Zerlina Maxwell is being attacked because she said on Fox News that we should teach men not to rape. She’s right, and we can’t let the racist, misogynistic attacks drown out her important message. Will you sign this thank you petition to Zerlina?
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http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/549?t=2&akid=339.6000.mVU4HB
From: Nita and Shaunna, Ultraviolet
Dear readewr:
“We need to tell men to stop raping women.”
That is what Zerlina Maxwell–the latest target of right-wing media–is being visciously attacked for saying since she appeared on Fox News last week.1
We all know the kind of sexist treatment major female political leaders, like Hillary Clinton, face.2 And last year we saw just how vitriolic the right-wing media could be when Rush Limbaugh repeatedly attacked Sandra Fluke for speaking out on birth control.3
Zerlina Maxwell, their latest target, is a rape survivor, a progressive, an African-American writer and a frequent guest on political talk shows. But most importantly to them: She had the nerve to suggest that rape is the responsibility of rapists, not their targets. That instead of arming women with assault rifles to protect them from rape, we should as a society teach men not to rape and address the culture that makes rape so pervasive in our country.4 And the response has been ugly.
This is hardly a controversial position to take–there are already men’s groups like Ring the Bell and Men Can Stop Rape who are working to change rape culture.5 But ever since that appearance Maxwell has faced heavy harassment. People have posted on the internet that she should be raped and murdered, called her horrible, racist epithets and more.6
But she’s not backing down. And she deserves our thanks. All too often women are shouted down and harassed for speaking out–a cynical attempt to silence them. And if we want women to keep speaking out and standing up, we need to thank them and let them know that there are tens of thousands of us who have their backs. Can you sign the petition and leave a note for Zerlina, thanking her for her bravery? We will send her every last signature and comment we gather this week.
Add your thanks to Zerlina Maxwell right away.
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/549?t=3&akid=339.6000.mVU4HB
The things that have been said about Zerlina Maxwell since her comment on Fox News last week are shocking and disgusting. Her common-sense approach to addressing our country’s pervasive problem with sexual assault was called “bizarre” by the Blaze7, was completely mischaracterized by the Washington Times8, and she’s been attacked with disguising insults on blog after blog.
But some of the worst attacks have come on social media, where her Facebook and Twitter accounts have been inundated with hundreds of people have calling for her to be raped, killed, and more. The attacks are blatantly racist and horribly misogynist. One person tweeted to her “I hope you get raped and your throat slit. May be then you understand why white women have to be armed. DIE B—-!” Another said on Facebook “Ur what’s wrong with America. I hope you get raped. And killed. By an out of control black man.”9
Zerlina was right: the extreme right-wing message that was promoted on Fox News, in Congressional hearings, and elsewhere recently–that women should arm themselves with assault rifles to protect themselves from potential attackers–puts the responsibility for preventing violence against women on women, not on the perpetrator.10 We should be teaching men not to rape, and that a rapist is the only person who is responsible for the crime they commit. And studies show she is right: anti-rape campaigns that have targeted men have shown great results in reducing sexual assault.11
It was courageous of Zerlina to speak out on Fox News, and it’s important that we don’t let these racist, misogynist attacks be the loudest response to her message. We need women like her to keep speaking up–and when they do, we need to support them. Can you sign the petition and leave a note to thank her for speaking out? We’ll send your message of support to her this week.
Sign the petition to support Zerlina Maxwell right away.
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/549?t=4&akid=339.6000.mVU4HB
Thanks for speaking out.
Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Malinda, and Karin, the UltraViolet team
Sources:
1. Fox News Guest Receives Racist Rape And Death Threats After Arguing Guns Aren’t The Solution To Rape, Think Progress, March 9, 2013
2. New York Post Goes After Hillary Clinton With Blatantly Sexist Cover, Think Progress, January 24, 2013
3. Rush Limbaugh Attacks Sandra Fluke Again (AUDIO), Huffington Post, April 24, 2012
4. Fox News Guest Receives Racist Rape And Death Threats After Arguing Guns Aren’t The Solution To Rape, Think Progress, March 9, 2013
Can men be taught not to rape?, Salon, March 8, 2013
5. Mission and Values, Men Can Stop Rape website
The Roots of Bell Bajao, Ring the Bell website
6. Fox News Guest Receives Racist Rape And Death Threats After Arguing Guns Aren’t The Solution To Rape, Think Progress, March 9, 2013
7. Democratic Strategist’s Shocking Claim: Women Don’t Need Guns for Self-defense, Just Tell Men ‘Not to Rape Women’, The Blaze, March 5, 2013
8. Dem strategist: No guns, just tell men not to rape women, Washington Times, March 6, 2013
9. Fox News Guest Receives Racist Rape And Death Threats After Arguing Guns Aren’t The Solution To Rape, Think Progress, March 9, 2013
10. Gayle Trotter’s Ideas Will Not Keep Women Safe, Slate, January 30, 2013
11. Can men be taught not to rape?, Salon, March 8, 2013