A Lonely Walk Home
I posted this elsewhere, but I figure it deserves saving in my own space.
Tonight a friend and I met in a city neither of us had ever visited, just for dinner and an adventure. We had a great time, had a drink and a ton of food, wandered some stores, got a cup of coffee and talked up a storm. It was a really fun night. When we parted ways, we had to walk in seperate directions to our cars. I had to walk through a dark alley and up a dark stair well to get back to my car. I know well enough to walk quickly and with my head up, keys in hand and ready to go, so I did. I made it to my car safely, locked up, and drove away.
But here's where I get curious.
Had I been attacked or abducted tonight, where would the blame fall? My instint is to say it is the fault of the person who does the attacking or the abducting. But it has recently come to my attention that some people believe I would be at fault for being alone in the first place, or for being out, or for having that one drink three and half hours before I made my way back to the car. That scares me more than the attackers honestly. I feel like if people continue to believe things like that, the vulnerable are going to be forced into hiding, and the attackers will be victorius because they have succeeded in their search for power.
Tonight a friend and I met in a city neither of us had ever visited, just for dinner and an adventure. We had a great time, had a drink and a ton of food, wandered some stores, got a cup of coffee and talked up a storm. It was a really fun night. When we parted ways, we had to walk in seperate directions to our cars. I had to walk through a dark alley and up a dark stair well to get back to my car. I know well enough to walk quickly and with my head up, keys in hand and ready to go, so I did. I made it to my car safely, locked up, and drove away.
But here's where I get curious.
Had I been attacked or abducted tonight, where would the blame fall? My instint is to say it is the fault of the person who does the attacking or the abducting. But it has recently come to my attention that some people believe I would be at fault for being alone in the first place, or for being out, or for having that one drink three and half hours before I made my way back to the car. That scares me more than the attackers honestly. I feel like if people continue to believe things like that, the vulnerable are going to be forced into hiding, and the attackers will be victorius because they have succeeded in their search for power.