Another neighbor told the Herald Sun she had her suspicions about the father but did not want to interfere.
"I didn't go to anybody, because it wasn't anybody's business," she told the paper.
She added that the woman who encouraged the victim to contact police "has always been a busybody."
Have we as a society reached a point where we no longer care?
The above italicized section is an excerpt from an article you can find here (cnn.com). Long story short - man began sexually abusing his daughter in 1970 . . . and continued the abuse almost daily until 2007. 37 years. The man fathered four children, one of which died, all of which had defects, with his daughter.
Now, the story is horrifying to begin with, let alone the neighbor's attitude.
I know, people just don't want to get involved. People just want to live their ordinary little lives and pretend everything is find and dandy.
Everything is not fine and dandy. A woman was sexually abused by her father for 37 years. 37 years. 37 years. She had four children . . . by her father. Oh, and her mother's comments . . . "We lived in a big house, so I wouldn't have known".
She wouldn't have known.
She wouldn't have known.
She wouldn't have known!!!!
How in the frak can you not know that your husband is having sex with your daughter . . . for 37 years?? 37 years!!!!!
Seriously! Then, the lovely neighbor that it's not their place.
Yes!
It!
Is!
At some point, it is somebody's place! At some point in time, we as humans, need to stand up for the dignity of life. At some point in time, we as humans, need to say enough is enough.
37 years, people, and the lovely neighbor says "I didn't go to anybody, because it wasn't anybody's business".
Yes, it is somebody's business. At some point in time, somebody needs to care enough. If we stop caring, if we let abuse continue for 37 years - 37 years - then we are no better than the animals we kill on a daily basis to feed ourselves. If we stop caring, if we let abuse continue for 37 years - 37 years - then we are . . . well . . . we're no longer human.
S
My Writing Process
11 years ago
4 comments:
These is a classic example of people not helping that taught in sociology classes all the time. A woman was stabbed in the courtyard of an apartment building, and dozens of people watched it. No one went to help, and no one called the police because everyone thought everyone else would do it instead. When my sociology professor got to this part of her lecture, she had to sit down and let the TA describe it because the professor couldn't tell the story without breaking down and crying. These things are so sad. I hope we can learn from them and become better because of them.
I remember this example! I think it is one of the classic examples in both sociology and psychology. Everybody always thinks 'somebody' else is going to help. I understand the line of thinking . . . to a point. At some point, somebody has to step forward. Too often, nobody does . . . which just makes me . . . sad.
S
Hi, interesting post. I just thought I would say hello from Nicola's coffe morning blog.
Kate x
That is terribly sad and horribly wrong. I do not understand how that mother could just "not know". I agree. We need to help when we can, and ASK for help for others when we can't. Even when it's not really our business.
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