Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention (SHARP) Program Poem Poet: Edward Wilson info@obbiewest.com Videographer: Vanessa Atchley Vatchley87@gmail.com *THE WORDS TO THE POEM ARE IN THE COMMENT SECTION*
Y'all should've seen the play he was in. Best sharp brief I ever been to. He recited this poem in the end and I was ecstatic to hear his wordplay. I love the personification in this piece
Hi...allow me to introduce myself/ I'm the reason for all these briefings, the constant preaching and the redundant teachings/ I guess your leadership figures if you constantly train, you'll eventually be able to tame me...that's a large feat/ I'm the S-H-A in your SHARP program/ I'm the ulcer in the belly of your Organization/ the degradation of your 7 core Values/ I'm the bane of your SARC's existence/ I'm the real deal, you all...are just child's play....I'm the strongest Army on Earth and ironically my recruits are forces from your Armed Forces/ I force discord between Brothers and Sisters in Arms/ and forewarning, I'm swarming your ranks at alarming rates/ On any day I'm less than double arms distance away/ all it takes is for us to be at close intervals and for her to be dressed right (laugh) wearing something tight, or something short, sort of lets me know she's open to my type of attention/ She enlisted to be a part of something she can be proud of and I know her family thought she would be safe amongst our ranks but I'm the paw prints walking across your daughter or your little sister's inner thighs, while she's in-her sleep, I entered her room so I can enter her womb/ Alcohol often increases my success rate/ Two dudes saw me drag her, OOPS...I mean "walk" her in, neither said a word/ Their nonchalantness is the reason I'm so accomplished, they may as well be my accomplice/ Intervention is my Krytonite/ I would be invincible if it wasn't for nosey battle-buddies bold enough to bud their noses into my business/ The only person with the power to stop me is a bystander willing to uphold the standard but as long as they stand down I’ll continue to stand up, and raise Stats up/ and tell your E.O. Rep I'm all for equal opportunity...I don't discriminate/ I operate within seniors and subordinates alike/ See, I was saw as a major issue once Sergeant Majors were issued walking paper for taking part in the likes of me, that's when I knew I had hit the big leagues/ I love to ride the coat tail of higher ranking personnel, I'm a pro at Qui-Pro-Quo/In my simplest form I may come by way of a sly comment or compliment with a drizzle of sexual content/ I'm rampant throughout your workplace/ I hide my face behind jokes and jargon like, "That's what she said" (quick giggle) and when I see you smile and fail to correct me I'll place the cross-hairs across your head and make sure to cross you the next time we cross paths/ and contrary to popular belief men are also a preference for me/ I've been able to assault, OOPS I mean "talk"...at least 1 in 6 into unwanted sex and most aren't man enough, OOPS, I mean..."TOO MAN" to report me so I'm able to operate in iniquity without penalty/ An assaulted man's pride is badly bruised but still too huge to seek assistance so the heinous act just sits in his system and eats him alive like cancer...See there's no chance of...assisting and man who insist on keeping me inside, as his little secret/ Most think I'm nocturnal but I knock whenever opportunity suites me/ I'm usually suited in a familiar face/ 8 in 10 Military Women have met me but only 3 of 10 will admit it/ Probably because they're afraid you'll think they're the reason the crime has been committed...See that's what you get when you wear those "rape clothes"/ when your walk says, "I'm willing to let you assault "slash" harass me against my will"/ Everyone knows that "promiscuous" and "permission" are paternal twins/ She can’t blame him if she was hanging out at 1a.m./ Its common knowledge that all private parts are up for grabs after midnight.....She met me because she kept a grown man parked in the friend zone for too long when she knew all along all he wanted was to break his parking break off in her/ She should have known better than to trust someone who called themselves her friend....Now let me tell you why she didn't report it.... It wasn't reported because the last time she was the subject of something similar she was subjected to questioning like she was the prime suspect/ She didn't know being violated was a crime punishable by finger pointing/ She had enough fingers in her face to outfit a million hands/ After questioning she quickly learned that her booty shorts may be called to the stand as cotton material witness to testify against her that her legs we're out after curfew/ she learned that in the "Land of the Free" harassment is punishment for having the nerve to choose your own wardrobe / She quickly learned that she can be convicted for having an "enticing" figure now go figure, assaulters are people with needs just like you are and we don’t deserve to be tempted……In case you hadn't sniffed it, I'm Sexual Harassment & Assault...If you don't learn to control me I'll continue to be the oasis of hate surrounding your ranks/ I'm the new age form of fratricide/ I'm the sum of division and you'll never be able to solve me if you don't stick together/ I'm a combat-minimizer….If you can't win the war against me, you'll never be able to defeat your countries enemies - CW3 Wilson, Edward
Seen this for the first time yesterday and I pushed it out to all of my peers so we can share this in our next SHARP training class! This is the best SHARP video I’ve seen in my 10 years in the Army! Great job Chief and thank you for the video!
I held 8 Annual refresher training sessions this week. All using this video and group discussion, no power point used whatsoever, and I was told multiple times hands down the best sharp training people have ever had. It made them uncomfortable it made them angry, and it made them want to do something about it. I like the video for all the reasons that make it dirty and gritty. It makes you feel something.
