In Greek Mythology, Persephone is the goddess of spring. According to her story, she was abducted, raped and taken to the underworld by Hades, the lord of the underworld. When her mother, Demeter, found out what had happened to Persephone, she convinced Zeus to force Hades to release her. Before Persephone could leave, Hades made her eat a pomegranate, which meant that she would have to return to the underworld for one-third of the year. According to the legend, the time Persephone spends in the underworld is the time in which there is winter on the earth. Because Persephone made it out of the underworld, she can be called the first survivor. As survivors we can take comfort from the knowledge that although winter is hard, there is always spring around the corner.

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Survivors have worked for many years to overcome the myth that they somehow "asked for it" because of what they were wearing, saying or doing. In their new book, 'A Natural History of Rape: Biological Bases of Sexual Coercion,' Randy Thornhill and Craig T. Palmer claim that all men have a natural impulse to rape based on lust and the desire to impregnate as many women as possible. The book goes further to suggest that victims can prevent being rape by “making better decisions about dress, appearance, and social activities.” Laura from I Sang Holy Holy and I have started a list serve. We will discuss the book - its political, social and personal impact - and take appropriate action to prevent the added suffering of survivors caused by these authors' ignorant claims.