Shining a Light on a Specific Problem

 

For me, it started off with #BlackLivesMatter.  I remember the first time that I saw that hashtag.  I wasn’t happy about it.  Why?  Because in my mind I was thinking, “Well duh.  Of COURSE black lives matter.  ALL people deserve equal treatment and equal respect.”  Because that is my view and how I was raised, I didn’t like the idea of singling out one group when, in my eyes, we should just simply make more of a point to be nice to everybody, regardless of race, gender, age, beliefs, skin-color, etc.  But this led to some serious butthurt from advocates of #BlackLivesMatter. 

 

As I continued to emphasize that I believe ALL people matter, I came under fire from a few acquaintances who were so busy being upset that they felt justified lashing out at me rather than taking the time to provide some education.  And frankly, that was just stupid.  Why?  Because if you are trying to convince me to change my mind on an issue, name-calling and mud-slinging is only going to make me dig my heels in more.  (I’m an Aries and a Portugee, after all).  But eventually, a friend of mine came along who gently nudged me to consider what the hashtag was designed to do, and that was to cast a spotlight on a specific problem that really, really, really, really needed attention at this moment in time.  It was NOT saying that other problems aren’t real or don’t exist, but rather casting specific attention to exactly this one issue right now because the need is so great.  Or to use an unrelated example, it is like Breast Cancer Awareness.  The Susan G Komen Race for the Cure is about a specific type of disease.  It doesn’t mean that other diseases don’t exist or that other forms of cancer don’t need further research.  It isn’t making a statement about ANY of those things.  It is just putting the focus on the one issue. 

 

“OOOOOOH!!!!” I thought to myself.  “That totally makes sense!  I get it now!  And now that I understand, I support it.”  Why?  Because sometimes a specific issue NEEDS a specific focus – especially when the political and social climate has turned in a direction that demands that focus. 

 

Right now, because of the Weinstein scandal which follows not all that long after several women’s rights marches and pussy-hats galore; the spotlight needs to be cast on sexual harassment – specifically just how common it is for women to experience harassment at all ages, in many forms.

 

I think I was still in college back when I first really became aware of the commonality of sexual harassment.  As many of you know, I am Pagan.  And one evening, I joined a group of others at a ceremony.  One of the ladies who attended has asked for us to raise some energy for healing.  OK, cool.  When asked what needed to be healed, she told us about needing some assistance in mental healing after years of sexual abuse from her step-father.  I was in shock!  I couldn’t believe such a thing could happen.  But then, one by one, the other women in the group (and there must have been about nine or so), each began very casually and matter-of-factly, to discuss how they each dealt with their own experiences of rape, abuse, harassment, etc.  And while they all seemed very grounded and casual about it, focusing on giving her coping strategies, I was bug-eyed IN SHOCK!  WTF?!!!!!  I was stunned – STUNNED – by how many women I knew who had gone through some form of sexual abuse/harassment – and many of them repeatedly.  I had to step out of the circle to discretely head out into the woods by myself to just cry my eyes out.

 

I have long been an advocate for women’s rights and equality.  As the baby of the family with four older and strong-willed sisters, I don’t think there’s any way I could ever be anything else.  And in today’s society, one thing that has become very obvious from the newspaper headlines is just how much men-in-high-powered-positions have been able to freely act like utter pond scum in their treatment towards women.  Heck, here in my County, it was only a couple of years ago when a high-powered head of one of the County agencies was sent to prison in disgrace because of the many times he had harassed or abused women in his office (in which, by the way, he used taxpayer dollars to install soundproof panels).  It is disgusting!

 

I am proud of the women who have come forward and fought to be heard.  That takes guts – particularly in a society so willing to sweep things under the carpet or to shift the blame.  I am glad to see that men in seemingly invulnerable positions are indeed being brought down (finally!) for their crimes.  And I am disgusted that we are still being represented by a President whose epitaph is, “grab ‘em by the pussy”.  I will not forgive him for that, or forget it, or tolerate anybody trying to defend it.  I want things to change.  And I want to continue to shine the spotlight on this issue as much as possible.  And for those of you who feel butthurt because I am limiting where I am shining the light for right now, I cannot tell you how to feel.  But I do hope you understand – I am not downplaying the larger picture or other issues.  They too are important, and I recognize that.  But right now, the issue of sexual harassment towards women really, really, really needs focus. 

 

Things need to change.