Open Your Eyes Time To Wake Up

I’m going to make no apologies for this post and I’m hoping it will shake the silent majority into alert, action ready, heros.

I’m in Manchester today. I came here to take part in an event held by the English Independent Inquiry into Childhood Sexual Abuse, Scotland has also got an inquiry and I strongly urge every single person who even slightly suspects that they should talk to one of these inquiries to do so. I’m not ashamed to admit that I was wrong believing the propaganda spouted in some quarters about these inquiries. They DO want to hear from you and they are getting results. But this blog post isn’t aimed at the victim/survivors of Tribe ACEs High, this post is for all my normal readers who can make a difference.

This post is me doing a little bit of my part in protecting children from abuse. It’s our choice as adults whether we turn a blind eye or whether we follow the example of Emmeline, go against the gain and take action to change the world.

Now I know your all probably thinking “This is ridiculous how on earth can I stop a child being abused!” Some of you are probably thinking “Billie’s completely lost the plot”. Hopefully that small element who likes to shout outrage whilst trying to ensure that their victims can never be heard, are feeling the creeping sweat of fear under their collars.

This is what EVERYONE can do to ensure abuses have nowhere to hide:

1. Question what you consider normal behaviour. Is it really normal for 10 year olds to behave in an overtly sexual way? Nobody can tell me that every child, (and I’m including teenagers here), in every decade, in every country, hangs around outside fast food outlets late into the evening cat calling, making lewd sexualised comments to strangers with the actions to match. I’m sorry something has taught them this. TAKE NOTICE
2. It is NOT a normal reaction to pubity to go completely off the rails, having a 100% personality and behaviour change. WHAT’S HAPPENING TO THEM?
3. It’s NOT normal for a bright child to under achieve, look grubby especially if their siblings don’t look and behave like this. BE ALERT

Now these are just a few examples with a small amount of effort you can educate yourself question the status quo.

Think about Emmeline Pankhurst, before she stood up and spoke out, she would of questioned whether she really was so inferior to men that she could not be trusted with a say in how her life and her country was run. Strange to think that 100 years ago people really believed women could not be trusted to vote. How down trodden by an oppressive dare I say it abusive society was she. It was about that time that the first child was rescued from an abusive family by wrapping them in a horse blanket and using legislation designed to protect animals from maltreatment to end the misery of being abused. Can you believe that at one time in the UK animals had more rights than children!?!

Times change 100 years ago the paragraph above was normal, accepted as the way things are, not questioned. Until people like Emmeline Pankhurst started asking themselves the questions that brought about the seismic societal change and dignity to women and children.

All it takes is everyone to start questioning what is right and what is wrong. I know that the vast majority of people know the difference between right and wrong, but are trapped by the mentality that says it’s not my business. Well I’m asking you as the scared child with nowhere to turn, nobody to ask what’s wrong to make it your business.

I’m thinking about the strength and courage of the people I sat with today, how the officials facilitating the forum looked humbled. I’m thinking what if the communities we lived in as children hadn’t turned a blind eye and actually realised that if the family isn’t protecting that child it’s the responsibility of the whole town community to protect them. Gentleness, awareness and questioning care, will bring about the revolution that stops the wastage of human potential caused when a child is abused and ignored.

It’s your choice readers, you have to decide what sort of society you want to live in. Turning a blind eye, being a silent witness never speaking out will only result in more human potential turned into wreckage on the streets.