It seems that every time we turn on the TV, open the newspaper or scan our favorite internet browsers, Americans are greeted with grim examples of our nation’s seemingly uncontrollable violence. Though we are involved in two wars in the Middle East which have garnered widespread attention and fostered intense debate due to the high death tolls, there is an even more pressing internal problem that is often overlooked. Our government has doled out nearly a trillion dollars to fund these military operations, conducted in the name of preserving freedom and democratic values through quelling violence abroad. However, only a fraction of that amount is being used to aid some of the US’s own residents whose personal liberties are jeopardized and lives put in danger by a frightening and increasingly common trend.

Early last September, the media was abuzz with news about the mysterious disappearance of 24-year-old Annie Le, a pharmacological grad student at Yale. The case quickly gained international attention as investigators accused Le, who was engaged to be married the following week, of being a runaway bride. In reality, the situation was much worse than that. After an exhaustive six-day search by an experienced team of campus police, state police and FBI agents, Le’s body was found inside a wall in the basement of the lab where she worked.

A little over a month later, local headlines announced another mysterious disappearance, this time of 20-year-old Va Tech student Morgan Harrington. Harrington, who had been attending a Metallica concert with a few of her friends at the University of Virginia’s stadium, inexplicably exited the venue alone. When she did not return, her friends panicked and reported her missing. Hours later, the Charlottesville police recovered personal effects included her purse, cell phone and driver’s license which had apparently been left behind in the parking lot. As the days passed and Harrington failed to resurface, the search became increasingly more publicized. By the time her body was discovered on January 26, Harrington’s case was gripping international headlines.

These tragic stories serve as only two examples of the chilling, and unfortunately, common violence against young women in our society. According to the National Organization for women, over a thousand women (a figure that is only slightly less than the female population of AHS) are murdered each year; a statistic which is even more disturbing when one considers that over a third of these deaths are at the hands of a romantic partner, parent or sibling. Though the NOW has been making great strides in securing funding for education about and the prevention of violence against American women, they have not been successful in completely quelling the violence. While the passage of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 brought about a marked improvement in the legal ramifications of commiting violent actions against women and provided almost $1.6 billion to education about how to stay safe, women are still being targets of gruesome crimes.

Young women should learn from the tragic deaths of the Le and Harrington who were both members of the demographic at the highest risk of being victims of acts of violence: women between the ages of 20-24. Although both acts seemed senseless and unpredicted, teens should see them as cautionary tales and be on guard, looking for signs of abuse or violence in their own lives or those of their peers. These are not isolated incidents, but merely two highly-publicized examples of a major problem and should not be taken lightly.

Members of the Annandale community should be especially cognizant of the issue in light of last week’s incident which is still under investigation. According to police, a twelfth grader was assaulted by two men who slashed her face as she waited for her bus mere miles from the school campus. Investigators have stated that the victim knew her attackers and that the suspects in this case were not students. However, no matter the origin of the assailants the facts remain the same: a young woman in our community was attacked.

Instead of dwelling on the tragic aspect of the crime, however, we should use this opportunity to be proactive and boost our awareness of our surroundings in order to detect signs of violence early and protect the many other young women who, because of their age, gender and socioeconomic background, find themselves at risk.