tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6517797058287564272.post1544066760743985168..comments2020-08-12T03:28:22.001-07:00Comments on The Almost Vegan: Perceived Social Support: A Lesson from Lara Logan's InterviewElainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02883685141057444220noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6517797058287564272.post-1839112593247036822011-05-11T14:17:13.359-07:002011-05-11T14:17:13.359-07:00Excellent blog, Sohan. I very much had the same e...Excellent blog, Sohan. I very much had the same emotional response you did to seeing Logan's interview (heart pounding, vision blurred by tears, etc.). I hope history will show that both Logan and al-Obeidy contributed mightily to a sea change in view of victims of sexual violence. We should all remember, however (I know you know this), that they are hardly the first brave women to come out publicly about their experiences with sexual violence. Another brave woman, who also experienced gang rape (hers by American men, employed by KBR/Halliburton and stationed in Iraq) was Jennifer Leigh Jones in 2005. If you go back and watch her 20/20 interview in 2007, you will notice how very brave she was/is, too. Something to unpack (I'm doing so in an article right now) is why some victims who speak out recieve support and attention and others do not.Elainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02883685141057444220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6517797058287564272.post-24584989446301547682011-05-11T04:13:34.427-07:002011-05-11T04:13:34.427-07:00That interview was difficult to watch. My heart wa...That interview was difficult to watch. My heart was pounding so hard, I felt like it would break out of my chest and run off. The sheer savagery of the men who did this to her boggles the mind. Unfortunately, her assailants may never be brought to justice, and will probably continue to terrorize other women in Egypt. Very likely, neither will those of Eman al Obeidy or Mukhtaran Bibi (almost all of the latter's assailants have been recently released by the Pakistan Supreme Court).<br /><br />My take on this issue: http://sohandsouza.multiply.com/journal/item/150/Lara_Logan_the_RevolutionarySohannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6517797058287564272.post-10089763476177411212011-05-06T04:14:46.383-07:002011-05-06T04:14:46.383-07:00Yes exactly! Everything is interdependent. I neede...Yes exactly! Everything is interdependent. I needed others but couldn't ask for help for a long time as I suffered the after effects of a lot of trauma. Tentatively seeking help online proved to offer a huge amount of encouragement. I think such help is mirrored in real time too, but we're conditioned (some of us) to not believe it. Plus it's frowned upon to ask for help! That certainly needs to change. Often I think people don't need a lot of help but if they don't get the little in the long run they may end up needing a lot. This is where a little goes a long way!Louise Brookeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15437974187198920151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6517797058287564272.post-48718053817700290572011-05-05T21:21:20.929-07:002011-05-05T21:21:20.929-07:00Thanks, Louise, Samra, John and Giovanna for your ...Thanks, Louise, Samra, John and Giovanna for your comments.<br /><br />Louise -- Your comment reminded me that we live in such a culture of independence and that, in our increasingly mobile world, we are often separated from our support systems at precisely the times when we most need them. You are surely not alone in having found comfort in an online community -- and thank God for that! -- but as you appear to have discovered, face-to-face support is also crucial. We're wired to need others; virtual reality can only go so far in filling that need.Elainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02883685141057444220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6517797058287564272.post-90510826481556383682011-05-05T16:41:13.242-07:002011-05-05T16:41:13.242-07:00Love it - especially how you talked about perceive...Love it - especially how you talked about perceived support - I have been quite isolated myself and had to reach out and have found so much support via the online community that it encouraged me to reach out to the actual community here - people heal faster when they know they can get help, but isolation and feeling 'you're the only one' is what kills. I tried highlighting some of Lara's previous and current work at this time so people get to know how amazing she is.Louise Brookeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15437974187198920151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6517797058287564272.post-32362524217622487322011-05-03T20:49:58.068-07:002011-05-03T20:49:58.068-07:00Since I first heard what happened to CBS chief cor...Since I first heard what happened to CBS chief correspondent Lara Logan in February, it's been difficult for me to focus on anything else. I'm sure I'd be just as shocked and captivated if such an assault happened to anyone else, especially someone in the public eye like a reporter, but I wouldn't care so deeply if she were not someone I really valued (both for her work and for her spirit). It was evident from her first report (the first I saw, anyway) that journalism was her life's passion. Cutting her teeth in the South African Apartheid, she'd long been a crusader, someone in it to make a difference, by the time she became a household name to British and American audiences.<br /><br />I had, long ago, seen her reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan and I remember thinking she had a lot of guts. More recently, I'd seen her on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, and she really seemed to be sincere about her passion for uncovering the truth, shining a light on the causes of the suffering in occupied territories and bringing attention to what the troops were experiencing in war zones. She was real. I saw her as an idealist. I remember deciding that I liked her. After seeing her on The Daily Show, I remember saying it out loud (that I liked her).<br /><br />Upon hearing the announcement CBS made concerning the attack, most of my time online became devoted to an effort to uncover the truth about what really happened to her in Egypt. I wanted to know who did this. I wanted to understand what she went through. I wanted to know how likely it would be that she'd recover and have a normal life again. I soon found myself sticking up for her in comment streams attached to articles and blog posts and forums. I used my experience as an Internet "troll" and my academic training in research/analysis/writing to defend her against those blaming the victim, those accusing her of sensationalizing the story, the racists and the perverts and the conspiracy theory nuts, against those trying taking advantage of the incident to advance their own political agendas. I don't know if I made a difference. I'm not even sure my impact was always positive (though my intentions were good) but I hope I was able to help in some small way as a citizen advocate.<br /><br />Now that she's spoken out herself, something she'd planned on doing right from the start, I think, nothing people say about her can contend with her own very passionate personal testimony. She's been so brave coming forward. It's something people will respect forever. She certainly has my admiration.Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6517797058287564272.post-33918809514276937452011-05-02T17:09:20.200-07:002011-05-02T17:09:20.200-07:00Elaine, this is beautiful. As a journalist and pub...Elaine, this is beautiful. As a journalist and public relations professional, I am fascinated by sociology, so maybe that's why we connected on Twitter. Now that I'm teaching I'm even more fascinated by human behavior. This is amazing, and I will definitely be following your advice to let someone know they've got my support today--starting with the brave Lara Logan. Like you I was moved by her interview--and by Scott Pelly's part in it too. I won't let anyone define her by this assault--she will be a better reporter for this and I look forward to seeing her work on TV in the future. <br /><br />I don't think the average person knows what journalists go through to keep the free flow of information flowing. My colleague just lost two dear friends--photojournalists Chris Hondros and Tim Hetherington--in Libya, and stories like that always bring home to us that the profession we're in has danger attached. I've seen Thorne's photos from Afghanistan, and he was under fire along with the troops--only he was shooting with a camera, not a gun, so we can know what's going on. Even in PR we can be attacked by people who oppose our organization or cause. <br /><br />Thanks for a great post. You've inspired me--I need to blog more, too.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11957241846252881580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6517797058287564272.post-10200683302755917242011-05-02T16:54:28.586-07:002011-05-02T16:54:28.586-07:00thanks for this post.thanks for this post.giovannanoreply@blogger.com