By Mark Boshnack
Staff Writer
More than 200 people walked through Oneonta on Thursday to "Take Back the Night."
The annual march is held to support Sexual Assault Awareness Month and coincides with Crime Victims Week, several participants said. It was sponsored by the Opportunities For Otsego Inc. Violence Intervention Program, Planned Parenthood of South Central New York and the State University College at Oneonta and Hartwick College.
Local Planned Parenthood Chief Executive Officer Debra Marcus said that she was encouraged to see the turnout at the event.
"There is an increasing awareness of the problem," she said. "There is a desire to take away the shame of being a victim and empower people."
The event began with several speakers on the steps of Milne Library at SUCO.
This included SUCO senior Cassandra Querques, who read a poem about the emotional journey she took to break free last year from an abusive relationship.
It was hard to get behind the microphone, but "I’m so glad I did it," she said. "I hope it gives strength to people that are in a similar situation to take the power back."
In presenting a proclamation declaring April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Oneonta, Mayor John Nader said, "no one person, organization, agency or community can eliminate sexual assault on its own _ we must join together to educate our community about what can be done."
Keynote speaker Bob Passano, with the state Office for Prevention of Domestic Violence, said it’s no longer all right for men and women to stand by while others have to deal with any kind of sexual violence.
``If we don’t stand up and say this is not OK, this will continue. We can make it stop," he said.
SUCO employee Tim Mullinnex agreed, saying, it was important for him to be there because "violence against women has to end. Real men don’t beat woman."
Also among the walkers were two Oneonta High School juniors, Cassandra Lembo and Heather Graig.
"We know a few people affected (by sexual assault), said Graig. "We are here to support them."
Lembo said, "I don’t think people realize that they probably know someone who is affected by this."
Walking behind the "Take Back the Night" banner and chanting slogans such as "Survivors unite _ take back the night," the group set out on a two-hour protest. They stopped at a number of spots along the route that had been important in increasing community awareness of the issues.
During the candlelight vigil that concluded the march at Kim Muller Plaza on Main Street, OFO Violence Intervention Program manager, Colleen Merced, explained that the candles were in recognition of victims of all types of violence.
Penny Briggs, manager of the OFO domestic violence shelter, shared her own personal experiences. Her mother was murdered eight years ago by a domestic partner, she said.
"Not a day goes by that I’m not thinking about my mom,’’ she said. ``The pain never really goes away."
