Saturday, September 09, 2017
Yesterday’s Vigil For Rape Victim Megan Rondini Was Amazing - Donald V. Watkins
https://www.facebook.com/donald.v.watkins/posts/10214094481378211
Yesterday's Vigil For Rape Victim Megan Rondini Was Amazing
By Donald V. Watkins
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on September 9, 2017
©Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on September 9, 2017
Yesterday's vigil for Megan Rondini was amazing. Megan was the young University of Alabama honors student who was drugged and raped during the early morning hours of July 2, 2015, by Terry Jackson "Sweet T" Bunn, Jr. She committed suicide after Sweet T escape justice in her case.
Megan's tragic story has launched a grassroots movement that is changing the way we respond to rapes and other sexual assaults in Alabama.
My daughter and I celebrated my birthday yesterday by marching in the Justice for Megan vigil. Laurie Beth Kesterson, one of the vigil organizers, led the procession of marchers. Every participant in the vigil was a leader in the community and/or on UA's campus. Every one of them was fearless and proud of his/her role in the Justice For Megan Rondini movement.
Robyn Yetter, Megan's aunt, spoke as the vigil started. For the next two hours, participants marched, sang, and prayed together. It was a beautiful evening and a wonderful celebration of the life, courage, and legacy of Megan Rondini.
This occasion was the first time in a very long time that I have been surrounded by such a committed group of leaders and supporters. It took a real measure of courage for participants to make the long walk down University Boulevard from DCH Regional Medical Center to the County Courthouse in a public display of support for Megan Rondini in the festive atmosphere of a Crimson Tide football game in Tuscaloosa.
The reaction of the onlookers was fascinating. No one taunted us. Many of them did not know what to say or do as marchers passed by them. Everybody paid attention to the procession of marchers. A lot of people openly supported the marchers.
As expected, no public official in Tuscaloosa joined this group of leaders and supporters. All of them were missing-in-action, including University of Alabama President Stuart Bell and the school's trustees. One thing is clear at this juncture – all of these public officials lack courage and none of them has a commitment to justice for Megan Rondini. As a group, these public officials are little more than mannequins with mobility and the ability to utter politically popular sound bites.
When the marchers reached the President's Mansion, I noticed that Dr. Stuart Bell had hospitality tents and tables set up on the front lawn. It did not take long to realize that this hospitality gesture was not intended for the participants in the Justice for Megan vigil. Oh no, this set up was reserved for the "Big Money" crowd that will be chatting and drinking with Dr. Bell during the hours leading up to this afternoon's Crimson Tide football game against the Fresno State Bulldogs.
What made me extremely proud yesterday was the makeup of this group of reform-minded leaders and supporters. Roughly half of them were young male UA college students. Two of them were Student Government Association vice presidents. They were among the males who led the procession. Both of these SGA officials gave a short speech of support for rape victims when the vigil procession stopped Innisfree Irish Pub, the site where 34-year-old Sweet T spotted and targeted 20-year-old Megan Rondini as his prey on the night in question.
When the vigil reached the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse, several speakers gave the participants important information for implementing meaningful reforms in the way sexual assault cases are handled. The number one item on the "to do" list is the defeat of Tuscaloosa Sheriff Ron Abernathy at the polls next year. Abernathy is the "dirty" cop who "fixed" Megan Rondini's rape case so that Sweet T, a known sexual predator, could escape a criminal prosecution in her case.
The other piece of good news I learned about yesterday was the publication of a groundbreaking article by Ms. Alice Martin, the former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama (2001-2009) and former chief deputy attorney general for Alabama (2015-2017). In her article titled, "Alabama Voices: The scars left by date rape drugs", Ms. Martin describes her own scary experience with "date rape" drugs. She is the first highly accomplished career prosecutor to openly discuss Megan Rondini's rape case.
Ms. Martin's article was published on September 7, 2017, and updated yesterday. Here's the link to this powerful article: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/…/alabama-vo…/643557001/
In her article, Ms. Martin states,
"Our daughters and granddaughters are now returning to college campuses. My prayer is that fun times do not turn into horrible nightmares. I have seen that pain. I have offered a comforting shoulder to girls like Megan Rondini, whom I wish I had met before she took her own life when her rape trauma turned too excruciating to bear. When I worked at Vanderbilt University Hospital's psychiatric unit as a Registered Nurse before going to law school, I cared for patients on suicide watch. Megan's case was mishandled and those accountable must bear that scar…..
Half of all sexual assaults on college campuses occur in August, September, October and November. Most involve alcohol. Many involve a combination of alcohol and drugs that are slipped to the victim. Most assaults are never reported. When asked why, over 63 percent of students in a 2015 study by the Association of American Colleges, believed sexual assault would not be taken seriously by campus authorities.
Without supportive services, some victims, like Megan, will turn to self-blame, some to self-medication, and some will try to block it out and live with the pain. Ninety-four percent of these women will experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Worse, 33 percent will contemplate suicide and 13 percent will attempt suicide. Megan was a beautiful University of Alabama co-ed who reported her assault immediately to authorities, who sought supportive services and who failed to receive what she needed. Before there are more Megans, let's come together to prevent violence and when we can't, to support victims and punish their attackers…..
It is time to protect our daughters. I have a photo of three beautiful faces and one ugly scar to remind me of how the world can change in a single sip."
These are powerful and empowering words from one of the most successful, respected, and courageous prosecutors in Alabama and American history. Finally, a real prosecutor has publicly stood up for the victim in Megan Rondini's tragic rape story.
Thank you, Ms. Alice Martin! You have always been a true leader and protector of crime victims.
Yesterday's vigil was a big success. I am glad I attended. The Justice for Megan movement is sweeping Alabama and is making a positive difference in public opinion about how we treat rape victims.
Thank you, Megan Rondini! You have inspired an army of committed change agents. These are the leaders Alabama has been waiting for. I stand with them.
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