Mundie Moms

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Speaking Up For Speak


I usually take a break from the computer Sundays, but today something has really caught my attention. I've debated back and forth if I should post about it today or wait to post about it later in the week. Once I read a friend of mine's post, Myra McEntire, I decided I needed to post about it today. You can read what Myra posted in defense of SPEAK here on her blog. * I'm adding in one more very powerful post to read and it's from a close friend of ours. I hope Saundra Mitchell doesn't mind me doing this, but you can read her powerful and personal post here http://tinyurl.com/24jphj8).

I've read SPEAK, and I've talked about SPEAK with other friends, and most importantly, it's been a book that has been discussed with friends I know who have been rapped. While I understand and respect Mr Scroggin's is allowed to voice his opinion, here's my opinion.

When has RAPE EVER BEEN PORN!?!?! For someone to even suggest that disgusts me. RAPE is RAPE. It's something that is stolen from a victim and it's NEVER the victims fault. EVER! While people may not like SPEAK or they may opt their children out of reading SPEAK (which is their right to do), banning the book will not ban RAPE itself. 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men will be sexually assaulted in their life time and college women are 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted (quoted from RAINN's site) RAPE is something that teens face and it's something they need to be educated about, whether that's from their parents, guardians or from reading about in a book.

I regret that I didn't read SPEAK until I was an adult. I'll be honest, it wasn't one of my favorite reads BUT it has a powerful message and that is TO SPEAK UP! What I took away from Mr Scroggin's article is that he wants people to SHUT UP about it and turn the other way. I'm sorry, but that's a problem we already face in our society and why so many victims DO NOT SPEAK up when they should.

Since Mr Scroggins has made the point that Christian's wouldn't let their children read this, I'd like to say I am a Christian and you can bet that if my children had this book to read I would let them. Sometimes reading something like this can convey a very POWERFUL message. You can also bet, I will be talking to my children about RAPE, dating, sex and everything else when they hit the appropriate age!

Yes, I will have Speak as part of my home library. In fact, I really want to go out and buy numerous copies so I can give them to every teenage girl to read. Since I can't afford that, I'm buying copies so I can loan them out and let the message be spread.

You can click here to the article. You read what Laurie Halse Anderson has said about the article here.

Spread the word and use the #SpeakLoudly hashtag on Twitter today and during Banned Book Week.

14 comments:

  1. I've been assulted myself when I was 8 and reading Speak helped me understand and let go along with having support from my friends and my boyfriend. That nut job needs to get fired from his work for saying Rape is porn and we need to stop talking about it.

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  2. Right on! And well said! Rape is an act of violence, but one that leaves a different kind of mark and people need to talk about. Especially those who've experienced it or are close to someone who has.

    Anything that gets teens and young adults talking about these issues is a good thing.

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  3. I am a guy and I also write, but I feel like I don't have the right to interject this topic in my writing. I can however tell you growing up a best best friend and her family went through it. Without sharing to much she was betrayed and it was terrible and in no way what happened to her could be compared to porn. Everyone speak out.

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  4. Myra- You know how much I love ya!! Thank you for a powerful post.

    Kate- Thank you so much for sharing your story with us! I am so sorry to hear that, but so glad you had a support group around you. I can not believe someone would even fathom saying that Rape is porn. It angers me so much.

    Just Your Typical Book Blog- Thank you so much!

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  5. I read Speak when I was 12 and it was probably the first book that ever made me really think. I remember finishing it and sitting there in silence for an hour. It completely changed the way I looked at people, events and emotions in an amazing way. Speak is an life-changing book that everybody should read once. It helped me to grow up and thats what a book should do; change your outlook on life.

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  6. The original post infuriates me. Thank you MundieMoms (KatieB) for speaking out and thank you Myra for posting about it bright and early on twitter this morning.

    I went to a local bookstore and picked up a copy today.

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  7. I know! I have so many things I want to say. Not only is it ignorant to bring religion into it, but he degrades RAPE victims with his RAPE is porn comment. I'm seriously buying a couple copies of it tomorrow.

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  8. I regret to say that I have never read this book, but I'm glad you have brought it to my attention.

    How in the world can rape and porn ever be confused? The very idea is appalling. And goodness knows that teens are very impressionable. The only way to educate them is to talk openly about topics like this, even with as difficult as it may be. If we don't speak up about it, how can we expect rape victims to become rape survivors?

    Thanks so much for posting about this. I will be reading this book very soon.

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  9. BEAUTIFUL!! It's so wonderful to see so many bloggers, readers, and writers acting in this!

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  10. Well said. I have never read Speak but I think I'll go out and buy a copy now in support.

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