WITH VALENTINE'S Day just around the corner, I can imagine what's on most people's minds. Beat Duke! That's pretty close to what I'm thinking about. Hopefully, University Hall will be a spirited place on Wednesday night and the Cavaliers will put the Blue Devils in their place. But the 14th signals another struggle for victory equally worthy of consideration and attention.
As flyers around Grounds proclaim, Feb. 14 also symbolizes "V-Day." As cited on these flyers, V-Day is an organized response against violence toward women. The stark black and white lettering on this promotional material makes a strong impact and deals with the issue in a blunt manner. Words such as rape, incest, battery and genital mutilation are listed to fully explain the motivation behind the publicity campaign. Such topics are not exactly dinner-table conversation material. But as the force behind V-Day demonstrates, we cannot forget about them in the pleasantries of everyday life. Instead, we have to confront them head-on.
The global movement behind V-Day does just that.
|
According to its Web site, V-Day is "a decision, an energy, a spirit, a day - Valentine's Day - for which annual theatrical and artistic events are produced in local, national and international venues to raise money and transform consciousness." The centerpiece of these events has been Eve Ensler's Obie Award-winning play, "The Vagina Monologues" (www.vday.org). Since 1998, V-Day has allocated resources to grassroots groups that work to end violence against women. No political agenda motivates the organizers of V-Day; ending violence against girls and women remains their only objective.
Unfortunately, our community faces the reality of such events too often. The recent sodomy and rape that occurred in broad daylight in a park in Charlottesville painfully reminds us that violence against women continues to plague society. While the goal of permanently ending such heinous acts may appear overly ambitious, the efforts of the V-Day campaign serve the useful purpose of raising people's consciousness about the issues. Without such awareness, we could never hope to make much progress.
Though the presentation of its message may seem stark, the V-Day flyers are a catalyst for discussions about these sensitive issues. The messages associated with V-Day are not rooted in feminism or some other social action movement. The themes conveyed on the flyers transcend the boundaries of any particular group, as they should, because the protection of women and our bodies remains a universal concern.
Within the confines of our well-mannered and civilized community, the promotion of such ideals may seem trite. But the fact remains that physical, emotional, sexual and psychological abuse of women occurs far too often in ways that many may not realize. Tragedies can happen to anyone for any reason. Sadly, no amount of education or prosperity can fully protect you from existing threats. However, the spirit of V-Day's message demands recognition. The group's promotional flyers declare their efforts to be an ongoing process. No one should refute the vision that women can live safely and freely.
Though society appears content celebrating just Valentine's Day on Feb. 14, using this holiday as a call to action for the preservation of the sanctity of women and our bodies serves a powerful purpose. Doing so reminds us that no hurtful or malicious act can be justified in the name of love. The violation of a woman is never right or culturally acceptable.
V-Day boldly takes on this message and hopefully will be a strong catalyst for positive change. Even though society often doesn't feel comfortable discussing these issues in blunt terms, V-Day rightly compels a heightened sense of awareness about violence against women. Take a moment and read a V-Day flyer when you see one, or visit their Web site. And whatever you might be celebrating this Wednesday (hopefully a big Wahoo win for all of us), consider the spirit of Valentine's Day in its fullest sense. There can be victory in the effort to end violence against women everywhere.
(Katherine Martini's column appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at kmartini@virginia.edu.)
Read More
ONIBUDO AND SAWAYA: Police, not students, were agents of chaos
By Naima Sawaya and Nathan Onibudo | 2 days agoSaturday, the state, not students nor protesters, brought violence to this campus.
IYER: Sports stadiums should sport more benefit to Virginia residents
By Arjun Iyer | 4 days agoPast stadiums in other states show that Virginia has the potential to succeed at such a construction project, provided that proper measures are undertaken.
KURTZWEIL: True financial aid must be transparent
By Paul Kurtzweil | April 29, 2024The implications and revelations of the lawsuit should inspire greater transparency at the University in order to ensure that financial aid is properly and equitably distributed.
