A Modest Proposal to the U.S. Government Regarding the Sexual Assault of Women

It is challenging for women to walk on dimly lit streets alone at night in the U.S.; many live in fear of what may happen to them at the hands of sexual predators. The vulnerable feeling women have when they are by themselves in the community is not extinguished even when they are armed with pepper spray, pocket knives, or even handguns. Sexual assault and harassment, especially of women, are calamities prevalent in the U.S. right now and have recently been the subject of controversial debates, law proposals, and current events.

There has been a myriad of debasing statements made about victims and instances of sexual assault, even by government officials and respected individuals in the American society. Sometimes, victims of sexual harassment are attacked and unreasonably questioned, and sometimes their situations are dismissed as trivial and inane or as flat out lies. For example, the most controversial issue right now is the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. Christine Blasey Ford and several other women have recently accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, and the response has been derisive. Republican Senate Candidate Chris McDaniel “accused Ford of making up her accusation against Kavanaugh,” (Hohmann) and  has impetuously stated that he thinks that “These accusations, 99 percent of the time, are just absolutely fabricated” (Hohmann). Similarly, men guilty of these malicious crimes are often protected by people in their communities; women targeted by people in their families or close communities are dismissed as confused or audacious, and “Victims who have been abused by clergy, the wealthy or the philanthropic are frequently assured that their predators are overall ‘good people’,” Nancy French wrote in an op-ed article for the Washington Post (Hohmann).

In addition to these more publicized incidents, sexual harassment is also a serious problem in U.S. higher education institutions. A house proceeding on sexual abuse on university campuses (House of Representatives:US Official News) describes several stories of sexual assault of young women in college, and reports that “Universities continue to inadequately deal with perpetrators across the country”. The concept that young women simply attempting to get a proper education are abused like this is abstruse and detestable; respected professors and school officials should not be able to take advantage of their high positions and escape the consequences of their depravities.

I think I speak for most women in the U.S. when I say that there have not been extensive enough approaches to this clearly extensive situation. How is this still a problem in our society today? Officials have not taken the steps necessary to eliminate this violence and corruption, and potential effective solutions have been shut down. While waiting around to solve a lightweight problem like this is wonderful, I prefer to take action. I have created a proposal for a solution that I sincerely believe will reduce or even eliminate the phenomenon of the sexual assault of women in the United States.

Because men are the most frequent perpetrators of sexual harassment, it seems only logical that they, the root of the problem, should be the targets of the solution. Therefore, to eliminate the occurrence of sexual violence, men must clearly be the ones to be dealt with.

To protect women across the nation and to provide them with a better environment in which to live, young men should be, upon experiencing puberty, subject to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and rigorous etiquette and moral training until they are eighteen; men who still commit sexual crimes will be dealt with in gas chambers after being publicly flogged by women of their communities.

This is the most plausible way to ameliorate the devastating lives women live at the hands of men. My aunt is a therapist, and she believes this is a brilliant idea; her support of this proposal is demonstrable of its potential. I have already formed an extensive list of advantages of this solution, some of which I will explain in detail to obtain approval and support.

Firstly, this will be a sure way to extinguish the fire of sexual harassment in the country. It serves as a consequence to those who are so virulent to commit sexual assault crimes, as a warning to potential predators, and as a lesson for young boys who will soon become men; it will be more effective than systems implemented in the past.

Secondly, this proposal only harms the perpetrators rather than the masses, which will protect the innocent. It is typical for people to accuse all men of being disgusting and corrupt after seeing one article about a rape case. Here, men will only face consequences if they have been accused of a sexual crime. There will be no room for people to ask the women: What were you wearing? Were you drinking? Did you scream? Why did you not come forward earlier? The innocent young boys subject to ECT will experience some pain, but it will not be very bad, and it will do them more good than harm.

Thirdly, young boys will actually be educated about women, the world around them, and their behaviors. The fact that young boys will be treated and educated from the start will be a huge step, considering they currently are almost never educated about important topics like this and are never reprimanded for “just being boys”. Research published by Cyndy Etler to CNN says that “Statistics show that younger people are the ones most frequently sexually assaulted. Thus, the cultural shift needs to start in the teen years” (Etler). The goal is that while being trained and taught to be good men, shocking their brains with powerful electricity will make them smarter, more focused, and more obedient. In addition to fixing their animal nature, our nation’s citizens will be well educated.

