Legatum

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Speech Against the Rapes In The Congo by Jeanie Chang

Today’s Soldiers face a special dilemma when we put on the uniform; we know that with it comes the chance that we will have to give our life for our country. We are also faced with giving our lives for the plights of those that may not reside in the United States of America. I recently found a cause that I would be willing to give my life for even though the cause is not within the United States of America. There are women, (excuse me), I meant females that are getting viciously raped in Congo. Their countries, societies, and even families let them down. America needs to intervene in these rapes for they show human depravity at its lowest point, the victims cannot receive the medical attention they need, and the victims are shunned by their own communities.
The first thing these rapes do shows human depravity at its lowest point. These women are not safe even within their own houses. The rapists come into villages and commit these vile acts within the very sanctuary of the women’s homes! Notice how there is an “s” on rapist; I am talking about GANG rapes, not individual rapes. I also need to correct another word that I am using. I should say females instead of women, for age is not a factor during these attacks. Imagine a two year old lying in the bushes, nearly starving to death, afraid to move because she has been sexually assaulted. That is exactly what happened to a little girl named Malia. Too many female children share a similar tale with her. The very “core” of the family unit is torn and damaged when these rapes happen. These Gang rapes are so violent they often leave the victims unable to control their bodily functions. Their bodies are so torn from these rapes that their bladder often empties in their bodies and they constantly leak and smell of their own excretion. The violent rapes often leave the “LUCKY” victims pregnant. The unlucky are left unable to bear children. The rapist demands that the males in the household often behold these vicious attacks. There have been reports of male family members being killed when they refuse to participate in these acts.
The second reason America should intervene is the fact that the victims cannot receive medical attention. These villages lack the convenience of transportation. This means that there is no way for these women to get the medical attention they badly need. Most victims are scared to go for medical help. The facilities are often located pretty far from the village the attack happened in, this leaves the victim open for more attacks on the way to the medical facility! Many of these women do not want to go and be told that they have HIV. Gang rapes often transmit the virus. Children are faced with the dilemma of parents trying to cover up the rape, to escape the social side of the rape and are sometimes not afforded medical attention. If Medical facilities are reached by the victims, the facilities themselves often lack the equipment or personal to perform the needed reparative surgery. In all honesty, if all the victims sought medical attention, the medical facilities would fall short of being able to meet their needs.

The final reason America should intervene is that these victims are often shunned in their own communities. Freda Adler said “Rape is the only crime in which the victim becomes the accused.” These rapes prove this statement beyond a shadow of a doubt. The community views the rape as punishment for the woman. They consider the rape victim unfit for marriage and soiled. This is a huge problem for the entire family when marriage is considered the goal of a female. Spouses often leave a rape victim. These women are often driven from their community. They are often forced out because they are a constant reminder that the men cannot protect his family. They are even feared because they may have contracted HIV during the attack. Unfortunately, those lucky ones that are left intact and able to bear children are cast away because they carry a fatherless child. Those unlucky ones are considered cursed if they are unable to bear children because of the attack.
In Conclusion, being a rape victim myself, I cannot imagine the plight these women, these children have to bear. But, from the point of today’s Soldier, I would be willing to give my life to help their plight. America needs to intervene in these rapes for the various reasons these rapes show human depravity at its lowest point, the victims cannot receive the medical attention they need, and the victims are shunned by their own communities.

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