"Don't say anything." - Willa Lambert

Rape is a form of sexual assault without the consent of the victim. This definition has changed over the course of history especially for legal reasons and other considerations such as gender, mental, and physical incapacity to deny the act. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, rape is “The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” The reason for this clarification was for those who cannot distinguish the thin lines this act treads. The clarification is needed to specify what is not generally known to be considered rape. The fact that the definition does not include how demeaning, disrespectful, and disgusting shows how wrong the act is. Rape is and never will be the right thing to do.

One of the main themes of Rene Steinke's novel, Friendswood, is the subject of rape. This theme is aimed towards one of the characters in her novel, Willa Lambert. Willa is a freshman in high school with a religious background. She has a crush on Cully, a popular senior at her high school. With the intent of sleeping with her, Cully invites her to a house party in the middle of the day and introduces her to alcohol for the first time that day. Though she wakes up later in the day without remembering any details, the blood stains on the empty bed she wakes up on, the pain between her legs, and the word "slut" written on her body are enough to explain the happenings of that party. Nobody is actually aware of what happened. Dex is present at the party for some time and though his reasons for leaving are questionable he is not truly aware of what happened. The woman at the house finds her in a questionable state, yet she does nothing to assume the worst has been done to her. Rumors spread around the school and the administration offer "help", but again who can truly stand up for Willa? 

At this point in the novel, Willa cannot speak for herself. Though she cannot remember in full detail, she is aware of Cully's actions. Those who wish they could stand up for her cannot and usually would cannot speak for her. One cannot fully blame nor expect Dex for not speaking up for her because what more could her say. Her family and Dani are not even present at the time to defend her. The only people who can truly stand up for her are the people who knew she was raped and of course her rapist, Cully. There is no one else to blame but them an they are the only ones who knew the exact details. 

The only way Willa can get her justice is if someone stands up for her. Those who should stand up for her should be her witnesses and her rapist. Cully needs to own up to his actions and not put the blame on her. 

Shine Bright Like a Diamond

     After reading Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace, I do not think I can ever agree with the saying, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” This story is about a woman, Mathilde, who dreams of living lavishly. Though there is nothing wrong with wanting to dream about such a thing, she is wrong in going about it. The story begins with a character analysis of Mathilde, a poor woman who, at the beginning, is pretty, charming, and born of a family of clerks as if it were a mistake by destiny. She desires the fame, the riches, the expensive clothes, the alluring jewelry, the list goes on and on. It goes on because she is never content with what she has. For example, she has a loving husband, M. Loisel, who acquires an invitation to a ball for the sole purpose of wanting her dreams to come true - for her to have a day that makes her feels special and extravagant. When she opens the invitation, she throws the invitation and comments that she is not equipped with the means to go. Instead of thanking her husband, she asks for more. Of course, being the good-hearted husband he is, he makes sure she she gets what she wants from the dress to the jewelry. Mathilde buys a dress using the money M. Loisel had saved to buy a gun and treat himself with. For her jewelry, she borrows from Mme. Frostier, with whom she finds a breathtaking necklace of diamonds that makes her heart skip a beat. Finally, she is ready to go to the ball.

     Mathilde captures the attention of the people of the ball with her elegance, grace, beauty, and smile. She dances the night away with her husband sleeping in another room - most likely tired from working day and night for her. Her night ends when it is time to go home and her wrap of common life must be put back on. Once she arrives home, she realizes she has lost the necklace. Her husband goes back to the ball by foot to retrace their steps in an attempt to find the necklace, but without any luck it cannot be found. Mathilde and M. Loisel find a replica of the necklace except it is much more costly than the first - thirty six francs to be exact. They buy it with the help of their savings and other loans also buying a lifetime of hard work and regret along with it. They lie to Mme. Frostier and give her the replica. After this experience, Mathilde grows old both physically and emotionally. She ages from the never-ending work so much so Mme. Frostier cannot recognize her when Mathilde sees her in the streets ten years later. Mathilde finally tells her the truth only to be told the original  necklace was fake and cost no more than five hundred francs.

