Remember as a child, riding down a hill on a bicycle, the world flying by, exuberant with the wind in your hair, not having a care in the world?
Easter time always makes me think of that. We’d dress up in our Sunday best and go to Sunday school, and come back with a little box of candy and catchy songs in our heads.
The neighbor’s kids would usually be at our house by the time we got home from church, and we’d run inside to change out of our good clothes before heading back out to play.
We’d come in for Easter lunch (we always have holiday meals at lunchtime), and then resume playing outside after that.
Working in the news business, I often see stories of children whose memories aren’t happy ones like mine. Their memories aren’t of carefree hours of play.
And thoughts of parents or stepparents don’t bring a smile to their faces.
It hurts my heart when children know fear and pain instead of love and support.
As a child, I witnessed a friend being struck in the head with a cast iron pan by a stepparent for some perceived wrongdoing. I didn’t understand it then, and I still don’t.
Looking back at that moment, that may have been when my childhood blinders — the ones that hide the world’s ugly side — came off.
Nowadays, many children have seen far worse on television or in their neighborhoods, and sadly, aren’t as surprised by violence and brutality as I was.
I had 10 brothers, and lots of neighbors, and of course we played rough and there were inevitable fights. That’s not what I’m talking about.
I am talking about the violence and brutality aimed at children by adults.
Over and over again, we see police reports about children who were victimized. People comment online about the senselessness of it, usually wish ill-will toward the perpetrator and move on with their lives.
Yet the one point that my mind always comes back to is a case involving a local woman who had been charged with animal cruelty. The nation was outraged at the case. We received hundreds of letters from people across the country, condemning this woman.
What she did was bad, of that I have no question. My question was then, and still remains, are animals more important than children?
“Well the animals are innocent,” people tell me. “Well so are the children,” I reply.
“The animals can’t help themselves,” people say. “Neither can the children,” I reply.
“Well we have an obligation to take care of these animals. They didn’t ask for any of this,” they say.
Again — what about the children?
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Maybe you’ve seen the pinwheels, or the blue cutouts of children, on various lawns through the county. Maybe you wore blue in support.
Isn’t there more we can all do?
For example, the Children’s Advocacy Center of McKean County has a wish list of items they need. It isn’t hard to find. The agency usually has it on Facebook. Or call the office to see how to help.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is always looking for volunteers. So is the Court Appointed Special Advocates program.
We all say “we don’t have time” or “it’s such a hassle.”
Do you have time to pick up a new stuffed animal or coloring book or a journal for the Children’s Advocacy Center? Do you have time to repost a list of warning signs to look for that might signify a child is being abused?
Do you have time to talk to someone if you see something that concerns you?
We’ve all heard that it takes a village to raise a child. If each person does one thing, no matter how small, maybe we can make a difference in the life of a child.
And isn’t that a goal worth achieving?
(Marcie Schellhammer is the Era’s assistant managing editor. She can be reached at marcie@bradfordera.com)
