Bountiful
Blessings
May 12th, 2014
Good
morning! How are you? Great! Well, this past week I went to training for work.
Yea, sounds awful, doesn’t it? But oh my. It was incredible. Eye opening.
Thought provoking. Terrifying yet hopeful. What kind of training you ask? Im
glad that you did. I would love to tell you more. J (Gotta
tell someone. Family is getting tired of listening to me!)
The
training was an organization called Green Dot. Green Dot is a social movement
to prevent violence (particularly partner violence, sexual assault and
stalking) through one person, one thought, one action, one moment at a time. So
many of us live in our own fantasy world that violence will not touch us
personally. But it does - it touches us. It touches those we love.
It touches those around us. Green Dot’s focus is not on the “bad guy”
but on people like you and me. Bystanders. Who may see something that strikes
us wrong. You know. That heebie jeebie feeling. Witnessing a couple in an all
out fight. Listening while a friend voices her fears and frustration over the
ten thousand text messages from an ex that keep blowing up her phone. The
moments could be subtle or in your face. But they are there. Chances are great
that you have experienced one before. Consider this. You draw a map of the
United States. Add a red dot for acts of violence. Someone shows up everywhere
your friend is - red dot. Someone pushes your friend around - red dot. Someone “offers”
to take your wasted friend home from a party and you are uncomfortable - red
dot. Um, excuse me, but your map is bleeding. Red everywhere. Now… You and me.
One dot, one moment. I added Green Dot to my email signature - green dot. I
called the police on the fighting couple - green dot. I told the guy at the
party that his car was being towed and then grabbed my friend and went out the
back - green dot. The pattern begins to shift. Red is balanced with green and
then, wait for it, green overtakes the red. Whoop! Whoop! That’s what I
am talking about!
We
watched a film in class where a couple was fighting in the park, well, actually
the guy was fighting. The girl drew into herself and hid her head. He was
yelling at her and pushing her. Nothing severe but enough to make you
uncomfortable. Ok. So people would walk by them and look at what was going on
but how many of them intervened? Sadly, very, very few. Out of 100, nine men
and fourteen women. That is a whole lotta people that kept on walking. If this
had been real, chances are good that when they left the park, the fight would have
escalated into something physical. What would you do in that situation? We
would all like to think that we would have done something. But lets be
honest. Would you really? But no matter
what we would have done, its what will we do?
Statistically,
1 out of 4 females and 1 out of 10 males will be sexually assaulted. Can you
live with these numbers? I cant. I look at Summer and her friends and then I do
the count. Nope. Not happening. Not if I can do something about it. And you
know what? I can do something about it. I can add my green dot to the map. I
can do something. And so can you! We all have the potential inside of us. I
talked with my nephew on the way home this week and I listened to him, all
grown up (he’s 15) and thought about what role he would play. I looked into his
eyes and saw the gentleness and fought the vision of him as a victim. Instead I
talked to him about being a bystander. It is not a matter of always confronting
the bad guy. There are three options - direct (such as confrontation), delegate
(get someone else such as police) or distract (such as walking up and asking to
borrow homework or telling them their car is being towed). I know my obstacles.
Confrontation is one and I’m a terrible liar so I am all about the delegation.
But that is ok. Do what is comfortable for you. Not what works for me or anyone
else. You. Your decision. Your moment. Your green dot.
Have I
rambled enough? Some of you are screaming. Yes, enough already. Told you that I
felt passionate about this class! Told you, warned you, whatever. But today and
for the next week, I ask you to make a conscious effort to place a green dot on
the map. A post on social media. Supplying a friend with information on
stalking behaviors. Asking someone to stop. Whatever you are comfortable with.
Seriously, no pressure from me. Look in your heart. YOU ARE THE DIFFERENCE.
There
are only two choices - Do something
or do nothing.
Bible
Verse(s) for the week:
… Am I my brother’s keeper? Genesis
4:9
Father, forgive them for they do not know what
they are doing. Luke 23:34
Song
for the week:
If Everyone Cared (Nickelback) please,
please, please watch video on YouTube
Bible
Trivia for the week:
1) What evil king of Judah was killed by his
servants?
2) What prophet was commanded to make a model of Jerusalem and set battering rams against it?
3) What paranoid king ordered the execution of the infants in Bethlehem?
2) What prophet was commanded to make a model of Jerusalem and set battering rams against it?
3) What paranoid king ordered the execution of the infants in Bethlehem?
4) Who carried five stones as his weapons?
5) What Roman official of Jerusalem bowed to the wishes of an uncontrolled mob?
5) What Roman official of Jerusalem bowed to the wishes of an uncontrolled mob?
6) What apostle was almost done in by 40 men
waiting to ambush him at Jerusalem?
7) What two women brought about the execution
of John the Baptist?
8) In what city was Jesus almost killed by an
angry mob?
9) What rebel was killed by three darts, shot
into his heart by Joab?
Answers:
not in order - Pilate, David, Ezekiel, Herod, Amon, Paul, Herodias and her
daughter, Nazareth, Absalom
Terri
No comments:
Post a Comment