Everyone's Mother

Becoming a mother makes you the mother of all children. From now on each wounded, abandoned, frightened child is yours. You live in the suffering mothers of every race and creed and weep with them. You long to comfort all who are desolate.--Charlotte Gray



Last week, I watched in amazement, anger, fear and frustration as Oprah conducted her show on child molestation and kiddie porn. I am appalled at what is out there, and it breaks my heart to think any child should have to suffer such things. As prompted by Oprah, I sent out an email to both Senator Allard and Senator Salazar to prompt them to pass the bill . I sent it as well to everyone in my address book, telling them how to do something about the problem - urging their state senators to pass the Senate Bill 1738 { 'A bill to require the Department of Justice to develop and implement a National Strategy Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, to improve the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, to increase resources for regional computer forensic labs, and to make other improvements to increase the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute child predators. ' }



After checking on it today, I see it is still yet hanging, the reasons unclear, but not passed. Turns out, the bill was introduced in June of 2007! How many children have become victims since then? What could possibly be the reason the darned bill hasn't passed? Oh yeah, that's right - petty bickering, partisan differences, senators not present to vote, and so on. If it were up to us mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, aunts, WOMEN - we would have this a done deal.



Sadly, all I can picture is the crying, tortured child as victim of these perverts. When I was 11, my uncle somehow got me in his tool shed in the back yard and proceeded to grope me - telling me he wanted a big hug - but hugging never included his hands between my legs before. I escaped, and was VERY careful not to get alone with him ever again. As it turns out, my sister had endured his advances as a teenager - something she didn't tell me until a few years ago. Neither of us ever told our parents, or any other adult. The world my daughter lives in today isn't much different, except I am more vigilant about telling her what is acceptable - no one should ever touch her "under the swimsuit". I hate to think of every man as my enemy, and family memebres are more suspect, but since my uncle, one who until then I loved very much, became the face of the enemy, I must do all I can to protect my daughter. And your daughter. And son. And everyone else's. I am everyone's mother now.