It was just after 2 a.m. on a pitch-black Friday morning when Bernadette Greene-Placentia’s life changed. The Democratic candidate for Congressional District 8 strolled across a parking lot to repair a damaged campaign sign. It was a routine she’d followed all summer. This time, she only made it a few yards.
An attacker smashed her over the head. She blacked out. She woke up to find a strange man on top of her.
Greene-Placentia struggled to open her eyes. She felt a sharp pain below her waist. The attacker was pulling his penis out of her.
She heard him mumble something like, “-ic bitch, not a very good fuck,” which her mind filled in as “Democratic bitch,” she recalled. She wasn’t sure that was exactly what he said.
One leg was out of her jean capris. She wore brand-new tennis shoes and a campaign t-shirt. Another man came over. Greene-Placentia felt his weight nudging her left leg further apart. She began swinging her foot at him. “Not even worth it,” she heard the man say as he moved away. He wore black boots and had small feet, she recalled.
The two men left Greene-Placentia face down in the parking lot. The hatch of her silver Jeep Grand Cherokee was still open. The car was still running. She heard music.
She doesn’t remember pulling up her pants or picking herself off the asphalt parking lot. She doesn’t remember closing her Jeep’s hatch and putting her foot on the gas. She doesn’t remember pulling her car into the driveway and collapsing into her bed.
“It’s just these little tiny flashes of things that I do remember,” Greene-Placentia said in an interview with Phoenix New Times. “As much as I don’t want to remember, I’ve tried very, very hard to remember more stuff. But that’s where I’m at.”
The thing I’m trying to understand about this is why the hell is she out at 2:00 in the morning fixing signs. Regardless if it’s a billion degrees in Arizona or not. I don’t do shit at 2:00 in the morning because the world is fucked up. I wish more women would go after rapists. The DNA swap might prevent him from doing it to other women.
Goddamn bro, you really hate women…
Many millions of people live in a completely different world than you. We do all sorts of things at 2 a.m. Some of us even work overnight shifts. Everywhere, every state, every county, every city there are tens of thousands of people working and playing and living.
You don’t understand because you’re ignorant of it. Please don’t be offended by that word, it’s not used as an insult. You don’t understand because you don’t know, but there’s an entire night time world out there while you sleep.
The night doesn’t belong to rapists and the fucked up. If you ever end up going to the hospital late at night, you’ll see that it’s full of men and women working so that society can keep going… and their lunch break is at 2 a.m. and they shouldn’t have to defend why they are up at that time.
Of course they are.
Because she fucking wanted to. She can go out, wherever, whenever, however the fuck she wants and not have to fear getting raped.
That clear for you, you fuckwit?
She was busting her ass for her campaign and we’re gonna dunk on her for it?
Can we not victim blame?
It’s wrong, regardless of what conditions it occurred under. Not only that, but she had been doing this all summer long without any problems. The two men who did this were aware of her schedule and habits, they had likely been stalking her for who knows how long prior to this, which means they would have done this in broad daylight too if they thought they’d have a chance at it.
Indeed, this reads like a deliberate trap. Someone in the intense drive of a political campaign is all too likely to work to extreme levels, fix every problem they see without thinking about risks.
Especially if this particular sign had to be fixed multiple times over previous weeks.
It wouldn’t matter if she was buck naked in the middle of Octoberfest no one has the right to touch anyone without their consent.
Agreed, but we live in a sick world… I don’t ride my bike after midnight anymore even though I really loved my night rides. People on the trails take over after 11 and I had a few try to mug me.
I’m 6’5" so once they saw that they backed off… Scared the fuck out of me.
The world sucks sometimes… And statistically this is less likely to happen in the daytime
Edit: down vote if you want. I 100% agree with the fact NOBODY should be raped. I have 3 daughters myself and it’s a very real fear in my mind.
Than you should know that if your daughter gets raped she will think about what you said about the thing she was doing at the time of her rape and she will feel guilty.
By questioning a victims choices you are legitamizing their rape, a message heard loud and clear by the perpetrater as well. No amount of “off course it is never okay” is going to change what message you are sending.
I appreciate your perspective. Thanks! I am fine with changing my viewpoint.
I still teach my kids to be safe at night and try not to do things that are statistically more likely to be dangerous.
I will consider what you said though.
Sometimes that’s when you have the spare time to do it. It’s still not her fucking fault.
You realize people still live their lives at 2am. People are working, shopping, doing all the stuff 24 hours a day.