The information, the gossip, the revelation of lifestyles which would sicken most of us, are flying so fast that it is impossible not to be overwhelmed, to either decide all stories are true or none of them are true. So how do we sort out what it true, so we can respond/ask for proper responses?
First, we can sort out sexual misuse by motive. Tools of War: Rape and Genocide Whether the actual man participating is told to do this to hurt the enemy or that it is a reward for service, it leaves behind women no man of her own group will ever touch, unwanted babies, broken families, broken minds, and so must be considered a useful tool for some groups, whether we like it or not. I should not even have to list the recent atrocities (Isis, Darfur, Boko Haram) you can look a bit further back to slave traders impregnating female slaves (African) to get a better market price for them and to the Viking raiders who took rape to be part of their prize when looting England. Women know they are vulnerable in war, plain and simple. Rape as a tool for breaking in prostitutes We know of sex slaves coming from Asia and Central America, we know our own teenagers can be groomed and taken from the street or even from homes, to add to this nebulous trade in sex, for a particular group or wider sale. And that is just the US and other “first world” countries; third world countries are far worse, as children are regularly sold by their parents into the sex trade in Thailand for instance. Our own history with this is not so stellar, Native American girls were often stolen and forced into prostitution as America spread and money flowed. Rape is used as one more tool to break the girls down; (and the boys, but we don’t hear their stories as often) this is rape for economic gain. Rape as a show of power Think of Absalom having public sex with his father’s concubines. (King David) It was a way of “stealing” his father’s power as well as mocking him. (and for the rest of the story, David put them aside in a house, where they were cared for, for the rest of their lives). Other ways of abusing power via sex are very much in the news these days, put out or else. When someone threatens your income, your career, or your reputation, they have in effect stolen your power; they demand the price of a pound of flesh. The effects on the personality can be as severe as any other form of rape, and being a man is no guarantee it won’t happen to you too. With enough power, there will be enablers to help deliver the victims. They shame into silence, they control who knows, they pay off the louder victims, and they do anything they can to prop up the source of income and power. They are in effect, panderers. Pimps. Pederasty Also not new in the world is the focus on boys being broken in for use by men. This would be post pubertal boys. It is not so different a process as the seduction of girls by men much older; not for marriage or anything honorable, but for the pleasure of the older/smarter/stronger person. This abuser might even think they are doing the child a favor, teaching them the “ways of love.” Pedophilia, having sex with pre pubertal children, is so vile, such a demonic twist of sexuality,, to have sex with the ones you are supposed to protect and nurture, that I do not even know where to begin. Society cannot stand if we use and abuse our children. The gropers and pinchers Socially awkward or desiring to prove their own power level, it is amazing how much impropriate touching can occur and quite publicly. You also have the sexually addicted and the exhibitionists, where the thrill is in shocking others. While the direct use of sex as a crippling tool against others needs no help, very often you have particular scenarios used to set up the victims. Getting them alone or away from other people. Now as a girl, we were always taught not to go anywhere alone with a stranger, but usually a fine story or demand will go along with this. Why would anyone agree to a private meeting in a hotel room? Will the bar or restaurant downstairs not do just as well? But to the eager, the scared, the naïve, it is easy to be fooled (that’s all of us, not just young starlets or would be models) Use of drugs or alcohol is so common it is almost a standard, (and yes, in everyday human relations as well; the power players just have access on steroids) Shaming We all know of those who will use innuendo to harm anyone who resists them. It is a further way to steal power from a victim, even if you did not get the desired result. Enmity that can affect your career or reputation. Legal sexual relationships There is marriage, there is concubine status, there is sex slave status and there is legal prostitution, often in conjunction with religious worship. Concubines slaves and prostitutes had no say in who they belonged to, who they had sex with .Only marriage (which in times past was often arranged and the woman had no say, but she did have legal rights) gave any protection to women and children of this union, though often divorce could be used to end those relationships as well. Human beings have been bought and sold since the beginning of civilization. The fact that we consider ourselves free, sexually, to make our own choices (as adults) is almost an anomaly, historically Freedom is often abused as lawlessness. Use of sex as a political tool. Whether it is your local pastor of a church, a politician, or a major public figure (often with money) it is often, justly or unjustly, easy to either appropriate money for sexual sin (blackmail), or publicly oust the person from power. Justification or facts aren’t always necessary. Gossip will do the trick. Today’s landscape is no better, for mainstream news, than the National Enquirer, the difference being, we knew that was a gossip rag. Now we can never be sure if any due diligence was done with MSM stories, unless there has been a lawsuit, with evidence, or a confession. We treat the accused the guilty and the innocent the same, grist for the mill, tearing down other people to feel powerful ourselves. We need to turn our ears and eyes away from gossip. Easier said than done these days. If actual power structures that lead to abuse are brought down, clearing the way to a new and better way of doing business, that is good, but humans have quite a record of abusing sex. The public chest beating and I’m sorry or I’m seeking treatment will probably just drive abusers into hiatus for a while, with the whole nasty cult like process ramping back up once the public’s eye is drawn to some new scandal. And I’m not talking about Hollywood alone. As far as individuals, only a handful have protested innocence, and I hope all of them have lawyers and investigators. Although guilty persons have certainly used their money and power to avoid justice, it is true that vengeful people can pay for witnesses to accuse the innocent of things they have not done. Like they did to Jesus of Nazareth. |
Faith and ReasonA grandma's perspective on a few things.. Archives
May 2020
Categories<a href="http://www.ontoplist.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.ontoplist.com/images/ontoplist50.png?id=553a2c21e7ccf" alt="Blog Directory & Business Pages - OnToplist.com" border="0"></a>
|