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Stand together to end sexual assault

With sore shoulders, rape victim Emma Sulkowicz carries her mattress across campus in protest while her alleged rapist walks the same campus path.

In Sulkowicz’s opinion, Columbia University did nothing to punish her alleged rapist. She plans to carry the mattress around campus until she no longer goes to school with her alleged rapist.

One student at the University of Kansas was found guilty of non-consensual sex and was given probation and a four-page reflection paper to write.

These examples show the effect our culture has on our actions. While teenagers are given their first taste of freedom, 1 out of 5 women on university campuses is being raped.

The punishment should always fit the crime. To only give a slap on the wrist to offenders is unjust. These men and women deserve to be expelled from their universities and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If offenders are still on campus, it provides more opportunities for assault and serves as a reminder to the victims.

The problem begins at a young age when men and women are taught to view others as objects instead of equal human beings.

The “No More” Campaign, which VSU is now on board with, promotes sexual assault awareness. Making the topic known is a great start to ending the trend.

To end a culture immersed in sexual assault, it will take a nation standing together and viewing each other equally rather than viewing each other as objects. It will take teaching young children the importance of respecting genders.

The editors at The Spectator believe that in order to end a problem, the solution must start at the root. Changing a culture is not something that happens overnight. Our generation can be the group that begins this change in order to rid our society of this heinous crime.

 

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