One of those really outstanding feel-good stories within the last few months has been the recent rescue of those three girls from their house prison in Cleveland. Once the dust settles and normalcy returns (such as it might be), there might be some interesting angles uncovered.
In the mean time, let's rejoice that at least they are alive and have life ahead of them.
Ironically, the Rehtaeh Parsons story didn't have quite the same happy ending. And maybe I should throw in Amanda Todd's name while I'm at it. These girls—from both ends of Canada (Nova Scotia and British Columbia, respectively)--took their own lives, due in large to the sex-crazed, cyber bullying that is becoming so desperately prevalent these days.
Girls and their victimization—what a topic! Whether one is a female, the father or teacher of a female, or a friend of a female, I'm sure we can all agree that this is not a good time to be a female. A diligent student of history would beg to differ, saying that it has never been a good time to be a female, what with all the sexual, physical, and emotional abuse that women have endured for the past 10,000 years. That certainly is worth thinking about.
We all share some culpability in these crimes. It's not just that sex monster from Cleveland that's guilty. To be sure, he is guilty of sexual abuse and should be punished with the full force of the law. But there are some other factors to consider.
I think of Hollywood, for example, and how it presents sexy babes, adding pressure to women to dress and act like one. Even staid (and not-so staid) merchants are guilty: Look at their catalogues, their displays, their wares. I personally feel violated walking down any mall these days, and I certainly can't take a stroll down there with my sons, either.
And I haven't even touched the primary source of vice against all women, namely, pornography.
On the one hand, women of any age or shape should resist saying, doing, or wearing anything that would arouse the unbridled passions of men; but on the other hand, men with any sense of integrity and responsibility should likewise hold back, learning to control their passions. Males are very, very dangerous when aroused under the wrong circumstances.
It doesn't help that anything you want in a vicarious sense is only a click away; and it likewise doesn't help that sex shops, DVDs, toys and magazines, are very freely available to anyone and everyone, with only a token age restriction. It would be easy to lay the blame at the feet on the city fathers for not closing down these moral cesspools, and that would be good step in the right direction. But we as ordinary citizens with a mutual concern need to do our part, too.
The last time I checked, no one was forced to walk into these places, click on these buttons, or even phone that number. While sex is a force as intense as hunger and as passionate as self-preservation, one needs to employ the same rules of restraint. Hungry? Just eat enough of your food to satisfy your needs; don't take someone else's food, please. Self-preservation? Push back or flee, but don't use excessive force to kill someone else.
If not, then there will be many more Clevelands out there, getting closer.
In fact, who's to say they're not out there now? You may recall the story of Elizabeth Smart, kidnapped in Utah in 2002 She too was rescued “safely” nine months later, and has gone on to be a force for good in this whole sex-slave obsession. Her attacker even had a strange twist, namely, he had a religious bent. Last time I checked, the Good Book doesn't condone uncontrolled sexual abuse; in fact, it actually denounces it.
Sexual intimacy between a male and female committed to each other for life is the best and safest course to take, to say nothing of the most natural and secure approach. Eating out of control leads to gluttony, drinking out of control leads to debauchery, and sexual expression likewise leads to pain, grief, and even death.
I have no idea what bad habits the alleged perpetrator, this sexual monster, developed to get to the point where he could confine three young women for ten years (give or take a year here and there, depending upon when he stole the girls). It would be wise to check what sorts of thing he read and viewed.
While it might be surprising, it shouldn't be. It would actually be more alarming than surprising. You see, we know where a lot of this stuff is sitting, and we know how to get at it. If we had any moral moxie, we would demand every retailer to take out everything that smacks of sexual poison from their shelves and windows.
Unfortunately, however, because of the misapplication of freedom of speech and its cousin, human rights (unless you are promoting traditional marriage, of course), we can't stop this flood of filth.
One wonders how many more “Clevelands” we need to experience, or deaths like those of Rehtaeh and Amanda we need before we as a culture wise up.
Trying asking their parents.
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