I am pissed as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!
That’s exactly what I felt like screaming out my 9th floor office window when I read Dotti Sandusky’s testimony. There she was: in court, hand on bible, casting doubt on these young men and (of course) defending her man -a now-convicted child molester. Allow me to rephrase that, Your Honor — Child Rapist!
I shudder that this woman actually assumed it was ok for a grown man to “entertain” these young boys down in a basement for hours on end. No supervision. No questions asked. Nada. The fact that she never once walked down those basement steps is seriously disturbing and -in my opinion- makes her an outright accomplice. Demanding her head on a platter is certainly an option, but until we fight to change the laws, good luck with that. Yet that doesn’t mean we won’t try her in the court of public opinion.
And for most of us, she has already been tried and convicted. For some, they continue to ask the question: WHY?! WHY didn’t you hear the boys cries for help? WHY didn’t you ever go downstairs to see exactly what your husband and young boy were doing? WHY didn’t you pretend to look for a lightbulb or throw in a load of laundry, for God Sakes, just to make your presence known!!!
I’ve heard all the co-conspirators excuses before:
“I didn’t have the money to leave.”
“I was afraid to leave.”
“I didn’t have anywhere else to live.”
“I didn’t have anyone else to take care of my kids.”
“I loved him.”
The last one is the most troubling and probably the most honest. What is it with these women who choose to protect their husband instead of their own child – or in Dotti Sandusky’s case – ANY child brought into her home??!
Often times, these women are afraid to be alone or don’t want to change their comfortable lifestyle. So they would rather offer up their own child (boy or girl) to a predator like a sacrificial lamb??!
Case in point: Sandra Dee.
I remember reading an article a few years back about this child star, touted as a young Doris Day. But her wholesome image concealed a life traumatized by childhood sexual abuse, bulimia and alcoholism.
Sandra Dee always believed her “overprotective” mother knew of the sexual abuse, but refused to acknowledge it. Each morning, her mother sent her to “say goodbye” to her stepfather in the couple’s bedroom. Upon her return, Sandra would ask her mother to button her open top – a coded plea for help. But help (from mommy) never came. Just a failed marriage and an open bottle of Gin.
Sandra’s Mother, Mary and Dotti Sandusky are exactly the kind of women we need to teach our daughters (and sons) NOT to ever be like!
OK; I’m done screaming. I have a headache!
It is unacceptable to protect child predators for any reason.
Let’s all of us break the silence of childhood sexual abuse. It’s time.
In your corner,
Arlene