Fourthly, women that have been abused or harassed by men like this will have the opportunity to take out their rancor on the guilty. By being able to flog men accused of sexual misconduct, women’s harsh feelings and understandable anger at men will be ameliorated before the criminals are sent to be gassed and effaced. Countless women now watch as their predators go about their lives unscathed, free of guilt, and protected by the law. The victims tremble in their cold and darkness in trepidation and wonder if their emotional numbness and incredible, infallible fear will ever be mitigated. The heartbreak that they feel is unbearable. The only way for them to do this is to be able to actually see results, and to see the men they despise pay consequences. Would you not like to see their woes be lifted?

Fifthly, the public flogging of these men will serve as warnings to the community. People will watch them being beaten, videos will go viral on the internet, people will tell their neighbors, and parents will bring their children. The visual experience will be a thousand times more effective than it is now, where the results of cursory sexual harassment cases in journals and articles are ignored and hidden away. People connect more with what they see; a picture is worth a thousand words. Young boys will be influenced by these events, and they will witness the consequences they could face if they ever make the decision to mistreat a woman.

Lastly, this solution would help assuage the mental health epidemic. The issue of mental health is now a critical and prevalent part of our society, and causes controversy and unease. Mental diseases are debilitating and enfeebling, and sometimes are the root of issues like gun violence, domestic abuse, and child suicides. By eliminating the worst, most disgusting people in our country, we can reduce the number of women suffering from PTSD, depression, and other mental issues. Some harassment instances involve men raping fertile young women; these horrid situations often result in pregnancy, and the women who do not choose to terminate their unwanted pregnancies often raise troubled children. Research by Andrew Solomon shows that “maternal stress severely affects embryological development” (Muller), and children conceived of rape are “more likely to suffer from psychological disorders like depression and anxiety” (Muller). Also, according to Muller, children conceived of rape are more likely to develop poor parent-child relationships, and often live in shame and embarrassment for being the result and constant reminder of what happened to their mothers. In fact, my grandfather Terry Cailteux was the child of a rape victim. He said that he “never felt quite at home with [his] family,” and was jealous of his brothers and sister for not having to deal with the emotional pain he felt for being a reminder to his mother of her trauma. My grandfather felt rejected by the family he was living with, whether they meant to make him feel that way or not. He was clinically depressed from a young age until later in his life, long after he left his home. Reducing the number of boys likely to grow to be predators and the number of sexual attackers currently living will help reduce the unnecessary amount of women and children living with mental disorders and pain.

This proposal is entirely efficient and plausible. Moreover, the only problem I can imagine people might see is that they might think electroconvulsive therapy could be traumatic to the young boys. This, however, is entirely untrue. Countless people with depressive disorders and mental problems are treated with ECT, and it has been proved to be beneficial to their health and well-being. The pain they feel will be minimal, and ECT will promote the good of the community, and the boys will be better because of it.

If this proposal is not approved, there are other less effective and less efficient ways to handle the nation’s situation: simply adding a sex education class requirement in high schools, taking harassment accusations more seriously, providing relief and programs to women who are subject to sexual assault, expanding the consequences for men who commit sexual misconduct, or exposing children in school to more current events. These are all good ideas, but they do not propose an effective long-term solution to the detrimental sexual harassment hurricane.

This solution could work wonders for the society of the United States, and could provide reassurance to so many distraught and fearful women across the nation. I am not motivated by any personal agenda to propose this solution. I have no young brothers or children that would be subject to the proposed shock therapy, and I would never be subject to any of the punishments given to men accused of sexual assault because I am a woman.

Annotated Bibliography

Etler, Cyndy. “Young People Can Tell You the Kind of Sex Ed They Really Need.” CNN.com, 31 Oct. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/10/31/opinions/sex-assault-controversies-prove-we-need-better-sex-ed-etler/index.html.

