As Requested- #3

Topic #3 From Marcy: "Tackle the epidemic of child abuse. . . .it is running rampant it seems and you never do get used to it, even if in the firld 18 years like I have been. Every hurt, injured child bears the scars and pain for life. And some people just get away with it!"

Why is it that there are so many commercials these days about saving abused dogs and cats, yet child abuse is running rampant? Why is it that people tend to see those commercials and cry about the poor animals, and yet they are not outraged by the child abuse epidemic? Don't get me wrong, I love animals! However, animals could never be more important to me than children or people in general! However, this post isn't about dogs and cats... it is about children.

I am a teacher... I love children. I love them with all of my heart. They are beautiful, kindhearted, innocent (until an adult messes them up), and full of faith and trust, two elements which many "sophisticated" adults lack. Why is it that children are the ones who usually take the heat when a drunken father or mother comes home full of anger and in lack of inhibitions? It is because their innocence and trust. These wonderful qualities are only wonderful when coupled with excellent parents who don't take advantage of them. Children so desperately want to trust and unconditionally love their parents despite the pain.

Another reason children are the main victims is that they can easily be tricked into believing things that are not true, especially since it is coming from an adult (someone who should be leading them in the right direction). When an adult tells them that it is his or her (the child's) fault, that child figures that he or she must deserve it... they begin to feel guilty. What has he or she done that has made his or her parent (or other caretaker) so angry? The answer is... nothing! Another lie children tend to believe when being abused deals with sexual abuse. They are told that they like/liked what they experienced. This causes many children to become sexual abusers themselves because they get messed up in the head! Did they really like it? Are they sick, too? NO and NO!

Others may not be outraged by child abuse, but guess what... I AM! I am outraged. It sickens me as a teacher to think that someday I will have children in my classroom whose closest experience to a hug will have been strangulation. Children who will "pass on" sexual abuse to their classmates because they do not know any better. Children who don't know what true parental love is. I know as a teacher that I will do my very best to fulfill the role as "mommy" to some of these kids- I will hug them when they have a bad day, say "I missed you" when they come back to school on Monday, spend one on one time with them helping them with their work, and disciplining them with unconditional love.

As much as I love children, however, playing mommy should not be my job! If you didn't want a kid, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD ONE! If you want a punching bag, then buy some stinkin' birth control and a punching bag, but don't use your child as a way to release your despicable rage. Not that I am a proponent of this but if you want sex, find a prostitute YOUR age and go to town! But ultimately, FIND a shrink, don't shrink your child into a shriveled, life-loathing, parent-fearing person with no self-esteem! Are there a lot of CAPS and exclamation points? YES! Why? Because I. AM. OUTRAGED.

How can we stop or at least lessen this horrible epidemic? Well, slapping child abusers on the hand sure isn't going to do it, friends. Now, if you know me at all, my love for children, and my feelings about child-abusers, you will know that my solution is not appropriate to post as it is extremely frightening and gory. However, if I were in charge of the punishment department for those people... ohhhhh... let me just say there would be a LOT fewer child-abusers in this country.

Personally, I believe that sexual abusers should be castrated. end of story. ...Well, there is more that I suggest on how to lessen their lust, but we will leave it at the relatively humane level. Anywho! Other abusers, have a blast with your ultra-long jail sentence. Oh! By the way, since you have proven that you cannot handle having a child, depending on gender, you will have either your tubes tied or a vasectomy. Have a nice day. You want to treat your child like a stray animal, you will be "fixed" like any stray animal.

What is particularly sick about the whole child abuse issue is that many times the parent will side against their child or simply not believe their child. Not that children aren't prone to lying, but if my kid hated my spouse or boyfriend so much that he or she decided to lie about abuse... I would have to reconsider that significant other being in my life. If you chose to have kids, you need to love them more than yourself... this requires sacrifice and, dare I say, selflessness?
*gasp*

And let's face it, many times when someone is abusing the children in a household, he or she is also abusing the spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend as well. It wouldn't be that difficult to figure out that abuse was occurring. This is also very damaging to the children in the house. My parents have never had a fight in front of me. Never. If there was ever a serious confrontation of some sort, my parents would discuss it in private. To be honest... as a child, I just thought they never had serious confrontations because I never heard anything about them! It would have hurt me so much to see them verbally fight; I cannot imagine children who have to watch their parents beat each other up.

Being abused, watching others being abused, watching people mutually abuse each other, etc. are all experiences that effect children for the rest of their lives. I know... this is an obvious fact, but really think about it. The rest of their lives. They are children... they have long lives ahead of them. It isn't like they will only live with those painful memories for a year or so... they will live with the pain every day in every year for the rest of their lives.

We should, as people, be more enraged about children being brutally physically and sexually abused than about stupid Tiger Woods and his Horny Adventures in Slutsville. Was that a big deal? Yes. However, he is doing what he can to remedy the situation, so let's just drop it! The more we bring up the issue in the media, the more temptation he is going to have to do it again, foolish media people! ...Could it be that another failure is exactly what the people in the media want? Hmmm... not too difficult to figure out, eh?

As we are stirring up more drama in the media about stupid, useless garbage, children are being abused and killed behind the scenes. However, unless the children in question were the spawns of some trashy celebrities, no one seems to give a flying Fig Newton! nice.

I don't know about you, but I am over the garbage in the media. I am over people getting away with child abuse. I am over the fact that half of the next generation will have a twisted, unrealistic, sick, and false view of what love is. It hurts me. It saddens me. It outrages me. Are you outraged?

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
(Psalms 127:3-5 ESV)

I have provided some helpful links, but I will tell you flat-out... don't be stupid. If you call one of these hotlines, you must know that you are witnessing or experiencing actual abuse. You should never call a hotline such as the ones provided to "get back" at someone or because you think someones parenting style is not what you would choose. As with everything, be wise:

- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233); 1-800-787-3224 (TDD)
- Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)