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Wednesday. If it wasn’t for the flowers and the new green leaves on the trees, I’d be asking “where the hell is my spring?”. It’s COLD, not snowing, thank goodness, but hand freezing cold. I can’t stand it any longer. And it won’t get warmer soon… And it bothers me that in the mail I only find folders with people wearing shorts or swimming pools or grills. But unless you wear the shorts in the house, put the swimming pool in front of the fireplace or grill in the garage, that’s not going to happen yet!
Today, April 29th, I’m participating in Denim Day. I believe that together we can make a difference.
If you wonder what Denim Days is, here is a bit of history I copied from denimdayinfo.org
An 18-year old girl is picked up by her married 45-year old driving instructor for her very first lesson. He takes her to an isolated road, pulls her out of the car, wrestles her out of one leg of her jeans and forcefully rapes her. Threatened with death if she tells anyone, he makes her drive the car home. Later that night she tells her parents, and they help and support her to press charges. The perpetrator is arrested and prosecuted. He is convicted of rape and sentenced to jail.
He appeals the sentence. The case makes it all the way to the Italian Supreme Court. Within a matter of days the case against the driving instructor is overturned, dismissed, and the perpetrator released. In a statement by the Chief Judge, he argued, “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex.”
Enraged by the verdict, within a matter of hours the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate action and protested by wearing jeans to work. This call to action motivated and emboldened the California Senate and Assembly to do the same, which in turn spread to Patricia Giggans, Executive Director of Peace Over Violence, and Denim Day in LA was born. The first Denim Day in LA was in April 1999, and has continued every year since.
Great. I’m taking driving lessons and my instructor three times rubbed my arm and once he patted my leg. I’m paranoid 99% of the time I’m awake and the other 1%, I must be waking up and still unconscious.
I don’t like living scared but I don’t like to live in denial thinking that nothing will happen. Because I know it could happen to me. It could happen to anyone. It did happen to many of my friends and what really bothers me is when the victim is blamed. “She must have done something”. “She asked for it”. NO. NO and NO.
That’s why today I’m wearing jeans. I’m supporting my sisters.
Please remember,
Reblogged this on SURVIVORS BLOG HERE.
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 8:59 am |
Smart dear! Good to wear jeans to protect yourself 😉
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faburlifekhloe said this on April 29, 2015 at 12:26 pm |
And for a good cause! 🙂
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 11:34 pm |
YES!!! 🙂
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faburlifekhloe said this on April 30, 2015 at 11:05 am
Good for you P! And Thank You for taking a stand. My family has had to deal with this brutal truth as well. No one should ever have to live in fear and we can’t stop until that is true.
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Randstein said this on April 29, 2015 at 3:30 pm |
I’m so sorry about that…
And we can’t live in fear!
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 10:09 pm |
Chin up, shoulders back and keep on a keepin’ on. Also, be prepared to throw a shoe now and then.
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Randstein said this on April 29, 2015 at 11:24 pm
😀 I threw them all!
Now I’m waiting for one to be retrieved 😀
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 11:26 pm
LOL! You go P! Keep em flyin’
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Randstein said this on April 29, 2015 at 11:27 pm
😀
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 11:27 pm
That is HORRIBLE. I swear that justice all over the world has been turned on its head.
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The V-Pub said this on April 29, 2015 at 4:48 pm |
Yes, some things are really hard to believe…
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 10:15 pm |
I think Spring is back again today.
These guys have no excuse of any kind – jail them all!
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jazzyoutoo_lostinbraga said this on April 29, 2015 at 5:51 pm |
🙂 I wish I had that power!!
We’ll have to wait at least 10 more days for better weather.
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 10:16 pm |
What a terrible story! Good for you for raising awareness!
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Marissa Bergen said this on April 29, 2015 at 5:54 pm |
Thank you Marissa! I read the story this morning and I was in total shock. I had to share it 🙂
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 10:17 pm |
Oh wow! It was that recent? How terrible! It’s good that people are already doing something to bring light to it.
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Marissa Bergen said this on April 29, 2015 at 11:20 pm
The incident happened in 1999. I knew only that the guy got free. I didn’t know all the story. When I read it this morning, I couldn’t stop shaking my head.
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 11:23 pm
Oh , I see!
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Marissa Bergen said this on April 30, 2015 at 1:34 am
Thank you for raising awareness, Paola! We should not have to live in fear. We should not have to do things to protect ourselves from sexual assault. Everything has always been about what WE should do to not get (deserve) sexual advances, rape. I call BS on that. Love you Paola ❤
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mandy said this on April 29, 2015 at 7:12 pm |
I love you too Mandy!! I wish there was more that I could do! 🙂
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 10:18 pm |
You’re doing it sweetie!
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mandy said this on April 29, 2015 at 10:31 pm
❤ 🙂
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 10:36 pm
A good cause to shout from the rooftops!
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Jay said this on April 29, 2015 at 7:27 pm |
I agree! 🙂
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DotedOn said this on April 29, 2015 at 10:18 pm |
Very interesting! Never heard of denim day before until I read your post! Scary that things like that happen. X
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manyofus1980 said this on April 30, 2015 at 1:20 am |
Yes! And really scary how it was handled by the justice system! 🙂
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DotedOn said this on April 30, 2015 at 2:41 pm |
Twin P
You wore jeans for a great cause. Many companies in the states observe the day. Until ignorant men experience rape themselves, maybe daughter, granddaughter or wife there view isn’t going to change. You have religious influences and worst of all jails are overfull. There are many states starting to turn around or roll out education projects. What good is a educational program when rapist walk. The other topic is if they are a registered sex offender , they don’t have someone keeping an eye on them. They can move next door and you would never know.
My growing concern is sexual assault on college campuses. I pray the schools continue to keep the hammer down.
Over the years there have been people who took risk and stood up for change. We need more people talking.
Hope you well. I was down today, did manage to get my music out and started on Fridays.
Twin M
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Looking for the Light said this on April 30, 2015 at 5:12 am |
I agree with you Twin… I’m sad they’ll only learn when that happens to them.
I’m so so today… I hope it passes soon.
I saw your post, I’ll read it later. Now I feel like hiding under the bed with the lights off. 🙂
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DotedOn said this on April 30, 2015 at 2:46 pm |
🙂
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Looking for the Light said this on April 30, 2015 at 3:08 pm