Etler’s article provides insight on the sexual harassment norm and racks up information about what teenagers would like to actually learn about relating to sex education at their schools. She provides statistics that show that young people and LGBTQ people are more likely to be subject to sexual assault, and says that they want to be heard. She says that students want more education on what to do when sexual predators are not strangers in the streets, and want more information on what predatory behavior looks like. They also want information about social, emotional, and behavioral topics, rather than just being pressed to agree to pledge abstinence.

This article provides me with evidence I can twist to fit my satirical solution. My satirical solution is in part to train boys from puberty and subject them to electroconvulsive therapy, which would in theory make them into better men who don’t harass women. Etler’s research shows that young people are the most likely to be victims of harassment and assault, which is all the more reason to educate them from an early age, supporting my satirical plan to train twelve through eighteen year old boys.

Hohmann, James. “The Daily 202: Conservatives Divided over Kavanaugh Allegations, Mostly along Gender Lines.” The Washington Post, 21 Sept. 2018. Infotrac Newsstand, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A555220871/STND?u=j043912&sid=STND&xid=9bad8d2e.

Hohmann’s article is an analysis of some of the controversy over the accusations by Christine Blasey Ford of Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual harassment. Conservatives tend to support his nomination, while only five percent of Democrats support him. Hohmann also provides some information and insight on the debate over sexual misconduct allegations in general, and how politicians and society have responded to it.

This article provides evidence for me to support the problem of my satire with. The real problem of my satire that I am creating a satirical solution to is the sexual assault of women in the U.S.. Hohmann provides quotes from respected politicians, including one of a Republican senator who completely debases the voices of women. The information in Hohmann’s article helps me support the fact that there is a real, consistent problem that needs to be addressed in the U.S..

Leonard, Molly M, and Terry Cailteux. “My Grandfather Is a Child Born of Rape.” 29 Oct. 2018.

For this paper, I interviewed my grandfather, Terry Cailteux. He is a child born of rape, and I asked him to share his experiences and how that fact has affected him. He explained to me that he never felt like he truly belonged in his family, and often felt like his mother and siblings rejected him. He often was upset because he felt embarrassed that he was a reminder to his mother of what she endured. He also told me that he was clinically depressed for years from a young age until later in his life.

One of my advantages to my satirical solution was that my solution would reduce the number of people dealing with mental disorders and illnesses. The fact that my grandfather’s mother had a mental illness and the fact that he had a mental disorder after living with that burden supports my research and this specific advantage to my solution.

Muller, Robert T. Children Born of Rape Face a Painful Legacy. 2016, Children Born of Rape Face a Painful Legacy, trauma.blog.yorku.ca/2016/01/children-born-of-rape-face-a-painful-legacy/.

Muller’s article emphasizes the devastating effect that rape has on mothers and the children that result from the depravities. His research shows that children born of rape are at a higher risk of developing severe psychological disorders; stressed mothers affect their embryo, and children and their mothers tend to form poor child-parent relationships.

This is one of the many problems that are a result of sexual assault. Muller’s article also serves as support for one of the advantages I listed to my satirical solution. One of the advantages to my solution is that the number of people who suffer from mental disorders will be reduced. Because there is so much research to prove that victims of rape and the children that are born of rape are more susceptible to mental illness like PTSD and depression, my satirical solution aiming to reduce the number of sexual predators in the United States would therefore ameliorate that issue.

The Library of Congress. “Washington: SEXUAL ASSAULT ON OUR CAMPUSES (House of Representatives - July 19, 2018).” US Official News, 20 July 2018. Infotrac Newsstand, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A547615542/STND?u=j043912&sid=STND&xid=7ac89c1d.

This article provides an account of several instances of the sexual harassment and assault of young women on college campuses in the United States. It challenges the idea that respected people like professors are able to take advantage of their positions. This article addresses the prevalent problem of sexual harassment in this country and how it is affecting the education of young women in universities.

This provides information and evidence to support the real problem in my satire of the sexual assault of women in the U.S.. The countless stories of women of their own experience with sexual harassment is alarming, and this proceeding gives a handful of examples of this tragedy. I used a quote from one of the people involved in the proceeding that challenges the fact that harassment in the higher education system has become the norm.