As I was doing my daily browsing of Twitter, the well-known platform to find memes, hilarious videos, and create connections with people all over the world, something caught my eye. There was a social media conversation – more like debate – going on that hit home.

Shocking, right?

I’m not going to dive too deep into this particular situation as I don’t particularly enjoy discussing things that I’m not 100% privy to. Nevertheless, to sum it up, a man admitted his inability to take “no” for an answer and apologized for how his actions may have negatively affected and hurt women. He posted a confession of coercion, which sparked quite the uproar online.

I won’t dismiss this man’s gesture as it takes a lot to admit your wrongdoings. But then again this is bigger than just saying “sorry”. The gravity of taking advantage of someone without remorse, strictly for your sexual pleasure is strong. Quite frankly, these types of actions are unacceptable, illegal, and unfortunately too common for comfort. So again, more is anticipated than a post on social media apologizing.

Did you know that according to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) every 73 seconds, an American person is sexually assaulted? That one in six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime? That about three percent of American men have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime? I won’t even get into the number of child victims… that’s another conversation for another day.

Now, let’s really think about that. By the time you finish reading this, there will be at least three people who were just sexually assaulted. That’s how important this conversation is.

If you haven’t grasped the urgency of what I’m trying to relay, I’ll try my best to make it clear. Sexual assault – rape – it is happening every moment of every day and cannot be ignored or dismissed. I understand… it’s tough when the most significant conversations are the ones that we dread having… But why is that?

Why do we tend to shy away from conversations that make us uncomfortable? Maybe it’s because the reality of it all – the reality of life – isn’t always pleasant the way we were brought up to believe it would be. Maybe it’s because we thought everyone was shielded from the harsh reality, like we were growing up. Sometimes the reality of how grimy life can be just takes away from the fantasy we’ve allowed ourselves to dwell in to make existing in this world easier. It’s easier to cover ourselves with ignorance.

Ignorance is bliss… that’s what they say at least.

As a survivor of several things, I know the strife I feel when I’m triggered. It’s usually unexpected and I’m rarely prepared for it. I’m not always in my safe space when it happens. It is called a trigger for a reason. Think about it: when a gun is fired, you don’t always know where it came from, why it happened, or what the outcome will be… but you do know that if you happen to get shot, you need to take action.

The fact is that everyone is affected by sexual assault and we can’t be impartial. We must take our stand, let the difference between right and wrong be clear, and be an example for those around, under, and even above you.

And that’s what I challenge us to do. I challenge us to take a little more time trying to make an effort to overcome the difficulty of having these conversations and standing up for what’s right. We must, because there are people out there, men and women, girl and boy, who need us. They need us to be there to protect them from the world that hasn’t done enough to end the cycle.

I am an avid believer that all it takes is one. One person to stand up. One person to be the voice. One person to be an advocate, an ally.

If you know someone who needs help, please call 800.656.HOPE (4673) to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.

Love,

Autumn