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Offer Rape Victims Advice
About Defending Themselves
Dear Editor:
The matter of above-average criminal sexual violence in Utah (“Sexual Violence a Problem in Utah,” QSaltLake, Aug. 18) and the understandable concern about its myriad of reasons (“Why Is Rape Such a Problem in Utah?,” QSaltLake, Aug. 18) offers nothing but empathy to the victims of such crime.
The statistics that define these problems are no more compelling than those that offer the empowerment of self-defense, as well as empathy:
Fact: American men and women use firearms every year to stop more than 2.5 million crimes (14 times more than they start) according to 2002 U.S. Department of Justice crime studies. Among those prevented crimes, more than 7.7 percent (192,500) are by women defending themselves against criminal sexual violence, and the firearms are fired less than 0.9 percent of the time.
Fact: Women who are victims of criminal violence are 2.5 times more likely (and men are 1.4 times more likely) to be seriously injured if they do nothing during an attack than if they use a firearm according to 2002 U.S. Department of Justice crime studies.
Fact: Forty-percent of convicted felons said that they avoided committing crime when they believed the victim might have and use a firearm. Sixty-percent said they did so when they knew the victim had and would use a firearm according to 1986 crime studies.
All in all, men and women who are victims of crime, particularly violent or hate crime, benefit when they become familiar with firearms and learn to use them legally, responsibly and safely for their self-defense.
David Nelson
Salt Lake City
Fight ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Dear Editor:
It appears Utah’s GLBT and allied communities are reaching further and further into fighting the inequities regarding human rights. There is much work to be done with the antiquated principles behind the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) regulations placed on our armed forces. I look forward to working with these organizations in helping to create initiatives our legislatures will have to address.
Daily, our men and women service personnel serve, fight and die for our freedom and the freedom of others. Regardless of whether or not our country should be involved, they serve, obey orders from their superiors, and carry out their missions. Their sexual preferences are not what makes them soldiers, it is their loved ones, back home, that make them believe what they are doing is right. Some of them will not return and the partners of these GLBT soldiers will be left with nothing more than photos and memories. Not even the flag that covers their caskets will be given to them—it will go to a surviving blood relative. But still these GLBT men and women serve our country.
I am a veteran and I remember what a difficult time it was to love someone and to know that love could end your military career. The pressure on my term of service was not a tenth of the pressure on the military of today.
If we do nothing more than write a letter to our government officials asking for new regulations pertaining to the Armed Forces DADT policy, it could start the pendulum swaying the other way. And, as the old army motto goes, “Write home to your loved ones and let them know you are a happy soldier!” Wouldn’t it be a letter of true joy and happiness when our GLBT soldiers can openly relate to their partners without the fear of reprisals?
Our very own community has men and women who are on active duty. They can’t attend many GLBT functions because of fear. They have no support groups to lean on during a personal crisis. And, imagine the feeling of alienation they must feel, not to being able to march proudly in the dyke march or attend a gay pride event. They truly are set apart, just because they chose to serve their country. To me this reaches down to the core of what we all want equal rights to be about ... not “special rights, just equal rights” And those who serve are absolutely part of those rights.
Please write your state and federal officials today, asking them to support any initiatives that repeal the current DADT policies, to support policies that give soldiers the right to serve openly regarding their lifestyle, and to acknowledge their right to have relationships, just like anyone else.
Thank you for your time.
Karla McGuigan
QSaltLake welcomes letters from its readers. Please email letters@slmetro.com or mail your letter to: Editor, QSaltLake, 352 S. Denver St. Ste 350, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. We reserve to right to edit for length or libel. |
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