Dealing with the chronically wasted on Gnap Alley causes one to learn pretty quick that a majority of the princes hanging out drinking, getting high or otherwise likely to drop a nap around here are unredeemed assholes. They get belligerent when asked to clear a door or gate, to stop pissing on a car or to generally take it somewhere else. Belligerent as if it is their right to behave badly on a public street- and fuck you for: wanting to get into your building, preferring your car not smell like piss, caring. A substantial percentage think nothing of verbally accosting a passing woman- all the stereotypical justifications apply. It's this lot that Gnarly Gnap has in its sights.
Imagine what a homeless woman faces in this crowd. According to a 2005 Department of Justice funded study* homeless women are two to four times more likely to be the victims of violence than a woman that is not homeless. It is estimated that between 25 and 50% of women who become homeless are on the streets because of violence, either in the home or on the street. Common wisdom for women on the street is to "get a man" in the hopes that the pairing will foster some protection from the dangers that lurk living the ultimate day to day- great if the man she gets isn't a creep. Fat chance in this lot.
To be sure the men of Gnap Alley don't have a stranglehold on sub-par, antisocial behavior; where there is a congregation of princes there eventually will be a princess. But if the alley is a microcosm of all that is bad in the world men are certainly more likely to be predator and women prey. And although a thorough soiling, perforated liver or rotted brain come along with the territory when venturing deep into the wilds of Gnapland, being assaulted, raped or murdered absolutely shouldn't.
* Experience Of Violence In The Lives Of Homeless Women, 2005. Jasinski, Wesely, Mustaine And Wright; Grant # 2002WGBX0013
Gnarly Gnap will return to its regularly scheduled antics as soon as a nap lowers its somnolent head....
No comments:
Post a Comment