This week, like many of you, I've been mourning the death of Kasandra Perkins.
Only recently, a community I'm involved with here in Atlanta lost a young woman and her mother to a terrible and tragic act of domestic violence and murder. And amidst all of this violence and death, I find myself deeply saddened and overwhelmed by how vulnerable so many women and children are; by how many women and children are bullied and beaten; by how many women and children live in fear; and by how many women and children die at the hands - and guns - of those they love.
The death of Kasandra Perkins reminds us all of the reality of intimate partner violence. The media response reminds us all of the deeply rooted sexism and victim blaming that exists in our society and that helps facilitate only more instances of violence.
We must remember Kasandra and other victims of violence. We must speak their names. And most importantly, we must fight for them. We must fight against a culture of hypermasculinity and against patriarchy, and we must fight for better legislation around domestic violence, better supports for abused women, and stricter gun control laws. In doing so, we honor Kasandra and the other women who have lost their lives. And hopefully, we can protect more women from losing theirs.
The death of Kasandra Perkins reminds us all of the reality of intimate partner violence. The media response reminds us all of the deeply rooted sexism and victim blaming that exists in our society and that helps facilitate only more instances of violence.
We must remember Kasandra and other victims of violence. We must speak their names. And most importantly, we must fight for them. We must fight against a culture of hypermasculinity and against patriarchy, and we must fight for better legislation around domestic violence, better supports for abused women, and stricter gun control laws. In doing so, we honor Kasandra and the other women who have lost their lives. And hopefully, we can protect more women from losing theirs.