I had genuine difficulty understanding most of what this man was saying, then again I think that’s most slam poetry. From what coherences I could gather, he is supposed to be the physical embodiment of sexual assault/harassment/rape within the culture of the Army. To be honest, I don’t believe his execution was as surgical as it could have been had he decided to just speak to the camera with actual English-speaking phrasing and grammar
He was a familiar face, both times. This video, this poem is so powerful, it hurt. Thank you for providing your talent to this fight. I may not be in the service any more, but I still have hope for the future Soldiers, and my Soldiers that are still in.
Heard this in a sharp briefing 2 years ago and still come back just to watch it. Very talented and send chills through me every time! I’m about to try and be a Sharp Rep.
very powerful, as an Air Force trained SARC VA, this is one of the best I have seen. It brought tears to my eyes because the reason I became a VA was someone very near and dear to me was sexually assaulted by one of my "best" friends. That sickened me to my stomach and I was torn as to what recourse I should seek and I did nothing because of a lot that was said in this video. I did not want her to have to relive the ordeal over an over again aside from the long suffering she has been through for the last 15 years. Perhaps my reasoning was wrong..............
In the end you decided to stand up for what was right and help protect others from predatory abuse. That will always be the right decision. I know even a 6' 7" guy that was raped .. as far as I can tell it still hurts the same.
Absolutely incredible! As a Victim Advocate, I am still in awe of how you were able to address so many of the issues we see in the SHARP/SAPR world. We are definitely using this video as a tool! Thank you for what you are doing to advocate and make a difference.
This video is almost 2 years old now and yet today (in an ALC class) was the first time I've ever seen it. I will be showing this to my soldiers as soon as I get back to my unit. Thank you, Sir, for this. It has been by far the most powerful SHARP video I have ever seen.
Damn! This is so Powerful you can see it, so powerful you hear it, so powerful you can feel it leaves you with the taste of anger, sympathy and understanding. Thank You for this Piece
THIS IS AMAZING!!! You SIR are a HERO. Most people don't want to talk about SHARP let alone being okay with being the "face" of what is eating at our core. Thank you for this powerful video.
Due to a poor connection during a briefing we were all emailed a link to watch this on our own. I have posted a link to Facebook because across 3 MOSs in 19 years of service and all deployments and blah blah blah; this is the most powerful six and half minutes of my career. Everyone needs to see this. Military, civilians, students... human beings. All the humans need to see this. We all need to apply it to our lives and make everyone aware that we're not going to put up with it. This is amazing. We all need more of this.
I have literally watched this video about 20 times, I had to share with the SARC on my installation. I talked about this video so much that she found you and booked you for my event. I am excited to listen to this in person. I am sure everyone on the installation will be moved by this. Thank you!
Sir, I just wanted to tell you this is a Great Tool and you did a phenomenal JOB! I ended my SHARP class with your video and let me tell you There was so much anguish in my soldiers and junior leaders that everyone was discussing your video the rest of the day. Thanks for the time you took to put this together for us! And for raising awareness of the silent ghost in our ranks.
We just heard this in our Navy SAPR training and I tell you what... this was a powerful. Many were uncomfortable afterwards, but the message was received.
I heard this live in Korea. It really talks about the problem and how it affects us as a whole in the army. But not just the army the military in general
I’m just glad that for once we have a modernized video utilized for training that isn’t cheesy to the point of being ridiculous that reduces the impact of the message to laughter. Well done.
Thank you. I'm not gonna lie, I'm often disappointed and roll my eyes when we have SHARP training but this video said SO MUCH and really moved me. I'm sharing it with my SHARP rep right now.
This video was shown for a SHARP briefing that I was at recently. This was by far the best SHARP brief I have ever listened to. I commend you for taking the time and effort to make this video. Hopefully this will be used during more SHARP briefs. The words were effectively spoken and portrayed. The backtracks and substitutions of certain words, like dragging and walking, shows the way these actions can, and will be, portrayed by the perpetrators. Thanks again, Chief.
This is the best SHARP video to date. It's EXACTLY what we need!! I have a last minute SHARP brief tomorrow and I dreading doing a fucking powerpoint. This is the new message. Let it burn free and bright. NOT IN MY ARMY!!! HOOAH!!
Chief, Saw this for the first time this past summer and it was the most inspirational SHARP brief intro I’ve ever experience (been on active duty since 2009… do the math). I had a SHARP brief today and recommended this video be played and was told by the SARC that it can’t be played because a black woman said it makes the black man appear as the primary perpetrator. I couldn’t believe it’s come to this. The Army has an amazing product that is performed at an award winning level but can’t be used in order to make a difference because of the skin color shown. So In order to get such a powerful message across the ranks we have to use a white man to deliver the poem? Wtf has this world and Army come to?
This man makes people feel emotions that make you want to make a difference he is great at what he does. He is an actor a poet, he is great at making people have conciense of this topic.
I used this to open SHARP training sessions last year and it spurred a 30 minute conversation after one simple question. “Can any of you relate to this and in what way”. Thank you
Amazing job! This made me uncomfortable and disturbed, AS IT SHOULD! SHARP training should Not be delivered on a rational plane. It should be emotional like this poem.
