The Sunday News
THERE are times in life when one matures enough to begin to engage many issues around them. To me such is the beginning of a turn around and healing process. Did you know that community healing comes only from within that particular community needing healing? When the community arises and gathers enough strength to begin to interrogate itself on certain issues haunting it, then healing comes. Unless we get to such a level, all external help leaves us more confused and divided.
Healing comes from inside out. You wonder where I am coming from today? I came face to face with the pain and horror of rape two weeks ago and this has kept me thinking hard but smartly. When you read of rape in papers or hear of it in the news it is different from facing it live or facing its victims. My whole perception changed and I got a new anger in me that wants to find a solution to this inhumanity and evil. What really is behind rape? Why would men stoop so low to do such evil to innocent children and women they are supposed to be protecting? Are we sure we have the right kind of men in our society?
What really is a man? You see, I have so many questions that I ask myself and I am trying and praying for answers. Unless we come together as a community to interrogate ourselves on these, we might as well brace ourselves for more pain and shame.
But from where I stand, something has to be done.
Rape is evil. Rape is demonic and satanic and cannot be acceptable at all levels of human life. I have heard in the past people claim that women are raped because they exposed themselves by their dressing; some claim that they dress indecently and men get aroused. There are so many excuses given for this barbaric behaviour. All excuses seek to dignify the perpetrator of evil and vilify the victim. I no longer subscribe to such thrash. Whether she is naked or half naked or whatever, you have no right to rape them. Beloved, at this rate of violence by men against women and children, I think everything is now in danger.
Man has become a poison to society and himself. Everything in our communities is a victim of a wrong caliber of men we are producing. Man is destroying everything in his sight. He rapes babies, children, women, animals, men and himself. He destroys nature, the environment and himself. He condemns everyone except himself. Everything else is wrong except him. Now we are in trouble when men think and behave like this. Something has to be done.
I believe men are doing what they are doing because of a number or reasons. Let me state my case.
Men have been wrongly socialised.
Our cultures and traditions and religions have produced bullies and idiots out of men. No matter how educated, most men remain bullies of all what is deemed weaker than them and in this case their mothers, daughters, and wives are victims.
Men have been brought up with a wrong and demonic ego that dominates others and not issues.
Look around you, you will find men who are scared of life issues, perplexed and without direction but are so dominant over what they are supposed to love, understand and protect. We have a caliber of men who are wrongly programmed. They destroy what they are supposed to preserve.
Men think wrongly
Rape is in the mind. All this destruction is in the mind. Evil is in the mind. Men think demonically and this is the reason we fail to be men. Men think they are superior to other human life. They think their wives are inferior. They think they have the right to violate women and do what they do. Maybe their culture has said so but this is all wrong. Men think that their strength is for beating up women and children and other men. The strength of men is to protect the weak. It is to protect their wives and their children. It is to preserve the nature and never for destruction.
You see, again I can go on and on but something needs to be done. We cannot cross over to our desired dreamland with men, leaders of human life thinking this way. When men are thi confused, the whole society is moving in circles.
Let me get back to the rape issue. Men are raping because of the deceived mindset and attitude. No normal man can be this cruel. Men are raping because of a cultural socialisation that condemns and blames women for everything. Somebody has to help me here. How does a nine-month-old baby attract a man and arouse his sexual feelings? How does a 12-year-old girl arouse a 70-year-old man’s sexual feelings? Are men raping
