What does Quiet Arrest mean for you?

Interpretations of the song and video's true meaning are up to debate. For Ari Vox, Quiet Arrest had it's beginnings in lyrics she wrote over a year ago, sitting on the couch of her home grappling with thoughts about the nature of war and those that have the power to start them.

The passion soaked words sat lifeless in a spiral binder until the right circumstances called for their release. This release began when Ari awoke one morning to an MSN headline reading, "Some 200 Women Gang Raped Near Congo UN Base." Later headlines surfaced showing higher numbers then first reported, such as, "UN: 700 women raped at Congo-Angola border - Times LIVE."

A fury of sadness, confusion and wild anger ensued, and a question which all human's ponder echoed in her mind, "Why?" Ari had previously joined forces with Earthday Brasil, a foundation dedicated to change and to the pursuit of peace, and was prompted by it's founder to spearhead the issue of rebel and war atrocities, in their name. As a result, Ari began her research regarding the Congo.

As she delved further and further in to the affair she found herself continually more and more devastated. It was plain to see, yet profoundly difficult to accept, that the communities in the area were all subject to unimaginable horrors at the hands of rebel forces, which were all fighting for resources. Resources which are a necessity to the building of computers, and other tools of technology.

Women and children are being raped as a weapon of war, in organized attacks, in front of their families and villages, in order to maintain control of territories where immensely valuable resources surface.

Quiet Arrest is Ari's desperate cry that these people may receive more help. It is an attempt at raising awareness for a problem that is seemingly ignored.

War is waged in the middle east for uncertain/questionable reasons while one of the world's greatest tragedies is taking place in Africa without reprisal. The clinics for rape survivors in the Congo are overflowing. Pre-pubescent girls come in seeking aide as their inside near fall out, and are most likely told they are never to have children.

These rebel groups are breeding fear into these families that will last generations. They storm villages in the night and systematically rape the town. Women are raped in front of their children, husbands, siblings, parents, and often time publicly in front of the whole town. There are also reported cases of children as young as 4 years old being subject to similar horrors.

Some women are kidnapped and taken as sex slaves at the rebel bases, tied to trees for months and free for the taking from any who choose to. Those who escape come home to find that their families refuse to accept them back into the home. They are seen as tarnished and are rejected.

The rebels also seem to work in conjunction with the government as reports go unpunished and unrecognized. In fact, rape is becoming so entrenched in their way of life that town's people are beginning to rape each other without fear of consequence.

This must be stopped. We need to begin asking for conflict free materials in our computers. We can not fuel this war. We can not be accomplices to this most tragic crime.