The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Day 34/90 – Hanging Wall Art

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 34 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I finally hung my wall art!

    Fishing Flies by Cameron Derbyshire
    Fishing Flies by Cameron Derbyshire

    Given that this is the 90 Days of Awesome, many of you might expect me to spend the day celebrating in the sun and watching fireworks. Although I consider myself patriotic, I don’t really celebrate Independence Day. In fact, I rarely celebrate any holidays; and even when I do, it’s a quieter affair.

    So what did I do today? I had what I call a “Susie Housewife Day” and mainly worked on chores and projects around the condo like laundry and filing papers. I also finally hung up my wall art.

    People who know me well know that I generally suck at appreciating art without the help of a docent. I love listening to people explain the stories behind a work of art and architecture, but without this guide, I can fly through a museum in 10 minutes flat. Not surprisingly then, I don’t own much art.

    Photo by Sheila Dee
    Photo by Sheila Dee

    I’ve been in my condo for about nine months and I told myself I had to hang my artwork this summer. As I hung the few pieces I own, I noted that they’re all from friends and my relationship with the artist was as important as the artwork itself. Here’s what went up today:

    I recently got the photos from Stacey Champions’ show on sexual assault and government regulation of reproductive rights. I was a model for both displays. I think one will end up in my office and the other in my home once I get them framed.

    In case you missed it: Day 33 of the 90 Days of Awesome – Breakfast with Jeff!

  • The Hunting Ground Sheds Light on the Realities of Campus Sexual Assault

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    Ruth Carter

    I saw the documentary The Hunting Ground tonight, which sheds light on it the problem of sexual assault on college campuses. Many schools appear to under-report the problem and deal with it in effectively, many times discouraging victims from going to the police.

    This situation is so frustrating because it appears that schools are focused on maintaining their reputations which increases the likelihood of getting and maintaining donors, in particular in regards to athletics and fraternities. The statistics regarding campus sexual assault are shocking and astounding, especially given that studies have shown that less than 10% of reports are false. In many cases, it appeared the school was more focused on silencing the victim then dealing with the problem.

    They even featured an interview with a person who had been convicted of campus sexual assault and he described perpetrator’s pattern of behavior. It appears that the majority of people on a college campus do not commit sexual assault; however, those who do, attack multiple people.

    Everyone Knows Someone Who Has Been Sexually Assaulted (From the One in Three Exhibit by Stacey Champion)
    Everyone Knows Someone Who Has Been Sexually Assaulted (From the One in Three Exhibit by Stacey Champion)

    One of the most devastating statistics presented was if this situation doesn’t change, over 100,000 college students in the U.S. will be sexually assaulted next year.

    Now, I have to temper all of this information with the fact that the accused attackers are innocent until proven guilty and sexual assault cases are difficult to prove, especially when there is weak physical evidence. I can accept this as long as law enforcement does a thorough job with their investigations. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

    After the film, I walked up and down Mill Avenue for a while. For those of you who were not familiar with Arizona State University, Mill Avenue is at the border of the Tempe campus where there are many bars. I found myself wondering, “How many ASU students will be sexually assaulted tonight?”

    Based on what I saw many young women wearing, crop tops appear to be back in style. Of course, no person deserves to be raped regardless of what they were wearing (or drinking). But I wondered how many attackers will take advantage of this fashion statement to grab or fondle someone without consent.

    Systematic problems like this make me so frustrated because it feels like the deck is stacked against victims and their allies. I don’t know what it will take to make universities step up and admit that this might be a nationwide problem and covering it up or pressuring victims to remain silent is not going to fix it. There has to be a way to make it more painful to try to dismiss this problem rather than deal with campus sexual assault effectively.

    I applaud what Annie Clark and Andrea Pino are doing to encourage victims to file Title IX complaints against their school if they do not properly respond to reports of sexual assault. Until those complaints are reviewed, the lawyer in me may also suggest survivors to consider getting a restraining order against their attacker and suing them for civil damages in addition to filing criminal charges against them.