At a press conference earlier, one of the victim's fathers (who identified himself as such) made a statement that's been making the rounds in the media. “Why did Chris die?” Richard Martinez, the father said. “Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA. They talk about gun rights, what about Chris’ right to live? When will this insanity stop?”
His 20 year old son, Chris Martinez, was killed on the way to a market by Eliot Rodger, the shooter responsible for the death of 7 women on campus at UCSB. 2 others will killed as well.
http://www.salon.com/2014/05/25/ucsb_shooting_update_father_of_the_shooting_victim_calls_out_politicians_and_nra/
This event has absolutely horrified me. As a woman, it now means for me that should I decide to reject a man's romantic/sexual advances, he might kill me for exercising my right to say no. Rodger felt so entitled to these young women's bodies that he actually killed them. There's no telling how many men out there are just like him. (PS for anyone who decides to comment on this post - DO NOT post 'not all men are like that'.)
I feel for the families of the victims, but I feel that this particular father is shifting where the blame should really be placed. When it comes to cis men violently attacking and killing cis women, it's always turned into a discussion about gun rights or mental illness, and not about the men themselves. This is why gendered violence like this perpetuates - we never make the men responsible. We always teach women self-defense classes or give them self defense weapons as gifts, but we never teach men that they are not entitled to a woman's body or that no means no. The message is always "don't get attacked" and not "don't attack".
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