages, genders, and races, asking them what they did every day to avoid rape, sexual violence, or sexual assault.  Here is an example of the contrast:

A man misses the bus one evening after dark and decides to walk the two miles home. On his way, he thinks about what he can do to enhance attitudes in the work place, what he is going to make for lunch the next day and which pajamas he’s going to wear to bed.

A woman misses the bus one evening after dark and decides to walk the two miles home. On her way, she thinks about how to fade into the background so no one notices her. She visualizes where the pepper spray is in her purse and maps out the fastest way to access it. She walks with her phone in her hand, ready to dial 911 in an instant. (From "Project Unspoken breaks the silence," by Arianna Skibell, Emory Wheel, 9/07/2012)

The entire video (less than 10 minutes) is on YouTube. 

Male candidates make offhand comments about rape; it's not something they consider on a regular basis.  Women who alter their behavior every single day to avoid rape or assault are likely to take those comments much more seriously.