Last week I had to bust a few guys in the nose because theycouldn’t take a hint. I’m not happy about it. I’msure my assailants reciprocate my feeling of regret about resortingto physicality, but I just didn’t know what else to do.

I went out dancing to a local pub to hang out with friends andto work as a marketer at a bar in the foothills. I was fullyclothed and sober each night.

I figured that if I didn’t show too much skin, I couldavoid harassment. But to my dismay, it didn’t work.

Overtly drunken fools were groping women all night.

Four times over the weekend I was groped without my consent.

One was a slap on the ass, another a breast grab. The third wasa drunkard falling over himself and on top of me, fondlingeverywhere he could. The fourth one attempted to grab my head andforce my body into his, to the point I had to scream in fear andsplash my drink in his face.

If this only happened once it probably wouldn’t even beworth mentioning. I never really complain of minor harassmentbecause it’s expected. I’ve been raised in a societywhere men are just that way.

Some girls fight back, while many look on. This is not okay.

Society trains women to think we’re inferior, and to avoidconfrontation at all costs, while men are encouraged to actaggressively and competitively.

The acceptance of this behavior is growing worse with changingtimes.

California has just inaugurated as Governor an alleged groper.While campaigning, he completely dismissed the 16 women who chargedhim with sexual harassment.

The media attention to all the groping could play a roll in thewidespread acceptance that women’s bodies belong to men andnot themselves.

The objectification of women in our culture is so oftenoverlooked that reports on these charges were made into a joke.

The charges did not interfere with the election and weredownplayed by Schwarzenegger’s attorney as “normal fratboy behavior.”

If behavior like that can be dismissed as normal, I’m notsure California is in the best hands.

Sac State is usually pretty safe. We have crime, but theperpetrators rarely harm people.

Police are warning women now that they should walk in pairs dueto three sexual assaults in recent weeks on campus.

Common criminal activities such as bike theft and graffiti aredeclining, while sexual assault has become a more serious issue.The number of incidents is often underreported.

The CSUS Clery Act report showed that forcible sex offenses rosefrom 4 in 2001 to 20 in 2002. This includes attempted rape, rape,and fondling or groping on campus and in dorms.

A woman can’t even leave the house these days withoutfear.

According to the National Center for Victims of Crime &National Crime Victims Research, 1.3 women are raped every minute.The average age for a rape victim is 16-24 and the average offenderis 15-24 years old.

Perhaps guys are just getting the wrong idea. Many guys thinkthat women who dress provocatively are asking to be groped. Theythink that women who dress this way should expect it.

When a woman parties on the dance floor, or goes up to aguy’s room, even if it belongs to Kobe Bryant, itdoesn’t mean she wants to be violated. She still deservesrespect.

Men are rational, intelligent people, though some pretend to beanimals. They know when they are being pigs and when they do and donot have consent.

If a woman decides at any point in the game she doesn’tfeel comfortable, it’s okay to be mad. Guys are entitled tobe a little disappointed.

They still must stop what they are doing if a woman says no.

Men can stop at any time but often don’t because theydon’t want to. Frat boy hi-jinks are acceptable to Americansociety.

“We (society) train women to not stand up for personalspace. We train them to think they don’t have any,”Jessica Heskin, advocate and educator of the Women’s ResourceCenter said.

Police encourage students to come forward and report instances.But that won’t change attitudes.

Women should show no fear, must speak out for themselves andshould use self-defense to ward off sexual offenders . Groping is anew word for an old irritating trend that needs to end.

Does Angela’s column rub you the right way?

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