A tale of two assaults

TW: Sexual assault

Last week, an immigrant was accused of raping a teen girl at a Massachusetts hotel that is serving as a shelter. A few days later, a man attending the St. Patrick’s Day parade was accused of raping a woman at a hotel in downtown Boston.

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Let’s talk about the different responses to these incidents.

Since the horrific assault at the shelter, politicians and others have used this incident to criticize U.S. immigration policy, criticize MA Governor Healey, and criticize our right to shelter law. One quote: “The Commonwealth has failed this child”. And of course, many have used the violence of one immigrant to paint all immigrants as violent.

None of these politicians have had anything to say about the rape at the other hotel.

No criticism of the Governor, no indictment of overall policy, no mention of Massachusetts failing this survivor. Those who are calling for an end to our sheltering of immigrants do not seem to be calling for an end to the parade.

To be fair, one Boston City Councilor has talked about the damage the parade caused - to the neighborhood. I haven’t heard anything about the sexual assault. Happy to be corrected if I am wrong.

It’s not lost on me that the accused perpetrator of the assault in downtown Boston was not American. He actually tried to flee the country and was pulled off an airplane by state police. But… I have not yet heard an indictment of all non-Americans attending the St. Patrick’s Day parade based on this one incident.

However, I have heard searing (and racist) indictments of all immigrants seeking refuge based on the incident in the MA hotel/shelter.

What I also haven’t heard is a thoughtful and clear call to end sexual assault. I haven’t heard a demand for better policies that protect women and girls (and everyone) from sexual violence. I haven’t heard anyone shouting that we need more services, more protections, more safety - for ALL.

And as a former rape crisis counselor, you better believe that’s what I want to hear.

And I don’t want to hear anyone blaming all immigrants for the violence of one.

An addendum, because this is absolutely the icing on the extremist cake…

The day after I first posted this, the news hit that Jim Jordan would be launching an investigation into the rape that happened at the hotel in Massachusetts.

Yes, Jim Jordan. The same guy who refused to apologize for a tweet describing the story of a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim as a “lie”. The same guy who ignored rampant sexual abuse at Ohio State.

That same guy now suddenly cares about sexual assault.

Of course, we know why. Jim Jordan is experiencing an abrupt change in attitude on sexual violence because it serves his political agenda - demonizing immigrants. Just like Katie Britt cared about sexual violence because it served her political agenda - demonizing Joe Biden.

We see you. We see through you. You don’t stand for survivors. You stand for yourselves, your power, and your hateful world view. You stand for white supremacy.

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