Story Bazaar

Guilt and Innocence

My name's John and I've got a few things on my mind...

I suppose I need to start by talking about one of my girlfriends---when I was younger. She used to fall into a bit of a trance and start punching me---hard...

She'd been sexually abused as a young child...

I think her reaction---not really about what was going on around her---was some kind of fear---maybe frozen into her muscles---then---some trigger word unlocked it all...

I suppose that experience is what makes me extremely aware of abuse...

I do still wrestle against telling women off when I think they're out of line---but---I would never do sexual abuse---in fact---it's a very creepy subject...

Thing is---how can it be proved a man abused a woman---except through legal tests?

Seems lately like more folks don't think---they just believe every woman who says that guy abused me---least the news seems to be saying that...

It's all pretty tricky...

I mean---maybe---that old girlfriend of mine wasn't abused---maybe she was just crazy.

Tricky stuff---and---here come all the news media---spouting off what they think---having their panels of "experts" deciding who's guilty---way before any real legal investigating's done.

Then the comedians. They can't stop themselves cashing in on rumors of abuse by public people---making jokes that make people guilty---way before any legal decisions are made...

It's insane...

Hell---it's so bad in our society that many cops tell someone that says they were abused to just suck it up---never even give them a chance to prove it...

And---some cops are abusing girls...

Insane...

Of course---not all the media is bad---all the time---there was that newspaper---back in '02---did that major story about priests abusing young kids---did some real investigation---supported hints with facts and records and proofs...

Still---there are too many people being called out and nobody knows for sure if they did anything...

Some real good folks having their lives ruined---while some evil folks are staying way under the radar---but---it's getting really crazy---like that story Frankenstein where the village folks chased after him---probably killed a couple innocent folks in the rush...

And---I need to add something important---women can certainly choose to abuse boys and men...

Then there's the "news cycle" thing---one channel starts with one story---three others repeat that story and add two more---another six channels repeat all those and make a couple up...

I don't know---innocents being branded evil---evil ones bribing themselves out of court---young kids being abused---teens lying about abuse to get attention---grown folks never saying a thing about what happened to them as kids---other folks just making it all up...

I'm sure no expert---but---where's that thing...?

The thing that lets folks decide right from wrong---keeps people honest...?

Oh yeah... Remember...? That word that's almost forgotten...

Well---people do say it---but---do they really mean it?

What is that word...?

Oh yeah...

Justice.........

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