Why? Oh Dear Liberian Men, Why?

Why?

She is still a baby
And forced to have a baby
Innocence stolen
Childhood forgotten
Forever

Whilst no fault of hers
She, is called “a liar”
By her mother
Defiled by her father
A child’s trust, and body, thrown asunder
Replaced by lifelong guilt and shame
To shield behind a veil
Of lasting disgrace
To deal with in a society
Judging so unfairly
Harshly
Uncaringly

How can our society be so accepting?!
Mothering a child at only 14
How can we call a baby “baby ma”
When a baby she truly only desires to be?

Wishing her parents would protect her rights to be
Wishing her society will guarantee her to be
Like all children deserve to be

When will we care
How many more babies must tell
The sad tales of their hell?

What does it say
When relatives prey
As opposed to protect along life’s way?
How can our society continue to fail
To protect against rape?

How many must die
To know each child raped
Is a child killed
And a life taken away?

What are our values
When a baby has a baby
And the daddy IS her daddy?

How can we lift our collective heads
When a child is raped
For trying to get paid?
Selling candy in her community
Only to hear the rapist Boldly, Shameslessly, Guiltlessly say
“she was already opened wide. We agreed to suck and fxxxk”

How can it be
That a rapist would come to think
It is his right
To take away dignity and life??

When will enough ever be enough
And our community of men and women come to decide
This is so wrong
To be permitted as the norm?

The statistics are chilling
Rape is increasing
Too many children are dying #weareunprotected

Too many babies and women #unprotected
Why must anyone continue to be?
Why must our daily reality
Be of distrust, rape, abuse and impunity?

And this is why, we continue to cry and shout and chant “#WeAreUnprotected

©Brenda Brewer Moore

Written in response to recent cases of rape in Liberia, particularly the rape and impregnation of a 14 year old girl by her step father (https://frontpageafricaonline.com/front-slider/liberia-senator-seeks-justice-for-15-year-old-raped-by-stepfather/) and the story of a 17 year old petty trader raped while out selling. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=269537097785219&id=2142675996017151

4 thoughts on “Why? Oh Dear Liberian Men, Why?

  1. Poignant prose on the frustrating dilemma of the unprotected women and children subject to the life-altering wretchedness of rape in Liberia and across the globe. Your voice pierces a silence that been perpetuated for too long. We must become an unceasing chorus “#WeAreUnpretected” until this travesty ceases.

  2. My dear, it is very simple: Enough WILL BE enough only when punishments for proven rapist and defilers are harsh enough:
    1. X number of years of imprisonment with hard labor until victim turns 18
    2. 50 lashes monthly for the one year publicly
    3. Castration
    4. 70% of funds accrued from emoluments gotten whiles performing that hard labor be used to cater for the victim until she’s 18
    All the above 4 MUST be administered simultaneously. The so-called human rights lawyers will come and talk their bullshit but they will shut up when results are being achieved and the cases are dropping drastically.
    Let the law set example on a couple of culprits irrespective of their standings in society, and see if the incidences of rape and defilement won’t drop. This issue is very nauseating indeed. I have 3 daughters to protect and if I have to kill somebody to protect them you bet I will!

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