Let us not tire...

Lest anyone be fooled by the recent onslaught of sexual misconduct stories, the taboo ~ the one that silenced the victims who are now coming forward ~ though challenged is unfortunately still very much alive and well. I wish it were otherwise. However, in the last decade, I have witnessed other unsavory revelations grab the media’s attention and shock the nation. And each time those of us who have been sexually traumatized have breathed a collective sigh of relief hoping that at last the secrecy and shaming that has crippled so many victims’ lives will no longer be tolerated. But sadly such times are short lived and fade as other sensational stories surface. Our attention span is short and we move seamlessly from sexual crimes to the many other injustices that plague our society, often without looking back. Remember Jerry Sandusky, the Catholic Priests whose crimes became public knowledge, the scandals within the military showing widespread assault of both female and male service members, and the Bill Cosby fiasco? And did you know the first sexual harassment suit was filed (and won) in 1975?

The election of Donald Trump exposed many upsetting things about our nation. Certainly, one of the most troubling is the number of our fellow Americans who are obviously okay with having the most important leadership position in our country occupied by a a man whose egregious sexual misconduct and open admission of misogyny is a simple fact. What, in God's name, are we teaching our children?

So let us not tire. Let us continue to stand up for the rights of all people to be treated with dignity and respect. And when our sisters and brothers are not afforded the decency they deserve, let us speak out ~ long after the Harvey Weinsteins of today have become footnotes in the history of human rights violations.