I am writing this in response to the recent acts of harassment that have taken place on the UA campus over the past three years. Pictures of an individual wearing a shirt that read "YOU DESERVE RAPE Galatians 6:8" and shouting threats at passing women have begun trending on facebook. Numerous news outlets have reported this harassment. U of A has stated that these actions do not constitute a "threat" or violate their harassment policy.
The actions of these individuals are threats of violence. The University of Arizona has shown a deplorable lack of concern for the safety and wellbeing of its students by taking a passive stance to these threats. The main concern, aside from education of course, of an university should be the safety of all students. For women to be subjected to these threats without action fro m the university is completely unacceptable. For this person to declare that anyone "deserves rape" is an active threat of VIOLENCE to every woman and man on campus.
The University of Arizona has a responsibility to its students to put an IMMEDIATE stop to these individuals and publicly condemn these actions.
I have written a review on the University of Arizona's facebook page calling for the institution to protect its students and am writing this now in the hope that larger exposure will compel the University of Arizona to revise it's harassment policy and provide protection to its students. In a country full of school-based violence, ignoring the threats of these individuals is unacceptable and I am hoping that your newspaper will join me in denouncing the lack of action taken by the University of Arizona and prompt them to do better to insure the safety and wellbeing of all persons on its campus.
As a native Arizonian, I know we can do better.
—Alyssa Evensen
