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Oh, I think daily health

jhonsmith — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:31:38 -0500

Oh, I think daily health hindrance drag the U.S. has got to symbolize on of the prime four issues since the voter manifesto. It's seemly eerie what happens to people.

A organization of rabble believe suggested healthcare over our poles apart universal activism clock in to. So, my inquire into is: how fulfill we make active a difference in health care worldwide? I actually think it could be a great issue, because there are so many components to it, and it seems like there would be lots of ways to take action. Hospitals in Mexico

Breaking the Silence on Childhood Sexual Assault

Keith Smith — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:18:32 -0500

I was abducted, beaten and raped by a stranger. It wasn’t a neighbor, a coach, a relative, a family friend or teacher. It was a recidivist pedophile predator who spent time in prison for previous sex crimes; an animal hunting for victims in the quiet, bucolic, suburban neighborhoods of Lincoln, Rhode Island.

I was able to identify the guy and the car he was driving. Although he was arrested that night and indicted a few months later, he never went to trial. His trial never took place because he was brutally beaten to death in Providence before his court date. 34 years later, no one has ever been charged with the crime.

In the time between the night of my assault and the night he was murdered, I lived in fear. I was afraid he was still around town. Afraid he was looking for me. Afraid he would track me down and kill me. The fear didn’t go away when he was murdered. Although he was no longer a threat, the simple life and innocence of a 14-year-old boy was gone forever. Carefree childhood thoughts replaced with the unrelenting realization that my world wasn’t a safe place. My peace shattered by a horrific criminal act of sexual violence.

Over the past 34 years, I’ve been haunted by horrible, recurring memories of what he did to me. He visits me in my sleep. There have been dreams–nightmares actually–dozens of them, sweat inducing, yelling-in-my-sleep nightmares filled with images and emotions as real as they were when it actually happened. It doesn’t get easier over time. Long dead, he still visits me, silently sneaking up from out of nowhere when I least expect it. From the grave, he sits by my side on the couch every time the evening news reports a child abduction or sex crime. I don’t watch America’s Most Wanted or Law and Order SVU, because the stories are a catalyst, triggering long suppressed emotions, feelings, memories, fear and horror. Real life horror stories rip painful suppressed memories out from where they hide, from that recessed place in my brain that stores dark, dangerous, horrible memories. It happened when William Bonin confessed to abducting, raping and murdering 14 boys in California; when Jesse Timmendequas raped and murdered Megan Kanka in New Jersey; when Ben Ownby, missing for four days, and Shawn Hornbeck, missing for four years, were recovered in Missouri.

Despite what happened that night and the constant reminders that continue to haunt me years later, I wouldn’t change what happened. The animal that attacked me was a serial predator, a violent pedophile trolling my neighborhood in Lincoln, Rhode Island looking for young boys. He beat me, raped me, and I stayed alive. I lived to see him arrested, indicted and murdered. It might not have turned out this way if he had grabbed one of my friends or another kid from my neighborhood. Perhaps he’d still be alive. Perhaps there would be dozens of more victims and perhaps he would have progressed to the point of silencing his victims by murdering them.

Out of fear, shame and guilt, I’ve been silent for over three decades, not sharing with anyone the story of what happened to me. No more. The silence has to end. The fear, the shame, the guilt have to go. It’s time to stop keeping this secret from the people closest to me, people I care about, people I love, my long-time friends and my family. It’s time to speak out to raise public awareness of male sexual assault, to let other victims know that they’re not alone and to help victims of rape and violent crime understand that the emotion, fear and memories that may still haunt them are not uncommon to those of us who have shared a similar experience.

For those who suffer in silence, I hope my story brings some strength, comfort, peace and hope.

My novel, Men in My Town, is based on these actual events.

Men in My Town is available now at Amazon.com

I'm so sorry that this

Thorne — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:08:12 -0500

I'm so sorry that this article hasn't gotten more attention. It was the only one that came up when I searched for "Earth Month" here at Blogher. Sadly, my child is all grown... hehe (empty nester here), or I could utilize your great links. Keep doing what you're doing (even when it feels like whispering into the wind!)

"I don’t at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes one far too conceited." - Oscar Wilde

http://thornesworld.com

I'm sick and tired of the world and celebrities top my list

sugarbritches26 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:08:33 -0600

Great post. I've often wondered about my middle son. We've seen a doc and they say no he is not autistic, just a bit in his own world. I was a fan of Mr. Leary before reading this. I enjoyed his characters in the Ice Age movies, but there is no excuse for that kind of cruelness regarding children. I'm sure he meant to be funny and keep up his asshole persona but please give it a break. I would much rather hear what bloggers have to say than self centered celebs trying to make waves.

