Would You Feel Safe Sending Your Daughter to College?

Me as a smiling, clueless young woman who would soon face the horrors of a rape that could have been prevented

IF I had followed my own advice that I give you here.

So last week a young woman is murdered at Yale University, now there is a story about an 18 year old college student being tied up in a men's restroom stall and gang raped by five guys.    Stop and think about that for a minute if you can stomach it, personally I can't.

While all the experts spend years doing studies on WHY this happens and analyze the hell out of it, I will share my thoughts and words of wisdom, its simple, and it could save your life:

FEMALES:  DO NOT GO ANYWHERE ALONE

No, its not fair that we are the more vulnerable sex.  No its not fair that we can be a black belt in Karate and still be overpowered.  Its not fair that we have to be inconvenienced by finding someone to walk us to our car, our dorm room or our home.  Its not fair that we can't go out alone at night and be safe.  Its just not fair at all.

But life has never been fair.  You can argue against your rights as a female, or you can be wise and careful and guard your life by not allowing yourself to be vulnerable to an attack.  Of course, even that is not enough - Annie Le was at work when she was murdered!  The girl that was gang raped followed a guy into a dormitory because he took her cell phone from her.  

I know people will have issues with what I am saying here, the main objection being "why should I, as a woman, have to inconvenience my life when men don't have to worry about their safety as much?  Its sexist!  Its wrong!"

Yes, it is.  But its also a fact of life that many more women then men are victims of random violent crimes.  Men should be careful too.  My boyfriend was attacked and beaten years ago when he was walking home late at night and jumped by several other guys.   In my opinion, this is no time to stand up for our rights as women or be politically correct.  Its time to look at statistics, read the news and see that there is an ongoing epidemic of women being raped and murdered, often by strangers.

I prefer to keep my own story private, but its times like this that I see the value in talking about it.

BOTH times I was raped, I had left myself in a vulnerable position.  If it were today I would think twice before agreeing to be in a home alone (as a 14 year old) with two men in their 20's.  If it were today I would not willingly follow a total stranger I'd just met in a bar out to his car to "smoke a joint".

In incident one I was repeatedly and violently raped for hours by the two men that I "knew" as they laughed and laughed (they were high on something, who knows what) Obviously I did not "know" them well.  I should have left with my friends when they left.

In the second incident I was abducted (no door handle on the passenger side of his van)  driven away, beaten and raped, and then dumped in the street to find my own way back to the bar.

Ladies, especially young ones who think you are safe where you live - PLEASE be careful.  Please don't be embarrassed to travel in groups, there truly is safety in numbers.  Please do NOT go anywhere with a guy you don't know, even if its just to the parking lot when your friends are inside the bar...it could save your life.