October 31, 2007
October is recognized
as Domestic Violence
Awareness
Month. This does not mean
that in November, or any
other month of the year, we
won’t have to worry about
the issue of domestic abuse.
Instead, we must always
keep in mind that according
to the National Center for
Injury Prevention and
Control nearly 5.3 million
domestic violence incidents
happen each year and these
are just the cases that have
been reported.
Around the world at least
one in every three women
has been beaten, coerced into
sex or abused in other ways
during her lifetime,
according to a survey of
women’s health.
Equally disturbing, are
statistics released from the
Family Violence Prevention
Fund, that in a study of
eighth and ninth graders, 25
percent indicated they had
been victims of dating
violence and eight percent
said they had been sexually
abused.
Young sisters, you are not
to accept abuse, under any
circumstances! You are not
to rationalize for it and
equally important, you must
not initiate abuse by being
verbally, physically,
mentally, sexually abusive to
anyone else.
Believe me when I tell
you that there are females
who are abusive. If you are
in a relationship with
someone and you feel like
hitting him, then you should
walk away. The best way to
deal with a short temper is to
take a long walk.
Now maybe the person
you are involved with grew
up in a home where fighting,
yelling, cussing and
screaming was the norm. Or,
maybe they were the victims
of sexual abuse.
If you have already or are
currently experiencing any
type of abuse, at some point,
something must be done to
put an end to it.
Tell yourself today that
you are not going to stay in
an abusive relationship. Tell
yourself that when you grow
up and have children you are
not going to let them see you
being abused and you will
not let anyone abuse them.
Easier said than done, you
say. I understand totally.
Something happens. One
thing leads to another and
before you know it harsh
words are being exchanged.
No regard is given to how
hurtful the words are.
Actually they aren’t
hurtful enough so it’s time to
start swinging.
Some men say that
women don’t know when to
shut up. They just keep on
yapping until they crush the
man, tearing his ego to
pieces. So what can he do but
use physical force to attempt
to put an end to the pain
being inflicted upon him?
But there are also the
scenarios where the woman
has done absolutely nothing
wrong and she still ends up
being a victim.
Whatever the rationale,
abuse cannot be an option. It
is not acceptable and you
can’t make excuses for your
or someone else’s behavior.
Denise Wolford and
Marion Quinney-Morgan
tackles the issue of abuse in
the Gospel Stage play,
“Delivered from the Hands
of the Evil Man.”
Domestic abuse is an
issue everywhere, even in the
Church, said Ms. Wolford.
“Delivered from the Hands
of the Evil Man will help
females, as well as males.
They will learn that you do
not have to stay in an abusive
relationship.”
Those who are able to
attend the next presentation
of Delivered from the Hands
of the Evil Man should mark
their calendars for November
15 at 7p.m. and join me at W.
W. Samuell High School for
the evening performance.
You can call 469-232-9912
and Char Holland will give
you other show dates and
times.
According to Ms.
Quinney-Morgan, you won’t
leave the same way you
entered.
“We have heard from
people who say they were
really moved by the play,”
she said, adding that there
was a time that she was also
“going through things.”
Too many people are
“going through some
things.”
Make it your business to
not let abuse become a part
of your life, your DNA, or
something that you pass on
to others.
There are a number of
safe havens that you can go
to and sometimes you can
find that comfort and
guidance you need in the
church, or even at school or
work. You must understand
that you don’t have to suffer
and you don’t have to be
ashamed. There are too
many people out there who
have been there, done that,
had the tee shirt ripped off of
them; and they are alive
today as survivors.
So many are not fortunate
to have a man like my father
who had a warning for any of
my boyfriends he met: “I
didn’t put my hands on her
and neither will you!”
And those guys knew Joe
Smith meant business!
We need to show the
world that we mean
business, in the form of
tougher penalties for abusers
and the adoption of a zero
tolerance mentality that
begins at home—finding
other ways to get someone to
do what you want, without
resorting to violence!
Say no to any form of
abuse—don’t be the victim
or the guilty party!
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