If you're reading this and are a survivor, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. If you want to reach out to me but don't want to comment to talk you can feel free to email me at mama4life07@gmail.com to talk privately.
This is the tattoo that I have for my own story and am using for this post.
Do we as the United States REALLY want to allow someone in such high of a position for our country who has been accused of this type of crime without getting an investigation done?
I know I'm not okay with that and I know of so so many others who are totally against it as well. Just look on Twitter with the hashtag #MeToo and #BelieveSurvivors and tell me what you think we should do as a team of men and women to help fight this battle of sexual assault. It's going to take a lot of time and effort to get the full message out where more and more in power will take a stand like survivors are now.
And she even testified and was questioned more than most survivors should have to deal with, I found it important to speak up about this issue and let others know they are brave for speaking up/out against this issue of sexual assault and violence, both men and women.
This may enrage you as much as it has me, but this needs to stop and we need to be a voice to those women, men, boys, and girls who may be too afraid to talk, speak up, or share their story with anyone else right now in their journey to healing.
As moms and parents in general, we must protect our children not just daughters from predators the best that we can in hopes that they will NEVER have to go through sexual assault, rape, harassment, indecent assault, and other assaults in their lifetime.
Help them to know what is a wrong/bad behavior so that they know to tell an adult, friend, parent, teacher, etc if something is going on or has happened to them so that they can get help both medically and professionally with counseling, and make a report to the police as well.
Here are some resources that may help you as a friend or family member of a survivor or as a survivor yourself, both information wise as well as a hotline and message board too.
RAINN - 1 800 656 HOPE , www.rainn.org
After Silence - www.aftersilence.org
Alyssa Milano who is an actress has become a very strong voice for so many women/survivors, especially on Twitter, and has made a lot of effort in helping be a voice in Washington DC and Florida and other states as well just to get her voice heard so that people in authority will take her/us seriously.
I am going to be real with you right now and share part of my story with you right here on my own blog, which is why I'm so eager to help stand with millions of survivors, both friends and strangers alike to bring this issue to light.
In 2006 when I was 19, I was raped by someone I didn't know. I did make a police report immediately, but chose against my better judgment from shock to not go to the hospital for a kit, and did not charge the guy. But, my case is still in records anyway as a police report. I went through several counselors over months and gave up after the last one as it didn't help me personally.
I eventually moved out of state and started my own family and want to eventually help other survivors by volunteering at our local shelter when I feel like I'm able to do so. The one thing for me that helped me get through things was the one friend I had and still have now who was there right after to talk and be a friend, give advice on what to do, and has been a supportive friend off and on since that happened as it's brought up.
It's not okay to tell men and women, girls, and boys alike that it must not have happened because they didn't make a police report or because they didn't proceed with charges against that said person. They were brave enough to TELL YOU what happened to them. Don't re-victimize them all over again as if they did something wrong by speaking up when they didn't.
#BelieveSurvivors #MeToo
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