Dear Lit Loves,
Greetings! And Happy 2015! Just wanted to comment about a recent experience I had witnessing and reporting domestic violence. We'll get to that episode in a moment. Most close friends know I have vast experience when it comes to domestic violence and sexual harassment. My first marriage was to a man who liked to practice his karate kicks toward my face and found it amusing to lock me in an attic. I walked out on him and never looked back the day he decided that he was going to dictate to me when I could and could not speak to him. Good riddance. Next, I worked in the tech industry where I worked as a receptionist/office assistant and was surrounded my a mostly male work force. The male staff members thought it would be appropriate to hold a strip show in the company lab for the resident chief executive officer's birthday. And I actually had an engineer come to my desk, lay hands on my skirt and proceed to measure the length of said skirt. He also wanted his business card title to read "Engineering God". Yes, I reported these forms of sexual harassment and idiocy. Did I lose friends as a result? You bet! Do I care? Hell no! If you can't stand up and do the right thing fellow sisters, then go find another boat to sail!
Also, I was harassed by an assistant principal when I taught middle school. His abuse came in the form of comments about me as a woman, how I dressed, my hair, my mannerisms, etc. Didn't tolerate that either and reported him to the school superintendent. I thought it was pertinent then to also report that said assistant principal's ex-wife arrived at the school one day and slashed all four tires on his truck. He was a royal jerk. I had fellow staff members who backed up my reports as well. Needless to say, I was not amused when I came across an instance of domestic violence this weekend upon returning home from lunch on Saturday.
First, I moved to the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina over the 2014 holidays. It was a scream. Packed up a house, found a new place to live, and moved to a new residence in the span of three weeks. Upon arriving home to my new residence on Saturday, I saw a man and woman out my bedroom window. It appeared they were taking a walk except there was screaming, pushing, and shoving involved. Then, the man and woman wound up behind the tennis courts and transformer units in my direct view. I watched as the man, who was about six foot two, place the woman in a headlock and proceed to drag her around the area. Next, the woman started screaming for him to stop and calling for help. At this point in time, my husband had witnessed the whole scene while walking back from our mailbox. He reported the woman was trying to fight back and screaming for help. I called the police and gave a full description of both individuals and what we witnessed. Now folks, I don't know about the NFL and football players, but no one is going to put a woman in a headlock and proceed to manhandle her on my watch. And no, I'm not going to stand by and let a friend of mine be verbally abused by a man either. I'll advise her till I'm blue in the face to kick him to the curb and change the locks accordingly. Because you know what people? SOMEBODY HAS TO TAKE A STAND AND SAY TO THE WORLD: YOU DAMN WELL ARE NOT GOING TO ABUSE A WOMAN, MAN, OR CHILD ON MY WATCH. And if the abuser can't understand that? Well then, his arse needs to be jailed and sentenced. End of discussion.
Grace
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