'Voices of Men' encourages intervention

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Thomas Trower
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  As people took their seats and a projector was fired up, one man walked around the base theater here April 26 ringing a chime every 12 seconds without saying a word.

"I've been ringing this chime every 12 seconds, because in that amount of time, a crime has been committed," said Ben Atherton-Zeman, breaking the vocal silence to discuss domestic violence and all male-committed crimes against women. "If we are the ones who are the problem, we need to speak up -- where are our voices?"

Mr. Atherton-Zeman is the face and voice behind "Voices of Men" a one-man show performance that uses celebrity voice impressions like Rocky, James Bond and Austin Powers to educate his audience on how to prevent violence against women. The performance here was part of RAF Mildenhall's April observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

In full costumes including a tuxedo, a "not a wifebeater," a wig and more, Mr. Atherton-Zeman maintained the audience's attention to dispel common myths on sexual harassment.

Myth 1: "No" means "Try harder" -- Reality 1: "No" means "No"

Myth 2: "If they're drunk, it's their fault." -- Reality 2: If they can't say "yes" then the answer is "no."

Myth 3: Victims lie about rape. -- Reality 3: More than 98 percent of reported rapes are proven factual.

Myth 4: There is a "point of no return." -- Reality 4: Choosing when and why to stop can happen any time.

More information on the prevention of these crimes in the military is available at myduty.mil.