Our Children, Ourselves

Yesterday's OPRAH show was disturbing.  It was about a sixteen-yr-old boy who is serving time in jail for the gruesome murder of his molester.  The older man met him when the boy was twelve years old.  He befriended the boy and eventually began wooing him to have sex.  I know that I live in a world where single, childless men over 40 years of age are probably deemed to be gay by society.  I get that.  But what bothers me is when someone like the molester actually turns out to be the predator many people think he'll be anyway.  I feel bad for the boy, of course, because he trusted and admired the older guy initially.  Well, this case moves me so intensely because I am a single, childless man over 40 who regularly volunteers with children.  And it pains me to the core of my soul that people might be lumping me into the same boat as the aforementioned, young boy's molester.  -- I wish the best for the young boy.  I hope he can take whatever lessons he's learned from this experience and grow to live a fulfilling life.  His molester is gone.  Forever.  And that's a good thing.  I hope that all the people on this planet who are in positions to truly help others, but demand sexual favors in exchange, pay attention to this tragedy.  And I say that because sooner or later, the abused WILL fight back.  And oftentimes, the result of that fight is deadly.