The main topic of discussion this week has been Yendi Phillipp's pregnancy, but I wont get into that for three main reasons:
1) She's grown, ambitious and successful and therefore is more than capable of making her own decisions.
2) Whether or not she is pregnant does not affect me or what I deem as important.
3)What she does is nobody's business, despite the fact that she is a public figure, she is still a human being and cannot please everyone.
Other 'big' items in the media this week were, Former Prime Ministers PJ Patterson and Bruce Golding are seeking to sue some lawyer, a Mr Rowe for libellous comments and we are still talking about the 'flag issue.' (if you are in the dark about either, you can always go to http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/. I trust you will be thoroughly informed.)
Don't get me wrong, I think the flag issue is a huge deal because it is our most popular national symbol and to deface it in anyway is utterly unacceptable. This topic has been discussed to death though, so I'm about to move on.
What I am here to talk about is something much more important that affects us all.
The Help JA Children march and rally will take place on Tuesday (May 1). The campaign, born from the outrage expressed after the Sunday Observer published an article entitled 'Horrific', that reminded us of the vicious crimes being committed against our children. The details of this article has stuck with me ever since.
Read here:
Horrific!
My peers and I were spurred into action and the Help JA Children advocacy outfit was formed under the guidance and influence of Brandon Allwood, a close friend and role model.
The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness, to educate and put an end to these heinous crimes. Yes, I know there are many other initiatives out there that deal with issues of children's rights etc, however, one more cannot hurt. The Help JA Children campaign is here to work with all these other groups to bring forth the required results.
Mission Statement: To create awareness about the
reality of the situation of the nation's children and offer effective and plausible
solutions to alleviate their plight.
We need to get our minds right.
Another thing that seriously bothers me concerning this whole issue, is the fact that people are allowing their ignorance to stop them from seeing the real issue. While clearing the comment queue for this story, I saw someone mention that the writer should not have pointed out that the 9 year old (go read the article) was buggered. That blogger said the writer was using that instant to bring up homosexuality and hence trying to find a way to further turn people against homosexuals. Listen, clearly that person missed the entire point of the article, if the child was buggered, he was buggered. A serious crime was committed against a baby nonetheless! Another thing is the issue of individuals refusing to support the cause because The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (JFLAG) is involved. Never mind that JFLAG was one of the first to lend it's support by donating not only time and space but funds to the advocacy outfit, even though they did not have to. People need to stop the foolishness. This whole thing is not about you or your beliefs, it is about our future. Our children are once again being put on the back burner because you do not want to be associated with gays? We need to look into ourselves. This entire world need fi bathe off. kmt.
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." -Nelson Mandela
How is this country going to survive if our children are being abused and broken? Jamaica is in deep crap as it is, and I sincerely believe that this generation and those after us will be the ones to fix our nation. However, If our children aren't protected and given the chance to grow as they should, what future do we have?
We need to educate our children, have them know that is okay to speak up when they are touched in the wrong way. Children should be treated as such and we should teach them this. Young girls should not be pursued by dem big, gray back man out a road and we need to teach our girls to TELL a responsible adult when big man a look dem. Teach boys that they too are in danger and they too can be raped. Teach them that they should not be ashamed.
WE NEED TO STOP PUNISHING THE VICTIMS!
That leads me to another story that broke this week
A teacher was held for sexually assaulting an eight grade student. He was brought before the court and given a suspended sentence and community service! -___- that's not all, HE IS STILL TEACHING AT THE SCHOOL.
Read:
Sex offender still teaching
What is this teaching our children? It makes no sense you report the crime because nothing will come of it, right? Can that student go back to school? Will she ever be comfortable in that sort of environment? Her entire world has been over turned because she will have to start over. Correct? And the perpetrator? Business as usual?
I am sick of this. All of this.
We have a culture here where people tend to mind their own business. 'informa fi dead', yea? unless it's gossip. Nobody speaks about what is important, what should matter. We blame the children because our baby girls are 'force ripe' and 'love man.' Our boys 'love gwan like dem a big man' or 'dem licky licky'. This needs to stop. It's like nobody cares until it hits close to home. Until your son, daughter, niece or nephew is assaulted. This problem exists worldwide, in every class, everywhere.
We have to fix yaad before we go abroad. And prevention better than cure, yea? So before your little one is assaulted and doesn't know how to tell you, help us help them. Join us in giving our children a voice. Please support the Help JA children campaign and let us begin to help our children the way we know how. Help us to infiltrate the schools and homes and uplift our children. Help us to get them to speak. Help us to reach the women who are protecting the child molesters, help us to reach the predators and stop them before they destroy another baby.
Read the article.
This intervention is necessary. Our children are our future and if they are stifled and broken, what happens to this country?
We need your help.
