Anna Aldridge
Have you ever noticed that the women who are obsessed with rape and sexual harassment are always the ugliest birds around? They are always the one that nobody would touch with a 50 feet pole. This case is no different. Because Anna Aldridge pretend that she can no longer leave her home without fearing “the constant sexual street harassment” she encounters on the streets of Austin, she has created a petition asking the Austin City Council to “stop sexual harassment in Austin.” [1] That’s right folks. On top of wanting more attention for herself, she’s now inviting the government to create even more stupid invasive laws that can be used and abused to fleece citizens in the future. In her petition, Aldridge wrote about the continuous sexual street harassment, also known as catcalling, she claims to experience:
I am an avid runner in Austin, Texas and no longer feel that I can safely leave my home, even in broad daylight because of the constant sexual street harassment I encounter. As an active member of the running community, I know that my experience is not isolated. I am asking for your support in making sexual street harassment a crime in Austin through legislation drafted by the Austin City Council. [9]
“As a homeowner, business owner, and taxpayer in the City of Austin, I refuse to accept this behavior any longer. My tax dollars pay to maintain the streets in this city and I deserve to use them without being sexually objectified or reduced to my biology. I deserve to be protected by the police force when I feel that I am in danger of sexual assault,” Aldridge wrote. “In 2015 when the confederate flag in down and same-sex marriage is legal nation-wide, it is asinine that a progressive city like Austin, Texas still allows women to be treated like objects of sexual entertainment in their own communities,” she continued. [1] In order to stop street harassment, Aldridge proposes a few “reasonable” policy suggestions for the Austin City Council. Her proposals include making street harassment an offense worthy of a ticket, a fine, or even arrest for individuals who have a history of sexual abuse or assault. Aldridge states that business owners whose employees are caught catcalling should be subjected to a fine and “forced” to endure a “mandated” sexual harassment training course provided by the city. She also issues the blanket statement that “Austin City Police Officers need to be more educated on the subject of sexual harassment and sexual assault.” [7] While the petition has only accumulated a meager 283 signatures since it began a week ago, the petition has caught the attention of a few local news outlets. Speaking to KVUE, Aldridge explained the daily horror she endures at the hands of men on the street. “It’s usually just like ‘Woo hoo!’ or ‘Hey, baby!’ It’s disgusting. It’s horrible,” she said. “I’ve had guys roll down the window and make these little kissy faces at me.” KVUE brought cameras on a run with Aldridge and only observed a few honks. [7] Ms. Aldridge told KHOU-TV. “I’m definitely going to be running with a camera and I hope all the other women in Austin are running with cameras, too.” [5] [11]
Catcalling has been a topic of conversation for many since the group Hollaback posted a video montage of actress Shoshana Roberts walking around New York City over the course of 10 hours and being inundated with catcalls last October. But whether you live in a big city or the suburbs, chances are, you’ve seen someone getting catcalled or been a victim of it yourself. Could this be a crime though? MTV News asked Lee Rowland, an attorney for the ACLU. “The million dollar question is, what does ’harassment’ mean?,” Rowland said. “There is a huge difference between being harassed as a legal matter — actually being placed in fear of bodily harm — and being annoyed by boorish conduct. [8] “The first amendment [freedom of speech] prohibits government from criminalizing boorishness,” she added. “So if these are attempts to actually make it illegal or a finable offense to say ‘hey baby’ in the street or to simply act like a misogynistic jerk, those laws will not be constitutional.” [8] Rowland also said that trying to make catcalling a legal issue could lead to other consequences. “If we gave the government the ability to criminalize people who upset us or annoy us on the street, there is absolutely zero doubt that that power would be used against a volunteer for the humane society or a homeless person asking for charity,” she argued. So while the legal future of her petition remains to be seen, Aldridge said she hopes that, if nothing else, it will add to awareness about the damaging effects of catcalling. “If people could just know that there are consequences to these actions, then maybe it’ll stop it in the future, she said. “And that’s just what sounds reasonable to me. I don’t know if that’s actually doable or if it’s reasonable, but it’s a place to start.” [8]
MyFoxAustin | KTBC | Fox 7 Austin | News Weather Sports
