On March 17th 2013 two high school athletes were
tried and found guilty of taking part in the rape of another high school
student. If you are unfamiliar with the trail that I am referring to, simply
Google the word “Steubenville” and you will find all that you need in order to
understand the chain of events that have led to what has eventually become a
media circus. The lives of that young
woman, the accused and an entire community has been changed forever and
although the trial is “over”, this event has been catapulted to the world stage,
forcing all of us to take a hard look in the mirror and ask some serious
questions about the “rape culture” we have perpetuated.
As a parent, my heart immediately went out to the victim.
The assault in itself is bad enough but in addition, this case had garnered so
much attention, I can only imagine the embarrassment and shame she must be
feeling. My wish for her is that she
gets the help she needs in order to find peace, so that she may continue to
grow and reach her fullest potential.
My thoughts then move to the attackers. There have been
polarizing debates about whether or not they were been punished enough or if the
additional students who were present and/or participated should be prosecuted
as well.
Many look at this as an event that came out of nowhere and
are completely confused as to why or how this could have occurred in such a
typical, Anywhere, USA suburb and by kids no less. But if take a look at our
culture and peel back the onion a bit, it seems to me there a systematic lack
of empathy from our young people towards their fellow man that is unsettling as
it is tragic. Don’t believe me? You don’t have to take my word for it. Check
any reputable news outlet and I guarantee you will find a multitude of heinous
and violent acts done by people over the last decade so young it will break
your heart.
The cause of this missing empathy is up for debate: Many
will blame the culture of athlete worship that encourages secrets and
discourages whistle blowing. Perhaps some will accuse the popularity of
shooting games for desensitizing our young people human suffering. Or maybe, people will place culpability on music,
specifically the hip hop culture of objectifying and over sexualizing
women.
Each of these potential “causes” may or may not be a factor
and I am certain each will be thoroughly dissected by someone, somewhere in the
media. Because families all over are so affected by this tragedy that they will
searching for answers and looking to their favorite pundit for guidance.
I however won’t be doing that because frankly, I don’t think
the solution is very complicated.
My son, who is a toddler, is currently shielded from the
horrors and absurdities of this world. But someday, he will slowly lose the
eyes of a sweet little boy and begin to notice that there is more to life than
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and popsicles. Children tend to be deceptively observant of the
words and actions of their parents. They are taking inventory of everything
that we do in order to build the archetype of the adult that they will be in
the future.
Therefore, the key to combat this empathy deficiency is
quite simple: Take responsibility for our children’s actions by first taking
responsibility of ourselves. Think about it this way: You ever tell your kids
that they should behave well because they are an extension of you? Well, that
principle also works the other way in the sense that WE are the direct source
of THEIR morality. As such, we must all increase our resolve to not just preach
to our kids about how they should live their lives, but rather be that example
through our daily words and actions. This means treating everyone with respect
and dignity, including those who you don’t particularly like and complete
strangers. It also means never letting a
day go by without letting the ones you love the most (especially your children)
how much you care for them. It means doing things for the benefit of others,
such as performing random acts of kindness and volunteering your time to
worthwhile causes. It also means not being afraid to speak up for what you believe is right, even if it may not be the most popular view mongst your peers. It means doing all of these things, then encouraging your child to do the same.
…and the list goes on.
It is only though love that we can combat those negative influences and instill the proper values
that we wish to see in our future generations.
