To Pro-lifers, from a Survivor

The following is a letter written by a friend of mine.

Dear Pro-lifers on Campus,

Stop. Stop displaying fake graveyards, emotionally manipulative posters, and graphic images in the forum.

Stop talking about rape. Stop telling rape survivors what they should or shouldn't do.

Anyone who hasn't been raped has absolutely no concept of the pain experienced by rape victims, including myself. After being raped, we do whatever we can to survive, to get through the day. No one gets to tell us that we are dealing with it wrong.

Two men have raped me, at two different times in my life.

They stole my control over my body, my sense of self, my ability to look in the mirror without being disgusted at the woman staring back at me. They stole my ability to feel safe and secure in this world, to trust anyone, to believe happy endings exist. They are the reason I cannot walk by a man, no matter how nice he seems, without some small part of me wondering if he will be the next person to hurt me.

And now you are stealing any sense of safety I had on this campus. The letters and speakers talking about rape and abortion make it nearly impossible for me to go to class, do homework, do anything. They remind me how many people have no empathy whatsoever for what we're going through.

So stop. You have every right to your beliefs, but please don't use them to force me to relive the worst moments of my entire life.