The Price of Truth

Dear Editor, The price of Truth It’s been a while since I have written. And, in that time a LOT has happen… Americans are enthralled in the election of our next president. We, with great fear and expectation; look upon our stock tickers to see a historic volatile market. A market, that is seemingly on the verge of utter ruin. Our eyes are affixed upon the dropping cost of a gallon of gasoline, as well as the rising prices at our neighborhood marketplaces… But, that is not why I decided to write today. I decided to move my pen because of a plague emerging in our great city, as well as evident in our nation abroad. And, that plague has an infamous name - abuse. “Man accused of beating girlfriend.” “Toddler’s stepmom in child beating case pleads guilty.” These are the horrific headlines attached to our daily news. People living in silence until, so many times, they end up broken by years of extreme violence. “What lies in the shadows, all too often; manifests homicide.” How many times have we turned our heads at the sight of an obvious scar caused by wickedness? How many times have we given a deaf ear at the shouts and horrors of domestic violence? We, by nature; being an internal society are taught to “leave one’s affairs to one’s self.” But, is it a righteous cause to sit idle while a child or a spouse lives in fear? I am certainly not suggesting we adopt a “witch hunt” mentality. But, all of us see signs we ignore. We see marks and so-called “unexplained” bruises. We see changes in personalities. We see “tells” when those living in violence give us only “bluffs.” Knowing something is obviously not a solution, so what can we do? Tell the truth! The most simplistic solution is to broadcast the truth. Tell all those around you, tell strangers, tell friends, just tell! For those victims of abuse, (or even rape or molestation), the easiest way that this “truth” can be accomplished is by writing a testimony. By using journalistic basics, called the 5 W’s (Who, What, Where, When, Why) you can write an effective, believable testimony. Be as painfully descriptive as possible, telling without a doubt, what happened, where it happened, when it happened, and who did it. The next step is to give your testimony to everyone you can, wherever you go. (Church, Wal-Mart, the Mall, etc.) The genius of such a document is as you give your testimony to those around you, you will in turn “give back” to those horrid individuals who perpetrated these evils against you. You will “Give back” the hurt, the shame, the fear. It’s not yours to begin with, IT’S THEIRS! The longer we are silent the more this epidemic will grow. The longer victims bask in anonymous solitude, the more empowered these deviant destroyers of souls will become. “Don’t be afraid to tell the truth… for those who have been living a dangerous lie” Jeremy Thayer Martin

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