Theme of the Month

[soc_puppet]

Let's talk about monthly themes!

For example, February is Black History Month. March is Women's History Month. And, as about half (okay, less than half, but it's still a lot) the posts on my friends list will tell you, April is National Poetry Month.

Now, don't get me wrong. I like poetry as well as the next person. I mean, it annoyed the crap out of me how we had to over-analyse poetry in school so we could figure out its one perfect intended meaning, but that has not soured me on poetry forever. In fact, I've even expressed my love of Sarah Teasdale before in this journal.

However.

Something that disturbs me just a little bit is that April is getting more press as National Poetry Month than as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

I'm not feeling particularly articulate at the moment, but I still want to push the idea a little, so instead I'm just going to link a bunch of things.

The latest in the Rape Is Hilarious series at Shakesville (includes links to the twenty-eight previous entries); Sci-Fi/Fantasy author Jim C. Hines points out SAAM and discusses rape in fiction in a comment, and makes a longer post on where men stand on rape (he was also totally classy when RaceFail '09 reared its ugly head, and I swear I am going to buy/check out his books as soon as I get done with the other half-dozen I'm working on); The Open Source Women Back Each Other Up Program; The Two Things Women Do in Science Fiction (note: does not make up for the writer's other sexism issues); On Turning Into a Pumpkin at Dusk; Women in Refrigerators; and the Pretty Bird Woman House blog.

I also recommend the book The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker, which is an excellent resource on how to recognise warnings of violent behaviour.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. However, I am willing to say that they're generally good, important reading. That includes the comments, which is where I found a number of these links in the first place.

And this is an important issue. I'm not saying that you shouldn't post poetry every day - but I would like you to consider posting a poem about sexual assault or violence, or at least a link to a resource or give it a mention one day this month. Because it's an important issue, and it does need to be talked about and recognised.


EDIT: For those low on spoons:

April is sexual abuse awareness month. For many people, it can be difficult to know who to turn to when a bad situation arises. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is find someone safe to talk to. 1.800.656.HOPE (1.800.656.4673) is the number for <a href="http://www.rainn.org">RAINN</a>, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. It is a toll-free number here in the U.S. that will automatically connect you to the closest rape crisis hotline.

(Most of that was blatantly copy-pasted from this post by Jim C. Hines, an action that I hope will be excused ._.a)

Comments

[sapphire-hime.livejournal.com]

I go to a very socially aware campus, so we've been covering sexual assault related issues (and also Islamic Awareness, which I haven't seen done anywhere else this month yet) over poetry, but maybe that's just the atmosphere I'm in right now. I'm not shy to say that I'd like to see more socially aware posts on my flist than poetry, though.

Thank you for the links. Your journal is always useful for when I need to keep up with things.

[soc_puppet]

I can deal with all the poetry, I just wish there was a little more on this issue :/ (And now I feel slightly like a hypocrite. GJ, me! That's fine; I'll give myself a couple minutes to feel guilty re: not knowing it's Islamic Awareness month, and then readjust my spoons to learn more about it :|b)

Akdsfjlsd. O wow, now I feel like one of those socially aware people that I fangirl the heck out of #'_'#

[sapphire-hime.livejournal.com]

It's more like Islamic Awareness week than month ;o; April is also Autism Awareness month, but I only know that because LJ tells me so.

[soc_puppet]

...Well, I'll still go and read something! Because learning is good :< b Not that you were telling me not to read something, or even that I didn't have to, but. Oh hell, I'm sure you get it.

O hay, that could play right into my hands, even... *considers all the nifty Autism links she's just recently collected*


(Grrr, bad html D: )

[materia-indigo.livejournal.com]

The Gift of Fear is an excellent book. My sensei keeps a copy of it in the dojo library.

[soc_puppet]

A++ book, yes ♥ I want to give a copy to everyone I know.

[pleonasm]

A friend of mine is running the Sexual Assault Awareness Month activities at my campus, and someone actually COMPLAINED that talking about sexual assault was "offensive." You know what's offensive? THAT COMPLAINT.

[soc_puppet]

Askdlfdsjf. YOU'RE NOT KIDDING, THAT IS A HORRIBLE COMPLAINT. I mean, yes, some people do get accidentally triggered by things like this, but considering the good that awareness can do, I'd say that it's still important to have them. IF THEY'RE SO OFFENDED BY TALK ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT, THEY CAN DO SOMETHING TO END THE DAMN CRIME.

[pleonasm]

It wasn't like they started describing it or anything, either. Just writing "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" in chalk on the campus paths. fffffff

[soc_puppet]

Well, it certainly made them more aware of sexual assault. That being, you know, the idea and all. I'm sure they would have been much happier to pretend it didn't happen all too frequently and to all too many people (mainly women).