calmkate

witness

spent hours yesterday writing a vital email
more sexual abuse leaving it’s trail
of afflicted fragile affected vulnerables
usually female as men protect their ‘mates’
claiming they are much more sedate
it echoes recent headlines about our
Attorney-General where so much smoke
usually indicates a fire somewhere

as an organisation I belong to refuse to
take action, like so many organisations they
prefer to fiercely protect their reputation
rather than care for their flock as those
in power take advantage of their female
assistants. While the men in charge
deny this could happen it derides the
victims right to be heard and believed

this denial or inaction allows predators
easy access to rape and subjugate
their support staff … so they become
bolder knowing there are no consequences
as people bury their heads rather than face
facts! There is NO Kindness here and we
will be confronted by karmic results for all
our actions and inactions for failure to protect

so many #metoo moments could be stopped
if good men stood up and said enough!
not sure if they are idiots or just in denial
but experience tells me more women keep
quiet than come forward to report their abuse
if protecting our vulnerable is an indicator
of maturity then we have massive growth to do
call it out, name and shame them … surely we have rights too?

d’Verse, witness, Peter – a Four Corners investigation has revealed concerns about Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter’s attitude towards women as two footballers face ‘rape’ charges …

42 comments

  1. Your poem is a powerful say-it-like-it-is and a sad truth. I agree it continues because there is no consequences. I love how you said this –
    so many #metoo moments could be stopped
    if good men stood up and said enough!
    not sure if they are idiots or just in denial

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  2. The multitude’s calls are loud and clear
    Victims are not the ones to be smeared
    Stop being matey fakes
    Decline their dirty handshakes
    The continuing abuse is a disgrace
    It’s time for male attitudes to about-face

    Liked by 5 people

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  4. It seems at last the voices of victims are being heard. in many cases, and many abusers are being revealed to be the monsters they truly are. I understand your frustration.

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. Too many times it is swept under the rug. Too many times the women can’t bear the additional trauma of calling out the abuser. Too often judges are unwilling to impose punishments. Too many #MeToo moments.

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. Excellent and Right On, SweetKate! Thank you for writing this!

    As you and I have talked before…we women can do SO much to help and make changes…especially to help abused women and children. But we really do need good men to speak up, to do the right things, to make the proper decisions, to put a stop to everything from men making lewd comments about a female who walks by…all the way to men who abuse and kill females…and everything in between.

    For good men to do something positive on behalf of ALL females in honor of the females in their lives would be so wonderful!

    Bottom line…all men should treat all females the proper way just because women are people.
    Some things I try to get across to all men…Not doing something is not an option. Realize abusers can seem like “good guys” to other men and still be abusive to women. Focus on the reality of what is going on, not the exceptions. It’s not a matter of “she said he said”/”us against them”…it’s a matter of all good people against abuse! ETC.

    (((HUGS))) 🙂
    PS…Your beautiful photo “says” so much to me!

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. Bravo Kate – thanks for this powerful writing. (Yes, saw the report). Here in the ‘gong we’re getting daily updates on the rape trial of two footballers – and the same old crap from their defence team – the woman ‘asked for it’ was flirtatious’ ‘was wearing a short skirt’. And we bend over backwards to award these privileged millionaires every benefit of the doubt – while this woman’s reputation is trashed. I’ll stop now. But thank you for this witness poem.

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. Wow, Kate! I think many men may not see rape for what it is, a CRIME OF VIOLENCE! Your poem calls much-needed attention to the problem.

    Rapists either think they are great lovers and like to brag about their conquests or imagine that the woman invited the attack by wearing a short skirt or by the way she walked. In other cases, they just assault women because they can…they are the teacher or the priest or the boss, and the woman is in their power.

    I believe that most men do treat women with respect. The rapists out there are making men look bad! They should not be buddies with rapists. They should report them!

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. This is happening in every walk of life, not just religious institutions. Education needs to begin in the schools and needs to be directed at boys to be considerate of the feelings and wishes of others. I used to volunteer for a victims assistance group and we almost always were counseling women who were most often the victims of domestic violence. Thanks for your thoughts.

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. We have our own cases like these too. I hope these charges will go through and the persons who committed them put into prison. It takes courage for women to stand up, but we must support each other. Not doing anything will embolden men to disregard our rights.

