About 6 or 7 years ago I was shopping at a store and I noticed a man following me. I turned around and could see that he was trying to get my attention.

“Yes” I asked him, and he proceeded to give me the old “whats your name, what’s your number” song and dance.

I told him “no thank you” and went about my business.

“Oh, you are one of them“, he shouted.

“Excuse me?” I said.

“You are those women huh? You think you are too good. I hate women like you. UGLY, just UGLY” he shouted.

I was so shocked that I could do was laugh. I couldn’t believe that saying no could make someone so angry.

The sad thing is this sort of behavior is common, and in fact it’s getting worse.

Now instead of being shouted at and called names, young women are in danger of being shot!

No, this is not some sensationalized babble, it’s what actually happened to Mildred Beaubrun while she was out with friends.

“Hey, baby, what’s your phone number?” they called out as the cars traveled west through Orlando.

Then the banter grew more aggressive. The men threw a T-shirt, then an AA battery, at the Nissan. One of the women threw a broken cell-phone charger back. At one point, the HHR swerved into the Nissan’s lane and tried to run the car off the road.

When the Nissan turned north on John Young Parkway, the HHR followed. Then, at Princeton Street, a shot rang out. Shrapnel flew as the bullet pierced the door and struck 18-year-old Beaubrun, who was sitting in the back seat.

_Source

Now Mildred Beaubrun is dead.

Are we encouraging males to have such great egos that the punishment for rebuffing them is death?

This whole thing is just sick.

Even my experience didn’t seem like a big deal, but now that I think about it, why should women have to put up with that crap? I have a right to go in public and not be harassed or berated if I reject advances.

But I guess that’s not what young men are being taught these days.

So what’s the solution?

Do we urge all women to get self defense classes? Do we preach that women should never go anywhere alone? Do we make sure women carry pepper spray and tasers if it’s legal?

I don’t know the answer, but I do find it funny that it’s always women that have to change instead of the person (or people) who are the ones in the wrong.

Why isn’t there any talk of educating young men on respect and how to deal with rejection? How about classes on how to stand up to peer pressure when your friends are doing something wrong?

I guess that would be too much work. After all, who has time to get to the root of the problem when it’s easier to place the responsibility on the would-be victim.

_{Story Via Racialicious & Essential Presence}

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