She walks in with tears in her eyes. Her heart has already been broken by a half a dozen boys and she is only 11 years old. I prepare to hear another sob story about the lastest boy who has done her wrong. I could have never guessed what was about to come out of her mouth.
She starts to tell me about her brother. He had been of age and his girlfriend slightly younger. After a bad breakup the girl and her family decide to press charges. It gets ugly and the jury feels for the girl and he goes to jail for 3 years. Statutory rape. All of this while my student was only 8 years old.
For three years she lost her brother. Upon his homecoming she was excited and realived. She has missed him....she is glad to have him back. Until the flyers go around.
In this country, if you are convicted of any sort of sexual crime you must be registered as a sexual offender and the city is allowed to put out flyers with your picture and address and the fact that you are not only dangerous but disgusting.
Its hard to say what I think about this. People should know if a 40 year old man raped a 13 year old girl....but an 18 year old boy and his 16 year old girlfriend? To me that is a bit ridiculous.
These flyers found their way to the skating party last night where my student thought she was going to have a great time. Until her mother could pick her up she was barraged with insults about her brother and family and herself. They asked her if he liked little boys as much as Michael Jackson......if he ever tried to do it with her......if she was the same way.
I couldn't help but cry as she told me what she had to go through. I hugged her even though we are not allowed to touch our students. I felt her pain and felt helpless that I could not do anything to make it go away. I was so angry that people are so cruel that they would lash out at such a sweet beautiful girl.
I know I am not supposed to worry about these things. My job is to teach them and prepare them for the world. But I care, I care so much. Everytime they hurt I hurt to. When they fall I fall. I can't help it. I wanted the other teachers to be as outraged as I was and all I get the the obligatory "That is terrible" and back to their work. How did people get so cold? Where is the love?