    Liked by 1 person

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  15. You’ve have definitely borne witness to the aftermath of sexual violence in this and other writings of yours. I applaud your continue crusade to shed light on this issue! Toxic masculinity rules state that men protect men who rape. This isn’t just an issue for women but for men too. Nothing will change if men don’t call out other men for this behavior. Well said, Kate!!

    Liked by 1 person

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  17. In the UK, we’ve just had the results of an investigation into the way the church has handled rape and abuse of vulnerable women and children by priests and monks. Your poem says it all, Kate, especially in a world where a so-called president joked about grabbing parts of women’s bodies and has had numerous women report him for sexual assault. In some countries, like India, victims of gang rape on public transport are treated worse than the perpetrators. In other countries, men get away with murdering their wives. And the thought of little children being married of to old men just makes my stomach turn, with many of them dying at as young as eight years old from being raped by their ‘husbands’. It makes me weep.

    Liked by 1 person

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  20. A powerful and timely poem, Kate! I think we have to protect our vulnerable and make sure our voices are heard too. We are 50% of the human race after all. If all of us refuse to stand for it, it will stop.

    Liked by 1 person

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  21. I was reading an article that gave me hope…(just last week) a Judge tossed out a high muck muck’s appeal to not have ‘their’ case heard. Mainly because in the high muck muck’s post the person couldn’t be ‘touched’… but once that person is no longer in ‘office’ they will be able to be ‘charged’ as ‘Joe Citizen’ and the victims will be heard and the once high muck muck will face judgement!

    No perpetrator should be in a position where they cannot be rightfully brought to justice.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • but if they have power and wealth they can buy their outcome as our legal system is rife with corruption!

      when george pell got released from goal many thought he was found innocent … if they read the news, the vatican bought him out on a technicality … that large payment will not be investigated as it implicates every level of law enforcement in corruption!

      Like

      Reply

      • One can only hope some shred of true justice can’t be bought. There have been a few famous folks who’ve be ‘demoted’…

        I can’t like the second paragraph – so… Ick.

        Liked by 1 person

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    • exactly Kerfe, statistics say for every sex crime reported there are at least three unreported, my guess is probably more as the victims reputation gets dragged thru the mud, seldom the predators 😦

      Liked by 1 person

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  26. Strong write calm, and bravo to you for putting it out there! 🙂 I love my wife and I love our sexual intimacy — but I also know her as a “real” person. She is my creative partner in our art studio. I have a brilliant daughter, whom I greatly respect. She is successful in business, and a helluva an athlete. All star soccer player in high school, and currently a semi-pro tennis player in her spare time. My wife went to college on a basketball scholarship. I have also had the good fortune to have worked for a splendid female boss at Lucasfilm LTD. 3 of my 4 doctors are capable intelligent women. I love smart strong women, and have no difficulty seeing women as “whole” people, equal in every way to me, and deserving of my respect and admiration. I firmly believe we need more women in leadership roles — GO KAMALA! I think men who prey on woman don’t see them as “real” people. Perhaps some distorted fantasy image from some misguided youth? Maybe if one of these asshats got punched in the “business”, but one of their victims, they’d wake the hell up to reality. Not that I feel women should have to resort to violence to be seen — but I early on in her life, showed my daughter exactly how to buckle a man’s knees.

    Liked by 1 person

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  28. I took a line on the Ruston misogyny ghosting Porter and Tudge as well. Porter claims to be an anglican and stand for family values, but he makes me vomit – his aggression against women is now public. The whole sleazy juggernaut just rolls on.

    Liked by 1 person

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  29. A POWERFUL poem of witness about a despicable situation. Victims must have a voice….and more importantly, be listened to and protected. I applaud your post. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

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  30. “so many #metoo moments could be stopped
    if good men stood up and said enough!”…
    I am highighting this because you just mentioned a very important element crucial to all these awareness campaign. I noticed in the course of my interviews (abuse and violence) that its hard to ask a good man to speak up or stand up-only very few…and yes like you i too am wondering why.

    So we do need good men to speak up. Really fight too.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • yes course predators will not/ can not listen to women but if other men name and shame I think they could turn it around … why do they defend each other? I wonder if it’s coz secretly they’d like to do it …

      Liked by 1 person

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