     Throughout the short story, I do not believe I found one thing Mathilde did right. Her character analysis in the beginning of the story sets her up to be one who feels superior, arrogant, and ungrateful for what she has. She feels that because she is pretty and charming, it is her world and everyone else is simply living in it. This character flaw sets her up for a tragic fall in which not only her, but also her husband suffer through. She is materialistic and the way heart skips a beat when she sees the necklace in the gorgeous, sleek, black satin box proves her to be so. The necklace itself symbolizes riches and luxury - both of which she wishes to have at the palm of her hand. Instead of working her way up to fame, she sits in misery and envy waiting for it to happen on its own. She did not do the right thing when she lied to Mme. Frostier about losing the necklace. Telling the truth at the time could have ended in two ways. Mme. Frostier could have told her the necklace was real and she would still have to work the rest of her life to repay it or she could have found out the necklace was fake and paid less. I understand the fear of confrontation and consequence when telling the truth, but in the end the lie truly was not worth the trouble - more so for her husband. She is not wrong for dreaming. She is wrong for dreaming at the expense of others and never being grateful for those who do what they can to make her dream come true even just for a night. In other words, nobody else should suffer for her dreams with the exception of herself. Mathilde comes off as this charming, confident woman, but I feel if she loved herself more rather than the riches she wishes for she would more secure with herself and her financial situation. One does not need materialism in her life to be one of the greatest. All one needs is honesty with herself and others.

                                      

To Take a Knee or Not to Take a Knee

    In 2016, former NFL quarterback for the 49ers, Colin Kaepernick, made headlines. This might not be surprising for many as he has made a name for himself and his athletic career over time, but the reason he made headlines was not due to scoring the winning touchdown or bringing his team to the Superbowl, but by, ironically, doing the complete opposite.

    Kaepernick first started his movement with his infamous sitting during the national anthem. In the beginning of one game, Kaepernick caught the attention of everyone else in the room by sitting during the national anthem. To show respect and support for people of color who are being oppressed, Kaepernick silently protested. At this time, there had been many cases of police brutality and he wanted to show his opposition to the matters at hand as well as exercise his right to do so. His silent protest gained attention after the third preseason game - to which he said, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Many athletes have followed in his footsteps and many celebrities have done what they can to show their support. Though he has support, he does have his critics and unfollowers. It all comes down to the question: Is sitting down during the national anthem the right thing to do?

    The answer to question varies, depending on the person’s point of view. There are two sides - yes, it is right or no, it is wrong. While one can respect the reasons for why people believe it is wrong, I believe it is the right thing to do.

    Colin Kaepernick is practicing his right to speak his mind, to practice what he wants to preach, to get his point across. Yes, on some level it is wrong to disrespect the families of those who have died for the freedom of this country by sitting down. Yes, he should take pride in American roots - take pride in this country. Colin Kaepernick started the movement alone. He did not yell for others to join. He did not shove it down the throats of the people in the stands, his team, his coaches, etc. He protested in silence. He is protesting the destruction of the lives of colored people in America - a country that claims it free. Though it is “un-American” to sit during the national anthem, it is also “un-American” to harm the lives of citizens of this country. If he cannot exercise his rights in his workplace, where can he? He said, "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." Is a touchdown more important than representing the victims? There are many that say football is a form of entertainment and should stay that way, but should the lives of the victim really be put on a scale as to whether they are more or less important than football? If one keeps making excuses as to why it should not be brought up, the oppression continues. This is a serious issue that has been pushed under the rug one too many times. Colin Kaepernick has the fame and guts to make this viewpoint known.

    Colin Kaepernick is doing the right thing. He is fighting for what he believes in and exercising his right to do so. He has done so peacefully and gathered the support to continue. Colin Kaepernick should take a knee.