This one is personal. Tupac 'Hit em up!' type of anger personal.
On the first of this month, my son was assaulted by a watchman for trying to stand up for his friend. I have never been so upset with myself for teaching my kids to stand up for what is right. I have always told them to speak up not only for themselves but for those who cannot speak up for themselves.
And even if they can speak for themselves, they should add their voices too. I never thought there would be an opportunity for them to have to remember the teaching. Train up a child in the way they should go I guess.
As someone said, Matt became a man. He learnt that standing up for something is not always easy. Most times it is painful. My son sustained injuries on the hand from blunt trauma, and bruises on his neck, ear and ribs. All this from a grown man about 5’7 who claims he felt threatened by my 15-year-old, 5’2, 51kg son.
I think had the trauma ended there, my son might not have been so shaken. He might even have been proud of his “battle” scars for standing up for his friend. I saw my son begin to shrink as we started the process of reporting.
I hear men always claiming that the boy child is neglected. Today I want to say boldly that the boy child is neglected by men. And for that men, duck you!
My son was physically assaulted by a man. He then called a man, his father. We had to report to a man and he was examined by a man.
Put yourself in that boy’s shoes. All these men, yet he feels powerless because of them. He watches his mother fight for him. Often hitting a brick wall. I have been referred to as overdramatic, emotional, even mad. For fighting for my boy child. While the men accuse him and prejudge him. He must have disciplinary issues. His hair is long, he wears a bracelet. He is from a crazy single mother. He must smoke bhang.
My asthmatic son has been accused of smoking weed. This is a boy who has had such severe asthmatic attacks that have nearly been fatal. He is almost always wheezing. We like to joke that we can tell when the weather is about to change from his wheezing. And even if he could smoke bhang, no one has a right to abuse a child.
Everywhere he had to repeat the story because everyone asks a 15-year-old boy, why a grown man would hit him for no reason. Asking a boy, the child, the victim to decide why an adult would act out of character. Do you want to employ him as a psychiatrist? I do not understand you people sometimes.
Why wouldn't he grow up angry? Why won't men protect boys? They are just out here yapping about how male children are neglected yet they are doing all the neglecting. You are the problem!
As if all that was not enough, the almighty chairMAN of the estate security committee decided to let the watchman continue working as he had not done his own investigations. So my son still has to see the man who assaulted him hang around like what he did to him did not matter.
Listen, if you are a man and treat boys rough, do not acknowledge their feelings, always think they are lying or taking drugs, you are the problem with the boy child. You are the one cocking up.
Imagine growing up and no one believes you or wants to hear what you say? Feeling like you do not matter or do not exist. It is no wonder we have more problems with boys than with girls. A person who once felt helpless is a dangerous person the minute they get any form of power.
Men, stand up for boys, even if they are not yours or you have no sons. These boys will marry your daughters. They are members of this society and you will regret it when you are old and they are in charge.
Boy child neglected my foot.
