The nation was once again shocked this week by a school shooting, this time in Bailey, Colorado. Six girls were taken hostage by a 52-year-old man, specifically selected from among their peers. Four were let go during the standoff, one was killed during the police entry, and some may have been sexually assaulted. And since the gunman had no obvious connection to the school or the girls, police are left wondering about motive.
I may not know the motive, but I can guess what may be behind some of it. I get lots of spam email. My email address has been the same for 10 years and has been posted online for most of that time. That means that spam harvesters have put my address on every spam mailing list out there, including some truly vile ones. Take a gander through my spam folder (or don’t!) and a theme emerges: the sexual brutalization of teenage girls. What is this fascination, not just with these girls, but with sexual violence toward them?
Certainly, it’s obvious that our society has gone a long way toward turning even the youngest girls into sex objects. Mona Charen, in her latest syndicated column, talks about parents and teachers allowing pre-teen girls to prance about in suggestive clothing, not just in how they’re cut, but with the slogans written on them. As she says: “Great. Let’s hear it for women’s liberation. Our 13-year-olds are free to look and act like sluts.” What purpose could there be for shorts or pants with words written on the bottoms if not to get people to look at your daughter’s behind? Are these parents sleep-walking through life?
Creating a predator-friendly environment
