On Friday, six people were killed and another thirteen were wounded in Santa Barbara in California after a young man went on a rampage targeting young women. Not all his victims were women, but he left behind a personal manifesto explicitly detailing his misogynistic and entitled motivations for the attack.
In the lead up to his attacks, the shooter (we’re referring to him as the ‘shooter’ rather than using his name, although note that he stabbed a number of his victims) detailed his hatred for women in a number of videos posted to YouTube and in frequent postings to Men’s Rights internet forums, where he expressed his rage at being a virgin and being rejected by women. He publicly vowed to seek revenge on the women who refused his advances, those who he claimed forced him to live “an existence of loneliness, rejection and unfilled desires”.
Twenty four hours before he went on a killing spree, he posted a disturbing video to YouTube (which has since been removed but can be found online) in which he described his plans to seek “retribution” by targeting a nearby sorority house.
“Tomorrow is the day of retribution. The day I will have my retribution against humanity. Against all of you. For the last eight years of my life, ever since I hit puberty, I’ve been forced to endure an existence of loneliness, rejection and unfulfilled desires. All because girls have never been attracted to me. In those years I’ve had to rot in loneliness.” he says in his video, according to the New York Times.
“I do not know why you girls aren’t attracted to me,” he said, “But I will punish you all for it.”
Over the weekend, women and later men took to twitter via the hashtag #YesAllWomen – (a play on another popular hashtag #NotAllMen, which has been used in response to feminist statements which men feel attack them as an entity) – to react to the crimes. Sparked by Twitter user @gildedspine, the hashtag has been used to detail the horrifying and deeply ingrained way that male entitlement penetrates society, leaving some men to believe they are permitted to women, and highlighting some of the issues that are common to virtually all women, anywhere. Read through all the tweets here.
Here are a selection of the tweets:
Because you’ll never compare me to a guy doing the same job. #YesAllWomen
— Julie Klausner (@julieklausner) May 25, 2014
#yesallwomen pic.twitter.com/Vzq7aB5TlZ
— alyssa. (@narrynicotine) May 25, 2014
#YesAllWomen pic.twitter.com/5pvChqvNQb
— Tan ☀️ Gurlz (@TanGurlz) May 25, 2014
I’ve been mugged, attempted date rape, groped-public transit/bars, flashed, street comments, “smile”, paid less, threatened #YesAllWomen
— Jen Kirkman (@JenKirkman) May 25, 2014
#YesAllWomen because this was nominated for three grammys pic.twitter.com/wMZUZdvjwh
— basiley (@gracehlbig) May 25, 2014
Because when a guy kills six people because he’s a virgin and women reject him, he’s met with sympathy. #YesAllWomen pic.twitter.com/elZfnRTi5T
— Bekah (@RebekahBolser) May 25, 2014
#YesAllWomen because a guy expects acknowledgment for respecting a woman’s body instead of being content with having treated her as a human.
— nessa (@twitcampayno) May 25, 2014
Because there is more outrage over whether women can do things (be funny, be president) than the things that are done to women #YesAllWomen
— Aparna Nancherla (@aparnapkin) May 25, 2014
“I have a boyfriend” is the easiest way to get a man to leave you alone. Because he respects another man more than you. #yesallwomen
— Rylah (@JBRylah) May 25, 2014
I’ve spent 19 yrs teaching my daughter how not to be raped. How long have you spent teaching your son not to rape? #yesallwomen
— Deanna Raybourn (@deannaraybourn) May 24, 2014
#notallmen treat women badly, but #YesAllWomen have been treated badly by men.
— Kevin Carty (@PolitiCarty) May 25, 2014