I was shocked when he did

devbloom — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:36:49 -0600

I was shocked when he did that in the debate but I guess it all caught up with him Obama recieved the majority of the woman vote!

Look for me at:
Yeast Infection Remedies or check me out at Lose Ten Pounds

Hmmm...

Gwynneth — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:27:32 -0500

Crunchy Carpets:

Guess I misread your post! I don't do well with subtlety, nor especially with the kind of backward criticism that say, Stephen Colbert uses. If I didn't know he'd started out on The Daily Show, I might really believe he was a Republican, like the crowd did who invited him to that banquet as a speaker to *cough!* honor Bush!

I'm too freaking literal, I guess. Sorry!

Ok whoa..I AM canadian and so is the poster....

Crunchy Carpets — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:16:59 -0500

That was the reference....

and being that some of the conservatives around her have been slamming me for my 'soc i al ist' views and 'lefty' views...I was making a joke.

Because someone making air quotes about women's health IS disgusting and Samantha Bee rocks.

Look for me at

http://crunchycarpets.com or check out the ladies at www.wetcoastwomen.com

I loved that video

PunditMom — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:32:37 -0500

It sums it all up so nicely, doesn't it?

PunditMom

Hilarious!

Gwynneth — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:41:11 -0500

First off, GREAT POST! FOMCL (fell off my chair, laughing)!

I saw that Daily Show, and Samantha Bee, as always, is as irreverent and right on target as a junior Hunter S. Thompson! Stewart's remarks, of course, were hilarious...and well-deserved. SHAME ON MCCAIN! I guess we know where he ALSO stands on women's health! No surprise, but still, sickening!

To the poster who wrote:

"Ahh..but you are Canadian and isn't Sam Bee
too?

our wacky pro women's rights and strange leftist notions are just out of touch with what the American public want!!"

Your reference to Canadians: What's the point there? As for "leftist notions", I'm SO sick of the word "leftist" being bandied around (like "socialist" is now...maybe because "leftist IS more common?)...for every belief/stance/political platform that Right-wingers and Evangelists don't like!

Since when do anti-choice fanatics get to declare that THEY represent America?! Well, since we have Free Speech, they can declare it all they want...but that doesn't make it so. And saying women LIKE having abortions! McCain's dumber than I thought...and meaner.

Thanks for the good belly laugh--I needed it!

P.S.: To all you fellow closet "Socialists" out there: my advice is not to watch any more of the McCain/Palin circus. It's bad for your blood pressure and makes it easier to keep your food down! :P

This man..

Bonafide Liberal — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:10:01 -0500

...disgusts me to the nth level. He is a fail. How in the hell could you do that, sit there and refer to woman as being worthy enough for some "air quotage" as you will? I mean COME ON. I suppose Cindy didn't have anything to say either. Wonder if he considered her past health issues worthy enough for some air quotes as well?

Perfectly said, ~Susan

lilmommythatcould — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:09:16 -0500

Perfectly said,

~Susan

http://lilmomthatcould.com/

This isn't an issue of being pro-choice or pro-life

Her Bad Mother — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:37:49 -0500

... it's an issue of being respectful of women. As the stories you'll find through some of the links I provided tragically demonstrate, abortion is not a straightforward issue - and women's health is very often a complicating factor. To trivialize the physical or mental health of women who might need or choose abortion is profoundly disrespectful, and not fitting behaviour for any moral person, Christian or otherwise

In defense....

Gracegirl — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:21:42 -0500

Was it appropriate to be so cavalier? No. But let me say, for many people, being pro-choice is a matter of faith. We believe that (according to the books of Psalms and Isaiah) God knows us before we are in the womb. And there are Biblical references concerning the punishment for those who murder or unintentionally kill a woman during her pregnancy. For us, as believers, to accept the idea of abortion would be to blatantly defy the Word of God. It has nothing to do with us hating life or thinking that the mother is less important than the child and everything to do with us trusting in God's purposes. I imagine this will incite some nasty gestures, but it's the simple truth. Nonbelievers often go on about how hypocritical Christians are and then when we try to live and act according to the Word we are chastised all the more. Which is it?

Love the title!

RenaissanceTrophyWife — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:31:18 -0500

Nevertheless, it still scares me that there are people who can be so cavalier about life and death.

If you're pro-life, since when did the mother's life not become important?

And for a few facts on the bad things that can happen (not "bad things", mind you)...

http://renaissancetrophywife.wordpress.com/2008/10/17/health-of-the-moth...

RTW

renaissancetrophywife.wordpress.com

I just spit my coffee...

ByJane — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:11:24 -0500

...and Laughed Out Loud aLot! First at your title, which sums up Samantha's piece...and then at Sam herself. Oh wow...would we be laughing if Obama didn't seem--please God--about to win?????

By Jane

http://byjane.blogspot.com

http://midlifebloggers.com