Rape

Yes, I know this is a strange and different topic. But, the whole thing with sex today is way, way different than when I was a teenager, you know? And I saw what I thought to be an EXCELLENT article written by a woman but in a guy point of view:
http://christaramblesandwrites.blogspot.com/2012/12/on-being-dudeand-what-to-do-about-rape.html

I was at Red Rocks once for a concert in the early 1980's. I was old enough that I should have been willing to take a responsible male role - hey, I had a teenage daughter myself by then. If you have ever been at Red Rocks, you know there is quite an overhang for the seats - great place to put your backpack or dry clothes in a rain storm.

Well, as the night passed on and the bongs passed on this girl about 2 rows behind me got incredibly wasted. Some guy was hitting on her hard, and she had no idea what planet she was on, so as he dragged her under the seats and began to, ahem, disrobe her I thought gee, her friends are surely gonna come to her rescue.

All that happened was another girl reached down and took the car keys out of her pocket, then three girls left together leaving this young lady 'way beyond stoned in the "loving" clutches of three guys. When I look back at this, I know I should have at least said something, or found a baseball bat to use to discuss chivalry with these ignards, or whatever. But did I? No, I practiced what my dad, in his Chicago commuting days, called "the subway stare".

I should be ashamed to bring up this memory. Hey, I am ashamed to bring up this memory. It isn't the first stupid thing I did or didn't do, it wasn't the last stupid thing I ever did, and I probably still do stupid things on a regular basis. But, as a father, as a disciple of Jesus, heck, as a man of character and integrity I should have done something. Even if that was back in the days before AIDS and even before herpes or genital warts became widespread and rampant sex was a foregone conclusion in many a circle. It is like Christa says in the above-linked blog: if someone consents when they are sober and awake, and are later stoned or asleep, there is a BIG difference. What they choose to do willingly should not become what you do with the young lady unwitting.

So read this blog. It puts in words for guys as a guy might say them all of those thoughts that have haunted me for the 30 years that I keep remembering what I failed to do. Remember, We are the people. In our republic, the collective is responsible for protecting the individual, even if, perhaps particularly when, the individual is a "different" person. None of us is as strong as all of us, each of us can always use help. Just like Abe said in Bill and Ted's adventure: Be excellent in all things and one to another.

You who are on the road must have a code that you can live by,
and so become yourself because the past is just a goodbye.
Teach your children well: their father's hell will slowly go by and feed them on your dreams;
Tthe one they pick's the one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry.
So, just look at them and sigh and know they love you.
        -- Graham Nash