Human rights issues tend to be thought of as problems for others to deal with from a distance — like human trafficking, foreign imprisonment, extreme starvation in foreign countries and poverty worldwide. These issues are all so important.  But right next door in almost every country in our modern world lives a dark and painful secret — a secret that raises its ugly head occasionally in news feed as an interesting  but oh so painful story. Domestic abuse – one of the most privately violent Human Rights issues is often not next door, but right inside our homes.

In America more and more efforts are being made to pass laws to protect women, children, and men who are victims of domestic abuse but it still does not seem to be enough. My heart aches each time I hear a story of a life lost at the hands of an abuser because the victim was not aware of resources for protection or who was just afraid or too embarrassed to tell somebody.  According to an ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) 2011 Woman’s Right Forum 1.3 million women are victims of assault by intimate partners each year; and 1 in 4 American women are abused by their partners.  The world statistics then must be staggering.     

https://www.aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/domestic-violence-human-rights-violation

All issues of human rights are important — In the Bible Jesus says: ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’  We must all be concerned — deeply concerned — about the least of these. My personal commitment is to do all I can to educate women & men about domestic abuse and how each of us can do our part to help end this terrible dis – ease. I call this a dis-ease because first, it makes everyone uncomfortable. Second, it is exacting what the dictionary describes the word to mean :

  a condition that prevents the body or mind from working normally

  a problem that a person, group, organization, or society has and cannot stop

Having been a victim of this dis- ease myself I speak from experience and know the ravages of this condition.  I, however, was one of the lucky ones who survived and feel it my duty to help others survive.   I can start with my neighbors and friends. I am just one person;  but as the Butterfly Affect Quote states :  “The flutter of a butterfly’s wings can create a typhoon half way across the world” .   We, as caring human being towards the least of these, must do our part to help our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, our sisters, our brothers, our daughters and sons.  This is not a gender specific issue, it is a human rights issue. We must start shaking the waters and create a typhoon that will wipe this issue from the face of the earth. And we must get busy right now  because as the world becomes sicker and sicker far too many lives are lost because one person failed to do their part.  What do you plan to do?  Just do it now!