Of Mice and Women

My mind has been overwhelmed lately by the continuing violence against women. After completing part four of Roberto Bolano's 2666, which chronicles the senseless murders of hundreds of young women in the town of Santa Theresa in Mexico, I am numb. Here in the United States, the media has focused within the past week on the murder of Yale student, Annie Le, who ironically was killed on the week in which she was to be married. The police have now arrested Ray Clark III, a lab person who cleans cages of the mice Annie and others work with for medical experimentation.

Today the discussion rests on the motives which would lead to this horrific event. On one side, we hear the police describe it as "workplace violence." They indicate perhaps there was an argument between the two individuals about the cleanliness of the cages. Women who are interviewed, however, tend to believe the murder is clearly related to the idea of anger, power, and violence against women. I tend to believe the latter theory as well.

In my personal life, I have witnessed and been a victim of violence against women both as a child and as an adult. In other writings I have documented my sexual abuse as a child. In the past year I have witnessed bullying and threatened violence against a friend of mine. I am always at a loss to explain the continuing violence. Is it simply that men are physically stronger for the most part and know they can win in a struggle? Are we failing to teach our young boys respect for girls as they grow into manhood? Are these men emasculated somehow in the workplace by competition with other men or women? Are we simply failing to teach ethics and morality any longer?

I have no answers, but like most all Americans today will continue to read and seek answers on how to win in this continuing war against women worldwide.