Living In Fear

The article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, “Woman Raped in Downtown Santa Cruz” made me think about my own safety and independence here in Santa Cruz. All those accounts of rape downtown makes one think of two things: where are our law enforcers spending their time and how for most women living in fear has become second nature. Sometimes it seems as though “boys will be boys” and women are the ones that need to find strategies that can be used to prevent rape.
Lately, it seems as though the Santa Cruz Police might have their priorities a little catawampus. For example, the UCSC campus celebration of cannabis (4/20/07), one could find quagmires of law enforcers just standing around in a daze. It seemed almost as if they had been effected by the dense cloud of smoke hovering above. Unable to really do anything about these harmless “hippie” kids, the police remained for majority of the celebration.
When a woman’s safety is in question, her independence is limited. Furthermore, walking to the car wondering if someone is inside unexpectedly; waiting at the bus stop and a car pulls up- hopefully to ask for directions and not to demand you get in the car; or rethinking a trip to the library because it might be regretted on the late night walk back because of the chance in running into unwanted guests. Not only do women face these scenarios everyday, but have also become naturalized to this kind of fear.
Although it might be “fun” to take a self-defense class, no fun comes when one finds the need to use that self-defense. Santa Cruz events like “Denim Day” are a good way to make the community aware. However, if Santa Cruz Police made more of an effort to be more present throughout the community that could prevent major crime (like rape) from taking place. So reorganizing priorities of the Santa Cruz Law enforcement by decriminalizing the use of marijuana or focusing less on party ordinance would be a good start.