Recently, I have played witness to a string of vicious sexual assaults. I witnessed these assaults via my Netflix subscription. First, it was an episode of the award winning HBO series Six Feet Under where a young girl, under the impression that she would be raped, ran into traffic and was killed. Then there was the 1995 drama Leaving Las Vegas starring Nicholas Cage and Elizabeth Shue. Shue's character, a lonely prostitute, is gang raped by college students. Finally, we watched Boys Don't Cry, the true story of Brandon Teena, a transgendered man who was viciously raped and murdered. Hillary Swank won an Oscar for her portrayal of Teena.
And I'll be god damned if art doesn't imitate life. It makes you wonder if people are inherently evil. How could two dozen people all find this morally reconcilable? None of them objected. None of them called the police. None of them tried to help in any way. A small part of me hopes that the child growing in my wife's stomach is not a little girl. I couldn't imagine a lifetime of worrying and a lifetime of protecting someone from these wolves that roam our streets and, apparently, our public schools. Watch:
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4 comments:
OMG!!!! Don't get me started! After hearing about what happened at the homecoming dance I wanted to kill the boys myself. I have a 15 year old daughter. If that had been her, there would have BEEN NO stopping me. Period.
On that note, I have three daughters and one son. I worry about them every day. They are never allowed to leave my sight or their dads. Where they go, I follow.
This is a mean world. Very mean. As parents we have to protect them from danger.
Has it always been this way? Or do we only notice this since we are parents? Or about to be parents in your case?
When I was growing up in the 70's and 80's we roamed free. I was a latch key kid and even watched my baby sis after school. There was no summer camp in the summer, we stayed at home alone. We camped out in the yard under sheets turned into tents.
I don't know. The news disturbs me. Just know, I would honestly kill if someone physically hurt any of my children.
Sorry to ramble, guess I need to blog about this myself on Supermom.
i hope this doesn't heighten your anxiety over your unborn child's safety, but for me (who has no children that aren't pit bulls),i have 2 huge fears.
in addition to worrying about my female child's safety, there's a different kind of vigilant work for male children: raising a son that didn't grow up to either a) be a rapist or someone who assaults women b) a man who contributes to the prevailing culture of misogyny and violence that help engender the sorts of fucked up, tragic events we want to protect girls from. (and of course, it's not just girls or women with biologically female bodies--it happens to transwomen, feminine men, etc)
i think i would worry about that just as much as i would worry that my daughter might be raped, etc.
these are things i think about.
Supermom- After my sister-in-laws dog was shot, I said I would kill anyone that touches my animals. I would. I know how I would do it and what my excuse would be and so on. I can't imagine how I'll feel with a child.
Redvelvet Femme- Hopefully I can raise s/he with respect for ALL living creatures, including ones with vajayjays.
Fasten your seatbelt, Mike.
You can't believe how much you will love this child. The fear factor is a given, but you'll figure it out.
The one thing I've tried to do as a parent is to raise kids who are able to think for themselves and have faith in themselves. A keen sense of what is valuable in others and an unshakable belief that nothing is impossible if you never give up.
This is the best I can do to protect them in this cruel, beautiful world.
I think raising a future generation with their hearts in the right place is the best gift I can offer the universe. It's called "passing the torch." And if you dwell on the evil and fear it can't be done. Just put one foot in front of the other and it will all work out.
Louise
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