Water Water Everywhere but No Place to Swim

I live in the center of the Finger Lakes Region of NYS. At the tip of one of the largest lakes that is fed by a multitude of streams which cascade down the hills cutting gorges which end in streams flowing through town to the lake shore. As a matter of fact, I live within 20 blocks of the lake shore, and within a block of one of these splendid creeks.
The city or town has a beautiful large park at the foot of the lake with a long sweeping shoreline. Swimming has not been allowed there since the 1960's when a child drowned because the turbidity of the water prevented him from being seen. I have not been able to find via Google search the cause of that pollution.
The myriad creeks are all walled off from the public. Some of this is natural from the creeks cutting deep gorges into the shale formations. This loose shale is a dangerous climb though many do it every day, Perhaps because of the lack of safe access provided? In other areas cement walls have been built presumably to maintain flood control and to provide a strong and wide roadway for cars where once were narrow lanes to houses along the creek.
The creeks could provide numerous small swimming holes for all the neighborhoods in the community. Not great swimming but a place to cool off and relax with the kids. Instead the city has two crowded pools. One actually in town, the other in the outskirts, across a major highway and through a difficult intersection. Not the best place for those of us who choose to live the car-free life.
There are numerous State Parks in the area, but the powers that be, in their wisdom, stopped running busses to them, or the busses only run during the work day.
There are two places where I believe swimming is technically prohibited but apparently ignored. One at the foot of a waterfall on the edge of the city but within the downtown neighborhood, and the other further out along the lake. Many folks use this access when the weather is too hot to handle. Surprisingly the lake access is near a new facility that many folks feel contributes to the pollution and specifically the turbidity of the lake. Go figure.
I had assumed that one reason for the lack of access had to do with municipalities knee-jerk fear of law suits. We are always told that we can't have this or that because of "safety issues" that might cause "law suits" and increase "insurance premiums". Yet these access points to swimming have been used for generations and the city, town and county still stand. The falls access is sometimes closed for emergencies when a body flows downstream from a more hazardous location. Perhaps safe access to more locations would prevent most of the accidentals.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I went to see the Swedish movie "Män som hatar kvinnor", based on the book "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson. I had read the book a year or so ago, and had heard about the film from co-workers, so I knew it was a disturbing and violent film.
I am not sure how I would have reacted if I had not read the book. I loved the film. What I liked most is that the film was gritty. Unlike American films the actors had flaws, they did not look plastic. Nor did the scenery. The buildings looked as if they actually existed warts and all. The movement of the characters looked real.
One effect of this reality was to portray the sexual violence as violent. To my sensibilities this film evoked the very disturbing nature of sexual violence. This film has a scene of sexual violence against a man. It is very graphic.
Watching that scene made me think about why men just don't grasp the reality of sexual violence aginst women. I realized that it is because most men do not experiance it. If you are a woman who is fortunate enough to have not been raped, assaulted or abused, you most likely know several women who have.

According to RAINN: The nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization.

1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. (1 in 33 men)
Every 2 minutes someone in the US is sexually assaulted.
44% of sexual assault victims are under 18.
15% are under 12.
Only 6% of all rapists ever spend a day in jail.

See the film. Afterward, think about that scene. Look around you and think of 1 in every 6 guys you know having experienced something akin to that. Then think about how you would feel if women routinely sat around masturbating to those images. Then you will have a slight idea of what it means to be a woman in the US and trying to have a healthy relationship with sex.