Stolen Innocence

Who are you to steal somone's INNOCENCE?

On the train today I saw this beautiful Central American girl – she had dark hair – dark eyes. She must have been 4 years old – she was just swinging around a pole… smiling and laughing… she had no worries in the world – happy about life. The train was her playground and it didn't matter who was around looking – nothing could take away her happiness. She kept playing and playing. In that moment I couldn't help but think of ALL the kids I see daily.

The other day I saw this cute Asian boy sitting next to his mother who slept while he drew these incredible drawings of what I can only imagine will be a video game in the future that he will develop. I also remember this family sitting across from me on the train a little girl, her mom and dad all playing together acting silly – it was beautiful to watch.

Even the little baby in the stroller who was with angry parents who were arguing when the baby looked at me I just smiled and she/he smiled back and in the moment I knew that nothing else mattered but the two of us smiling back and forth while the grown ups were piss't at each other.

But then I recall some other moments I run into children…

Like the little boy who was walking with his father who was happy one minute and then got slapped in the face for speaking…or speaking in a tone the dad didn't like.

Or

The little boy walking with his mother who in Spanish kept telling him when they approached McDonalds - - habre esa puerta - - silve pa algo… (open that door - - be worth something - - or be good for something) by the way the child could only have been like 3 years old.

But the worst moment for me was the day I actually saw a mother slap her child in the face - - just imagine the sounds echoing loudly over 125th street a noise that went through me - - a noise that felt like she just slapped me… SLAP - - OMG it took everything I had not to step to her and say – "why don't you slap me like that. You're such a big woman… so powerful - why don't you pick on somebody your own size." I wanted to beat her ass. Straight up! all I kept thinking was MAN what will that little boy grow up to believe about himself… that he's special - - that he's gifted - - that he can be anything… where will he find his sense of worth when the people closest to him are stripping him of that?

If I had to pick ONE thing is this lifetime to fight for… its violence against women and children - - but specifically abuse against CHILDREN.

On the train I couldn't help but think of all the little girls in the world who aren't happy…who don't know love…who don't know their worth…who don't know their beauty…and they don't know this because there aren't enough people around them to tell them so.

I hate the news but I started replaying footage in my mind of the latest news events:

Father leaving his girlfriends house asks to hold the baby (who is weeks old) he wanted to hold her for one last time… he took that baby and slammed the babies head into the railing on the steps in front of the house.


Or the little girl, who was chained to a chair and starved to death - - beaten, raped…

A Mother drowns her two kids in the bathtub.

A Father stabs his ex and their four kids.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!

Then I went digging curious about what's happening around the world:

<em>Example 1: 11/7/07 Foreigners held in little girl's murder, rape case

By ANDREW SAGAYAM / GOMBAK: Police have arrested four foreigners in connection with the brutal murder and rape of nine-year-old Preeshena Varshiny.

Example 2: 10/2006 / Amish school shooting / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia / Location Bart Township, Pennsylvania, United States / Target(s) West Nickel Mines School / Date Monday, October 2, 2006 / Attack type School shooting, mass murder, murder-suicide, massacre

Weapon(s) shotgun, handgun / Deaths 6 (including the perpetrator) / Injured 5 / Perpetrator(s) Charles Carl Roberts IV / The Amish school shooting occurred on the morning of Monday, October 2, 2006, when a gunman took hostages and eventually killed five girls (aged 7–13) and then killed himself at West Nickel Mines School, a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, a village in Bart Township of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States.[1][2][3][4][5] Police report that the gunman was Charles Carl Roberts IV,[5][6] a 32-year-old milk-tank truck driver who lived nearby.

Example 3: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,311537,00.html

Arizona Girl Beaten, Left Dead for Days in Apartment With Sister

Tuesday, November 13, 2007 / PHOENIX — A 12-year-old girl was beaten with an electrical cord, and her parents left her dead body on the floor of her bedroom for days before they called 911, according to court documents released Tuesday.

Police also found the girl's 9-year-old sister in the apartment when they arrived. Officers said the sister was "cowering in the shower with several bruises, burns and a broken arm," according to court documents.

The 9-year-old gave police a different account as to how her big sister died.

She told police that she saw Troupe make her sister go into the tub. She said Troupe poured hot water on her sister as punishment for not cleaning her room.

The 9-year-old said she heard her sister scream and get out of the tub. She saw her step-mom whip her sister with an extension cord. Troupe then pushed the 12-year-old against the wall and punched her stepdaughter in the face until she passed out.

Afterward, the 9-year-old said she put her hand on her sister's heart and did not feel anything, according to court documents.

The girl also said Troupe previously beat her and her sister.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1121sistersabused21-on.html


Girl beaten, doused with hot water to be laid to rest

Associated Press and The Arizona Republic /Nov. 21, 2007 07:04 AM

A 12-year-old girl who died after she was beaten with an electrical cord and doused with hot water as punishment for not doing her homework will be laid to rest Wednesday.

Example 4: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1137218

Class VI girl beaten by teacher, suffers fracture / Tuesday, December 04, 2007 20:11 IST / JAMMU: In yet another instance of corporal punishment despite the law proscribing it, a class VI girl was allegedly beaten mercilessly by her teacher for not getting a high score in a school test. She has fractured the fingers of her right hand, is in a state of shock and is too scared to go back to school.

Example 5: In the New York Times

Child Deaths in Shelters Are Rising / By LESLIE KAUFMAN

Twenty children died in shelters during the three-year period from 2004 to 2006, with by far the most — 12 — dying in 2006, the report said.

November 29, 2007

Example 6: African Crucible: Cast as Witches, Then Cast Out / By SHARON LAFRANIERE / A surprising number of children in some countries are identified as witches and beaten, abused or abandoned.

November 15, 2007

Example 7: I found a site with a news feed titled: Child Sexual Abuse in the News http://www.darkness2light.org/news/news.asp

Example 8: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article714680.ece

From The Times May 9, 2006 / Child murders shock villagers
Neighbors view each other with suspicion after two separate incidents in rural France / By Adam Sage / ANGER, shock and suspicion hung over rural France yesterday after the murders of two young children who were snatched from their parents in separate incidents over the weekend. A four-year-old boy was raped and murdered while his parents were participating in a young farmers' dance in their village hall in central France.


There is not a day I don't think about abuse toward children. It's not just these vicious attacks toward children that upsets me - - it's where it actually begins for children - - in the home.


PARENTS/ADULTS/AUTHORITY FIGURES these are the people I am ANGRY at!


I keep recalling moments in my own life when children could be playing having a good time – happy as can be - - and an adult will come in the room - - piss't off at life - angry at the cards that are dealt them and they bring that poison home and put it on the kids. I am guilty of this… I may not put my hands on my daughter but she has been the target of a lot of my aggression that NEVER has anything to do with her - - I have had moments when I have hated the world - - and I have punished my daughter when she is NOT the person to blame. For that and for any time I have hurt someone as powerless as me - - I am sorry.


What is it about being in that role that gives people the right to put there hands on a human being regardless of the age. And I am not talking just beating children, raping children… I include verbal, mental and emotional abuse… the words that destroy children.


What gives them the right to rob them of their innocence?


Peace~