It’s been a whirlwind of a week for an activist set out to “end rape.” And it’s only Tuesday.

Though I’ve been following the Steubenville situation since a New York Times article came out in December, which provoked this piece on victim-blaming, I still haven’t been able to sift through my emotions and feelings enough to actually articulate my thoughts in writing. I’ve written at least 4 opening paragraphs, along with bullet points containing important ideas to address, yet the words get stuck somewhere between my shoulders and ready-to-type fingertips, somehow lodging themselves into my elbows making them ache.

Not just my elbows ache. But my heart, my head, and my eyes ache, too.

Typically triggering events such as Steubenville provoke some of my best writing, but this time all it’s doing is dredging up feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, and deep, deep wonder in what my tireless efforts of ending rape culture is actually doing in this world. I feel as if I’ve been walking in a vacuum of emotion. And it’s because of comments like these:

Will this event make a difference in the way the United States confronts rape culture? Can people’s minds be changed and instead of focusing on what the woman was wearing or what kind of substances were in her body, we’ll start addressing the fact that young boys seem to think it’s okay to rape women like they are their property? When will we start looking at the way our culture and adults teach young men that this behavior is somehow an okay way to operate? Why can’t the media take a stand against rape culture and stop promoting this event as a tragedy for the young boys (not that it isn’t a tragedy we’re shoving more people into the “justice” system), and instead acknowledge that it’s a tragedy these events happen at all? When will we acknowledge that masculinity has a part to play in this crime? Is the church going to examine Steubenville and see it for what it is—an event that could happen (DOES happen) in our communities? An event that points out the way we favor young athletes and charismatic Christians? The way we victim-blame in our institutions, churches, and congregations?

That’s why I’m making a call for you to contribute your thoughts on Steubenville with the Our Stories Untold community through a collaborative blog post. I’m looking for a diverse range of viewpoints and crowd of writers, with a wide range of genders, ethnicity,  ages, and sexes. If you’d like to come at it from a Mennonite or Christian perspective then I see that as constructive, but it definitely does not have to be. Additionally, I don’t need to agree with your opinion. This is an open call to get the conversation going in our private circles, because trust me, it’s conversation that needs to happen.

If you’d like to contribute, please do so through the contact page or by emailing Rachel@ourstoriesuntold.com. Please make your thoughts between 200-400 words, and submit them by NOON on Friday, March 22 (I know, short notice, but we gotta get talking!)

Any questions? Post them in the comment section below, as I’m sure someone else will have the same question, too!

In the meantime, check out this media round-up of some of my favorite articles out so far on the Steubenville rape case. See these as some brain candy for critical thinking:

On Rape, Cages, and the Steubenville Verdict by Mia McKenzie

Steubenville: this is rape culture’s Abu Ghraib moment by Laurie Penny

I Am Not Your Wife, Sister or Daughter. I Am A Person. 

How The Media Took Sides In The Steubenville Rape Case by Annie-Rose Strasser and Tara Culp-Ressler of Think Progress

A Letter To My Sons About Stopping Rape by Magda Pecsenye

CNN’s Steubenville coverage called too sympathetic to teens found guilty by Mallary Jean Tenore