A couple of years ago after discovering that yet another child I knew had been molested by an “uncle”, I was angry. I considered a solution, perp shaming….
TAJ- Tamars Advocating Justice #tamarsadvocatingjustice
To make sure we wouldn’t be culturally intruding on a foreign word that meant something too far afield from what we would be purposing that might connote something bad, I looked up “taj”. It’s actually a conical shaped hat worn by ecstatic whirling, howling dancing religious zealots. We’ll try to have more decorum than that, but I might could even be whipped into a holy frenzy to protect children from sexual violence!
Instead of the marchers wearing conical hats, though, I’d propose that we put a conical DUNCE hat on the perp! If prosecutors and law enforcement won’t do their jobs, if families are going to protect perpetrators in silence, then the victims and their advocates can unite and expose them.
We can make little conical hats and leave them anonymously on the desks of mashers at work…. It can becom the universal symbol of retribution by victims of sexual harassment and abuse. Funny. NOT FUNNY.
I’ve got a few addresses in my book. When the victims and their advocates are ready, we’ll call for the caravan and load up….. Be afraid, sex perverts, be very afraid.
The Tamars of the world will see that the Amnons of the world are exposed for their treachery.
Be courageous, women. Quit being shamed by what’s been done to you. Shame those who sexually use and abuse women and girls. Once some men start getting this treatment, families will start teaching little boys AND girls to respect one another decently and we’ll roll back this tsunami of abuse.
How about this? Instead of a sit-in at the Governor’s Office, victims and their advocates march in front of the homes of perpetrators? Once a child has been questioned by forensic counselors and the allegation is credible, dox the perp with a prayer vigil for victims and a march in front of his house with signs that read “Male who molests child in her sleep lives here.” And “MAN” with a circle and slash through it. (NOT a man!) and “Pray for his wife and children.” Some of us might get arrested for harassment, but there’s always a price for advancing social justice. Oh, well.
It will be the worst nightmare of some men’s ghosts of the past, ghosts of the present, and ghosts of the future …… shades of an Ebenezer Scrooge intervention! We could do it in the middle of the night with a portable road work spotlight and LED candles and really make a scene….. wake the perp up from a sound sleep and let him feel the pounding of his heart, wondering what’s going on, then thinking “Oh, no, what do I do with THIS????” Yeah, that’ll work.
We’ll leave as soon as he makes a humble apology to the victim(s) there and signs a statement that he will never molest another female…. child or adult…. and will accept counseling services that detail the trauma imposed on children by premature sexualization and molestation.
RESTORE INNOCENCE! DOX THE PERPS! RESPECT THE SANCTITY OF CHILDHOOD!