Women's Crisis Center

WOMEN'S CRISIS CENTER

     3 A.M., sitting in my room seems like it's a clear night.  Guess I'll take a walk, the moon's a low yellow crescent on the horizon, Orions in the sky.  I'm feeling high on all this air, just walking down these good familiar Ann Arbor streets again, been doing it for years.

     Then, there's this flash in my head, it comes from nowhere but its strong the feeling of someone behind me or maybe there's someone behind that bush.  No, calm down.  Get your bearings.  Start walking faster and look behind you, every step and all the images of rape and all the images of men lurking in every dark shadow, every turn, be careful, you're on the streets at night and you know it's not safe.  Hurry home before that man comes round the corner and you're suddenly confronted with that age-old sister's hassle:  looking him straight in the eye and thinking:  this is a drag and fearing for your life and feeling small.  No place to turn to, no place to run, no one to come if you scream and when it's over.

     If you've been raped or not you know that all the police will ask you is what you were wearing (that means did you seduce him?) and is he still there (that means there's nothing we can do, honey so go on home) and sit in your room.  Guess I won't take that walk tonight.

     That's the way it is.

     But now in Ann Arbor there are some sisters who are trying to change the night fear that all sisters experience as a large part of their lives.  A few of these sisters were assaulted and raped.  They got together with others to form a collective of thirty sisters and this collective is the core of the Women's Crisis Center.

     So, out on that night street again, clear night, and if you're hassled you'll know that on some streets there are designated houses that serve as sanctuaries for sisters.  There'll be a sign in the window and all you have to do is run in.  There'll be sisters there to talk to, about anything that you need to talk about or you'll be able to call the number of the crisis center from there.  Maybe you'll request a car to come and get you and you ride safely to the center where you can get peer counseling on contraception, problem pregnancy, suicide intervention, drug freak outs when you only want to talk to sisters.  If you have been assaulted you'll be able to get legal and medical help by people who are sympathetic, who believe that it is not your fault that you've been raped.  Or maybe you just want to talk to some good sisters--she'll be there from 10 A. M. to Midnight as of November 15 (there'll be a phone number at night and eventually the center will be a 24 hour service).

     If you're out walking late tonight think about it--which way would you like it to be?  We no longer need to rely on the established forces.  We now rely on our sisters for the help we need.

     On November 14 there'll be an all day training session to open the center which will be on the second floor of the Michigan Union (in the Library) for infomation call 662-5400 or 763-4186 or 971-9367 eves.

Help make the Women's Crisis Center an alternative experience for all.

Ellen Zwieg