Book Week 5

After finishing the book "To the Survivor" my view of sexual violence has changed. I think that I had incredible growth and maturity after reading all of these stories of survivors. Before reading the book I thought the things I were doing was helping end sexual violence but after finishing this book, I believe that what I was doing was just a very simple things in ending sexual violence. It was not enough work that would create social change and help survivors. It really showed me what true advocates and what they have to go through to help survivors. The narrator had to go through so much as male advocate against sexual violence. He had to go through discrimination as a male even though he was trying to help others. Every time he hears a story from survivor, he had to not feel sympathy but empathy for them. There are many times when he is at a rally or a group discussion or a presentation, he seems to talk but no one is listening and it looks hopeless helping these people understand sexual violence. This help me realize that the rally I made is not going to make instant change or even get people to become advocates. My attempt in bringing awareness about sexual violence is needed because if I don't do it who will do it. This work is hard and very few times I will get acknowledge for doing this but I am not doing it for the acknowledgement, I am doing it to make a better society for others. I do not want to live in world where there rape and I think everyone thinks the same exact way but thinking it will not do anything to change the issue. Someone needs to do it and the work that the narrator of the book does is very essential to creating a better society and more people have to be like him. I have these beliefs that are just like his, but I don't think I would be able to make that career my life like the narrator. I feel awful for saying it but I don't think I am strong enough handle that work everyday but I can still be an advocate. This makes me appreciate this type of work and hope that his work will actually make society change.