IT'S NOT always the thought that counts and sometimes, good intentions are not enough. Thursday's Take Back the Night rally started with good intentions and ended up creating a dangerous precedent for the annual gathering and similar events.
Although the organizers did not intend to advocate murder as an answer to domestic violence, that is exactly what they did. The vigil portion of the rally featured testimonies by three women imprisoned for murdering their abusers. The women are incarcerated in the Fluvanna Correctional Facility and could not attend the rally, but a University graduate read written statements detailing their abuse.
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The atmosphere of empowerment that characterizes the annual event was sullied and politicized by the inmates' testimonies. Take Back the Night is an event designed to support victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse. Victims need to know that they are not alone, and the rally provides an opportunity for them to share their experiences. The rally is an influential and emotional experience, empowering victims and non-victims alike. But people without murder convictions could have given equally compelling testimonies without presenting violence as an appropriate answer.
This year, Take Back the Night legitimized murder. It condoned violence as an answer to violence by simply presenting three written statements. What's worse, this disregard for responsibility came out of an otherwise positive force. Testimonies at the annual event influence emotionally vulnerable and thus impressionable women. Victims who share their experiences empower others. They become heroes by virtue of their courage in telling their stories. They also become role models for women in abusive relationships, and what they say and how they act is important. But murderers are not appropriate role models. Violence is not an option, and should not be glorified.
The testimonies were not accompanied by any sort of disclaimer condemning murder, or even a statement saying that the organizers do not condone violence as an answer to abuse or sexual assault. National Organization for Women President Areshini Pather said that the purpose of the testimony presentation was not to condone murder but to represent "women who couldn't be with us [Thursday] because of domestic violence."
Domestic abuse or not, these women were not at the rally because they committed the ultimate violation of human liberty -- taking another person's life. The circumstances of the violation are important to consider, but they do not absolve the women of murder. Regardless of the circumstances, these women should not be celebrated or glorified. Nor should they be shunned or condemned. Their circumstances deserve pity. To honor them, however, is virtually criminal in itself.
How many women at the rally are currently in abusive relationships? How many will be raped or abused? According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 50 percent of all women will experience abuse in an intimate relationship. The testimonies rally participants heard and the concept of heroism involved in those testimonies will stay with them. If even one person takes from Thursday's rally the idea that murder is an answer to domestic abuse and then perpetuates the idea verbally, or, God forbid, puts it into practice, the positive effects of the rally will be lost.
According to NCADV, the majority of women in jail for killing men have been abused by those men. Their stories are heartbreaking and the results tragic, but to condone counter-violence and especially murder is irresponsible and self-defeating. Take Back the Night and similar events should focus on educating women who have not fallen victim to abuse or assault, and on supporting those who have.
In their fervor to empower and support women, the organizers of Take Back the Night forgot the weighty responsibility they held. They disregarded the impact of the rally, the effects of the testimonies and the vulnerability of the participants. The credibility of their anti-violence message and the integrity of the event now are in question. Although the damage has been done, it could be at least partially reversed by a public statement or retraction. It is the only responsible thing to do.
(Masha Herbst's column appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily.)
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