by Sean O'Torrain
I see two items in the New York Times today which are of
interest. They are in relation to the brutal pressure that is put on women and
to a lesser extent men to keep quiet about rape and assault that they suffer.
In 2012 there were an estimated 26,000 sexual assaults on women and men in
the US military. Yet only 3,374 were reported to the authorities and only 880
were prosecuted. This is a staggering statistic. Sexual assault is followed up
by a campaign and culture of terrorism to keep the victim quiet. Once
again I congratulate and extend my admiration and respect to all who take an
open stand and speak out and fight this brutality. Thank you Comrades.
I wrote a book some years ago called The Donegal
Woman. It was based on the life of my grandmother who was an Irish peasant
woman and who was abused. Without an agent and only myself and two friends and
a bank account which we called a publishing house the book reached number two
on the best sellers list back home. I live in Chicago now. The book can
be ordered from me at loughfinn@aol.com We have it on the book list on this blog here. Scroll down to Women's Struggles and there are some reviews on it.
I have a bad memory but
every now and then things come back to me. When I was launching this book I
held a lot of launches in small villages and rural hamlets in Donegal, Ireland.
The attendance was usually about 20 to 25 and usually only about three or four
men at most. We had a launch in a small hamlet called St. Johnston one night.
There were about 20 people there. The discussion was going on and then a
lady about 55 or so just burst out. She had been sitting all night bent over and
with her head and eyes looking down at the floor. I had noticed her and been
watching her.
I think that on many
occasions mistreatment of different kinds often has an affect on peoples’
physical shape. I have a relative whose partner treats her bad, not physically
but emotionally and mentally. I am continually watching her posture. I am
trying to convince those closer to her that we must intervene as her shoulders
are getting rounded and she has a hard time looking people in the eye. So far I
have not had success in this. But back to the launch of the book.
This lady just burst out
and interrupted the discussion. She said:"I hate worms you
know." Nobody had been talking about worms in any way. She then went
on:"I was working in a big house. She was good to me. But he was a boyo.
One night she was out and he tackled me to the floor." The lady then
looked up, seemingly in shock at her audacity to speak out. She went on:"But nothing happened you know nothing happened. I never
told about this to anybody before." She then gathered the large shopping
bag she had and rushed from the room. That poor women I still wonder if she
got any help. In that rural backwater there were no counseling services or
women's groups. I was very proud to hear some years later that my book The
Donegal Woman about the life of my grandmother was being used as a text in some
women's counseling circles that developed. I think from what the lady said
and how she acted that "something" had happened but she could not say
more. While proud that my book has been used I am ashamed that i was not able to act quicker to get that poor woman help there on that night.
I have started reading Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici.
But with my head the way it is it is slow going. I would be very
interested to hear from people what their opinions are on this book. So far I
find it powerful and it is adding to my knowledge in so many ways.
I am trying to make
progress with my own book which I am presently writing. It is about my own
evolution from a rural right wing Orange Order family in Donegal to full time
organizer for revolutionary socialism. I think it might be positive for people
who read it if I ever get it done.
Talking about writing I was reading an article
recently and it included a quote from Oscar Wilde, that mad Irish man. I went to
visit his tomb in Paris once and the huge rock that covers it was covered with
lip stick marks in the shape of lips. What a character. The quote I read recently was in
relation to "creativity." He said that a writer was "someone who
had taught his or her mind to misbehave." I will have to work on
that. I think I am too rigid in my thinking.
Sorry for taking up time
and space on this blog.
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