Written by Contributor Writer Gabriella Hoffman
Did you know that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experience violence from their partners in their lifetimes?
While watching the Super Bowl a couple weeks ago, I couldn’t help but think of the misfortune involving the NFL that has recently taken place in the media spotlight. Before I knew it I was watching the No More PSA that aired on Super Bowl Sunday. The No More campaign is a public awareness campaign focusing on ending domestic violence and sexual assault. No More has formed several partnerships at the local, state and national level to break social stigmas regarding domestic violence and sexual assault. Not only did they show a No More PSA on the Super Bowl, this campaign has started a while ago, featuring a PSA from NFL football players speaking out about domestic violence.
With the recent horrifying news circling the NFL, this extremely well known organization needed to take a stand against domestic violence. The PSA that aired during the Super Bowl was very shocking and unexpected. The visuals, paired with the phone call conversation, provided a meaningful and disturbing reaction.
The Joyful Heart Foundation, in alliance with the No More Campaign, has made a full line of videos against domestic violence. These videos feature several celebrities, and NFL players, speaking out in support of no more excuses for domestic violence and sexual assault.
Women all across the globe suffer from domestic violence. However, most of us will never know the feeling of having to suffer from the traumatic episodes and its horrifying effects. We, as a society, must rise above and stop being bystanders; this concern is too severe to not be properly addressed. That said, we must also encourage the victims of this heinous crime to speak up against their abusers and in turn, strengthen future generations.
Fast forward to a week later, while I was watching the Grammy Awards. I was impressed to see President Obama’s announcement, regarding domestic violence, during the Grammy Awards. Pop culture is so highly influential on society therefore the Grammy Awards are an excellent foundation for this type of communication. This large-scale event, just as the Super Bowl, reaches millions of viewers. President Obama urged the audience to create a culture where violence isn’t tolerated. President Obama challenged the musicians who were at the Grammy’s to challenge their individual fan bases to take a stand as well. The announcement by President Obama was followed by an extremely moving and inspirational performance by Katy Perry. Her performance received positive reviews according to the twitter community.
It is truly powerful to witness two events that have such a significant impact on society, moving the Nation to stand up against domestic violence and sexual assault.
We need to stand up for each other so we can receive the love we deserve. I hope the Super Bowl, the Grammys and President Obama’s speech are just the beginning in the fight to end domestic violence.
Stand Up. Say Something.
