TO THE EDITOR:
The emotional responses within the student body to the news of the Honor Court charges against Landen Gambill range far and wide: Many feel anger, embarrassment, frustration, confusion and devastation.
Regardless of your personal opinions about the case, I appeal to you, fellow Tar Heels, to focus on the one certainty that can be salvaged from the chaos: Landen Gambill is a survivor and deserves our wholehearted support.
According to statistics released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the majority of sexual assaults and rapes remain unreported due to the victims’ feelings of fear, shame, self-blame, guilt or lack of trust in the criminal justice system.
It is vital that we seize this moment of heightened awareness to highlight the victim-blaming attitudes on our campus and to work toward eradicating them.
Here are some steps you can take to create a more supportive environment for survivors.
1) Get educated about the complexities of the issue and establish yourself as an ally to survivors. One Act and HAVEN trainings are a great place to start.
2) Use your voice to speak out against violence. SAFER Carolina is one way to get involved; it aims to raise awareness about gender-based violence and work for change.
I dream of a campus environment that welcomes the stories of survivors, provides support for their healing process and strives to eradicate gender-based violence. That is why I stand with Landen.
