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Very special victims

The Special Victims Unit of a police department investigates cases involving domestic violence, rape, elder abuse, child abuse, victims of human trafficking and victims with developmental or mental disabilities. These victims are labeled “special” for a certain reason: they are unusually vulnerable. These crimes are exacerbated by an imbalance of power and authority, due to age or physical or mental capability.

Recently, there has been a debate emerging to empower one specific set of these special victims: female college students. Students for Concealed Carry (SCC), a national organization advocating that state-issued concealed handgun licenses be allowed on college campuses, is at the forefront of this movement. Running events like the “Empty Holster Protest” and social media campaigns, SCC is trying to sell the idea that arming women on college campuses will prevent sexual assault. (That’s not to say that men do not suffer sexual assault as well; however, the SCC focuses solely on female victims.)

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This idea could not be more disempowering. The concept that prevention of sexual assault is the victim’s responsibility is a new type of trauma. Our lazy excuses have begged the question, “Why were you wearing such a short skirt?” These concealed carry advocates will now be asking, “Honey, why weren’t you carrying a gun?”

This re-victimization of survivors of sexual assault is creating what I call the concept of “Very Special Victims.” In treating women like rare objects that need a glass case, these advocates are not only enhancing the narrative of victim blaming, but ensuring that the dialogue about this issue roots itself in the same toxicity of violence that enables sexual assault in the first place. Further, where is the logic of legality? These advocates argue that women, as potential victims, should rationalize vigilante justice, pulling a firearm on men who might rape them. The claim that more guns leads to less violence has been disproven time and again. There have been 69 mass shootings in the last three decades, many in states with concealed carry laws. A recent study from Stanford University confirmed that right-to-carry gun laws are linked to an increase in violent crime.

Looking beyond the inefficiency of guns to reduce violence, let’s consider how concealed carry laws would affect campus culture. Would we, as Princetonians, feel safer knowing if a neighbor potentially hid a gun in her backpack? Perhaps it would set off the alarm at the Firestone library detector, or peek out of a pocket while she fumbles to collect her books. It’s like putting a Band-Aid on a heart attack — a superficial solution that does not address the depth or complexity of the problem. A campus of such extraordinary distrust not only fails the women who are seen as potential victims, but also the men who are seen as potential attackers. Are we so removed from our humanity that we shy away from combating the root cause of the problem through dialogue and nonviolent activism? Must we hide behind fingers on a thick trigger to “solve” this issue?

Additionally, the sexy image of a holster-boasting young woman is rooted in an even more sexist subconscious. Take Bond girls as an example — they never were able to truly protect themselves without the help of a certain sturdy, heroic James. A tagline for "Charlie’s Angels" reads: “Action doesn’t get hotter than this.” These advocates are shamelessly hijacking the debate around sexual assault with a message of razor-thin empowerment. They are manipulating the stories of survivors by turning them into victims of a different sort – one that takes their experiences and further objectifies them. They’re pushing the glass ceiling just a little bit higher. They are preying on the deepest fears and wildest vulnerabilities to sell a product with a very special message: Sweetheart, it’s your fault if you didn’t arm yourself. This message makes these advocates no better than the attackers themselves.

We are women; we are not museum exhibits that need armed guarding. Women should not have to holster the burden of threatening lethal force in order to feel safe. The root of the problem of sexual assault is with the attacker, never the survivor.

Azza Cohen is a history major fromHighland Park, Ill. She can be reached at accohen@princeton.edu.

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