“I know and believe that the words I repeatedly use have an impact on who I am.” – Al Walker, Sheep Thief

Steam came out my ears when these little gems popped up in my inbox. If there’s a phrase that makes me see red it’s, “Well, what did you expect?” When applied to men and women working together, “rape” should NOT be the response.

Before I came to PCAR, I was a stay-at-home dad. If you’re unfamiliar with that labor of love, it’s much like being handed a hang-glider and told to fly to the moon. Unprepared and ill-equipped, I spent the better part of a year free-style singing about household objects, making one ridiculous face after another and (gasp) changing my daughter’s diapers. My little explorer is 15 months old now, and I still can’t bring myself to make any reference to her private parts.

It’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month! It feels a little weird to be excited – it’s great to bring the conversation out into the open, but obviously not a comfortable conversation. Too often people feel it’s a conversation that isn’t necessary – though recent events have proven otherwise – or we wind up preaching to the choir.

 In light of the recent media coverage related to Jerry Sandusky, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and MaleSurvivor would like to remind members of the media about normal behaviors that are common for survivors of sexual abuse:

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape supports the abolition of the statute of limitations to report sexual assault and believes that adult survivors of sexual abuse for whom the statute of limitations has expired should be afforded a two-year window of opportunity to seek civil remedies for their victimization.

I imagine parents would be reluctant to organize play dates with known sex offenders, putting it mildly. The internet, of course, makes location irrelevant for most activities, including video games.

 Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett announced Jan. 2 that the Commonwealth filed a lawsuit against the NCAA to revoke the sanctions leveled against Penn State University.  Gov. Corbett acknowledged the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape’s work with Penn State during his press conference regarding the sanctions.

 As an Army Reserve Soldier in the public affairs field, I often have to step up to the plate for the military’s image.