If you’re a Momma like me, the recent scandals at Penn State, and now, Syracuse have left a craptastic taste in your mouth. My mind tends to run wild when I hear news that puts children in danger, immediately fearing the what if scenarios, warping them into my own life; I can only take child-endangerment news in very small doses. Scandals like these are a worst nightmare for every parent, and makes me hug my kids a little tighter.
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| Mad Mom @ Frederick Meijer Gardens |
Occasionally, news like this angers me and inspires me to write.
I try not to get super heavy on my blog. I enjoy having fun and I aim to emote that fun within this space. However, these recent scandals are just too much. As more and more seemingly powerful men are charged with sexual crimes, lighter posts I’ve written like Girls Like Beer and Football Too pop into my head.
Why?
Think about it.
All of these recent sex-abuse scandals occurred in “male-dominating” environments. You could even go back to the Catholic-priest scandals. I’m sure there are a few women on the sidelines of these situations (outside of the Bernie Fine’s stand-by-your-man wife, who just pisses me off like no end for remaining silent instead of doing something) But let’s face the facts here, maybe a few more [unrelated] women involved would’ve stopped the abuse from happening altogether. At the very least, maybe a cry for help would’ve been heard sooner. Most of these men who take advantage of these situations, turning innocent children into victims, have their own deep, underlying issues that they are too ashamed, or, maybe a little too – dare I say manly – to admit they need professional help.
Maybe if more women were involved in these typically male-dominating situations…
- The cover-ups & secrets would very likely end — I don’t know many women who would turn a blind-eye to a child being harmed.
- Our children’s safety would become a higher priority than high-ranking men.
- The men with these serious issues could seek help before their issues affect innocent victims — do not deny the power of a woman’s instinct.
- We could find a positive balance of supportive voices.
- The cycle of abuse would decrease, possibly end altogether.
There are already awesome women running breweries right here in Michigan. It’s a beautiful start. Could a woman, a nun for example, run the Catholic church? I do believe she could. Would a woman be a fantastic football coach? ABSOLUTELY! Maybe, just maybe, if women started kicking down the doors to these “men-only” clubs, we could become powerful enough to balance out and even diffuse these gender wars. We are strong, we are invincible… 
9 Comments
You are so right about this, the thought never popped in my head that these large scale situations happen in male dominated circles. It’s disgusting.
Great post Momma! I fully agree that these male-dominated organizations leave a big gaping hole where testosterone, integrity and ethics tend to butt heads with very drastic results arising.
Thanks for the feedback, friends. I hate even *thinking* about situations like this… but I really hope this “trend” in male dominated organizations ends soon.
Hells yeah. Unfortunately, I think there are too many women out there who still live by the idea that a woman has her place. And many of those are found in the church. It’s hard to break down decades of male-donimated insitutions.
I absolutely agree with you. It should no longer be a male dominated, boys club. Women are capable of so much and I am trying very hard to raise my daughter that way.
Thanks, ladies. Glad to hear I’m not alone in raising my daughters to be strong & independent — I’ll support them whether they want to be an astronaut, football player, full-time Momma, and anything in between. Times may be slow to change, but maybe all of this chaos will help speed up the process.
I agree, and also with ‘The Sweetest’. I don’t know if I could say 100% that women would be better protectors of children. If that were the case, there would no longer be domestic violence against children or women. It does start in each of our homes to tell our children, male or female, that PEOPLE MATTER. Regardless of gender race religion whatever. I get carried away as well, Kelli, when these stories come up. Makes me so angry that it seems no one cares about victims and children in this country. How does that change? By not turning a blind eye. Makes me ILL that someone would have knowledge of sexual abuse, and not report it. Thanks for letting me vent, and thanks for the post!
I never thought about it like that- but you are right. Women wouldn’t cover it up.
I wish women WOULD fix something 100%, but nobody’s perfect, as we are all human. But you are absolutely right, “Anonymous” — teaching our children that ALL people matter is vital!!! I do stand firm on the belief that if more women were involved within these environments, it would lessen the instance of these awful scandals happening. I just wish more of these monsters would seek help instead of taking out their issues on innocent victims.
Thanks for all of the fantastic feedback!