[RP TownTalk] TownTalk Digest, Vol 107, Issue 12

[Maureen Farrington]

Hi Alison,

For what it's worth, I didn't read any dogwhistles into your statements.
Pueblo Construction is an actual company.  For some good news, when I was
talking about this thread with a friend, he mentioned that he knows the
owner, and would let him know that there were complaints about his workers.
I will let folks know if I hear anything back about this.

Also, I saw that info about the sexual assault on a minor  was posted to
PGPD's twitter feed, and the link they shared can be found here:
http://pgpolice.blogspot.com/2015/06/wanted-wednesday.html

I am really grateful to everyone who has been chiming in here, giving me
hope that there are so many good people in this town willing to fight the
good fight against a culture that we have outgrown as humans.

Thanks,
Maureen



On Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 11:13 AM, Alison Spain <alisonspain at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hello -
>
> Thank you for discussion around the recent sexual assaults.
>
> My initial query was addressing the speed with which women were or were
> not notified about the string of recent assaults in our community, and I
> would like to continue to bring the discussion back to how we can better
> inform the public and how adjacent towns might share information in a more
> timely manner and spread the word so that when there is an *ACTIVE*
> assailant in the area, women are better informed and can act according to
> their comfort levels.  The question regarding communication between the
> towns has been largely ignored.
>
> My other comments were directed at how a community does or does not
> tolerate harassing behavior. As I have opened up the can of worms, I'd like
> to backtrack to my point that sexaul assault and predatory behavior are
> ultimately aggressive acts about power, or lack thereof - a person who
> feels powerless choosing a perceived victim in order to feel more
> powerful.
>
> While catcalling construction workers are an obvious target, this behavior
> cuts across all socio-economic communities and cultural backgrounds.  My*
> personal *intention was not for a catcall to become a dog whistle, as I
> am sure that the construction workers mentioned also have wives, sisters,
> mothers, and daughters that have been on the receiving end of harassment.
> Immigrant women are probably *less likely* to report harassment, whether
> due to language barriers or fears about immigration status. Women in the
> service and domestic industries such as office cleaners, housekeepers,
> waitresses, and childcare are also frequent targets of harassment for any
> number of reasons, many which relate to their perceived weakness and lack
> of power.
>
> Were I a man that felt empowered by harassing women, being cited in front
> of many other men in public would likely shame me and further cause me to
> lash out at women. Interestingly, El Pueblo means The People, or less
> literally, The Community.  Clearly, there is a need for law enforcement in
> situations of immediate threats and violence, but there is also a need for
> community policing, from both actual police and the rest of the community.
> I have seen a great deal of community outreach from the RPD at different
> events and my individual experience is that they are a thoughtful
> organization.  One solution to the example of the known catcallers above
> might be to have a representative of the police simply introduce himself,
> bring some donuts along, and mention that women are feeling threatened by
> catcalls and to please tone it down.  Inquire about their families, their
> wives and daughters - are they experiencing any issues?  Similarly, men of
> the community, you are in a unique position to both model gentlmanly
> behavior and teach other men and boys what behavior towards women YOU will
> not tolerate.  See a woman getting harassed on the METRO, speak up.  Men
> need to hear this from other men in a way that provokes reflection and not
> further shame. Some interesting resources here:
>
>
> http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/resources/male-allies/educating-boys-men/
>
>
> As to the male poster that wanted to be on the receiving end of cat calls,
> your comments about allotment of resources were worth discussion.  Your
> what's the big deal ladies get over it attitude and I'd love to be
> catcalled comments were offensive, but nothing new or suprising.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Alison S.
>
>
>
>
>
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