When I woke up this morning, I actually couldn't remember what day it was. It has been that kind of week. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it! So I sat down at the computer and saw Jenny's Saturday Centus challenge. Thank God I didn't see "Sundays with Steve," or I would have gone back to bed crying!! There has been a lot of pollen in the air and I have had a headache for four days now. After a couple of aspirin and some black coffee, I whipped out my answer to Jenny's challenge:
THIS CHILD'S COACH HAS A SECRET
IN DEFENSE OF CHILDREN
“Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease! Please make my mom show up so coach doesn’t make me ride home with him!” Lissa’s inner voice was screaming in her head as her eyes scanned the parking lot for her mother’s car.
The soccer coach lived two doors down from Lissa and her family. He and Lissa’s father played poker once a week, and before his wife divorced him and disappeared with their two daughters, she and Lissa’s mother had been sort of friends.
After every play, Lissa crained her neck, looking for her mother’s car. Then she saw it. “Thank you, God,“ she said quietly.
With all the news coming out of Penn State lately, I felt compelled to write about this issue. People who sexually abuse children are the scum of the earth, and they all should be made to pay dearly for their disgusting behavior. Life in prison is way too good for them.
There is another issue, however, that in my opinion is also disgusting, and that is the issue of the people who KNOW what is going on and fail to act appropriately. These people who, for whatever reason, choose to place their standing above that of a child, are selfish cowards. Every adult has a responsibility to expose child sexual abuse (or any other form of abuse), no matter the cost. Our children are our future, and they should always be kept safe, so they can grow up healthy and happy, and live loving and productive lives.
20 comments:
True, true, true. If we don't, collectively, stand up for the children around us, who will? Not all children have protectors. I believe that it's up to neighbours, teachers (there's a legal obligation here!), Sunday school teachers, friends of the family, parents of other children to speak up for the children they know who may be at risk of exploitation.
The Great Dane is watching the game as I write - we had a good talk about this, and of course it always makes me think of our grandchildren and hope that their parents and other adults are watching.
I want that abuser to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, AND I want to read more about HIM. Paterno is famous, and is getting all the bad, but deserved, press but the abuser needs to be brought to the forefront now.
The firing of the people at Penn HAD to be done. If you know of a child being mistreated in ANY way, it is your God given responsibility to report it. I am sorry it all happened..Paterno should have reported it the second he became aware of it.
Oh, and WONDERFUL take on the prompts....:) Thanks!
Glad you posted about this issue too.
This is such an important issue. I can't for the life of me fathom how we aren't doing more to protect our children when 1 out of 4 girls and 1 out of 6 boys are molested sometime in their lifetime. Terrible!
BYW, what is FASCO? I don't know what it is. Sales have been very slow these past few months. I hope that it's better for you!
Barbara, FASO is Fine Arts Online Studio. I'm afraid I got you confused with another artist I know whose name is also Barbara. You might be interested in going to FASO and signing up to show your work.
Sounds like you and I were listening to the same disgusting news this week. Just makes me want to scream. Soooo many people involved, from the perpetrator to all those who turned a blind eye to the students who rioted for all the wrong reasons. How is it that they ALL lost their moral compass? Ugh. Don't even get me started!
Someone said, inanely, lately that "corporations are people,too." Football is like a huge coroporation, and no college wants to lose funding from boosters, or look bad in the eyes of the professional sports organizations. Unfortunately for Penn State, their decision to sweep these abused young people under the rug in favor of their prominent football name, has hopefully hurt them a lot more. They are no different from the large corporations we hear about today, who throw their empoyees under the bus so they can keep thos big bonuses for themselves.
I knew where your story was going with the first sentence! Just thinking about it makes my blood boil! Yes, I agree, we all have to keep our eyes open and stand up for these kids, even if it means scrutiny towards us!
Well done, Judie!
Liz from NoExcuses
Amen and amen, Judie! You couldn't have said it better, and your Centus was chilling.
Cannot believe people in authority let this slide like they did. Just inexcusable.
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I just had a feeling you'd be writing on this theme, and nicely put, and your passion and deep heartfelt caring reads right off my screen. You said it best, and if only this kind of sickness would never occur again...we must all keep our eyes open, and listen to the children, sometimes they tell us things in slight ways and we need to help keep them safe! great post Judie.
Judie I'm also applauding you for this post. Sadder even is that this goes on much more than we know or want to know. And as for prison life not being good enough..well, if they'd stop coddling these perverts and put them in the main prison population, among fathers, brothers, uncles, even grandfathers, they'd get what they deserve....
Vicki, I couldn't agree with you more! Child abusers don't last long in prison when placed in the general population. Why should they be sheltered? It is absurd!
Excellent and stunningly crafted take on the prompt...Bravo and standing ovation Judie !!!
Absolutely! Powerful take on the picture.
Great post, Judie and I love the strong stance you took on child abuse and those who are still hidden in this mess. One day soon, their names will be released, I'm sure.
This was an awesome post, Judie! Kudos to you for taking such a strong stand for children in the face of such a monstrously evil man and the greedy and irresponsible behaviors of those fools that protected him and covered it up. Your story said it all so perfectly!
Wow, this is a great post. I've been so out of the loop with all the news that's going on in the US that it took me a few days before I got wind of what had happened at Penn State. It's really terrible what happened to those kids and I just can't believe that no one did anything about it even though there were people who knew about it! I find that very repulsive that anyone could just let children be sexually abused and just turn the other way! That's just too messed up.
A magnificent Centus! Once again you provide us with your enticing 'flavor'...Peace and blessings
You are so right! How can people 'look the other way' for things like this?
It is beyond me how anyone can hurt a child to begin with...but to look the other way when you know something is happening...accckkk!!! There needs to be a special hell for all those people.
Your writing felt so true here Judie. I was really moved by this.
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