A Pro Football Player's Shameful Past.. PARENTS PLEASE PAY ATTENTION!!!!!

Ok…I’m back and I first have to address what I watched last night on The Oprah Winfrey. I for one am sick, sick, and sicker of the child abuse statistics in our world. I watched with tears streaming down my face as NY Jets Laveranues Coles admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he was sexually molested by his stepfather from ages 10-13ish. He explained when the molestation started, and what times of the night, and how it has affected him. What really hit home with me was how calm he talked about it, and yet how sad his eyes were. You could still see that hurt in him. His mother sat in the audience looking ashamed that she had trusted a man to raise her son to become a productive member of society, and not take advantage of her trust and her sons trust. Lavaranues mother worked the night shift at a local hospital and while she was away that’s when the sexual molestation started. Lavaranues explained what he was forced to do, what was used, and how he felt keeping this huge secret away from his mother. At one point in the show when he went into graphic detail about how his stepfather made him perform oral sex on him, it made my heart sink into the pit of my stomach. He explained his decline in his grades, and his complete outlandish attitude towards others. He also explained what the breaking point was for him and how the truth came out. In eighth grade, Laveranues discovered that his stepfather had started a rumor among his friends at school that he was gay. When Laveranues found out that one of his closest friends had helped his stepfather spread the rumor, he became violently angry. "I grabbed [the friend] and went after him pretty bad. … I was so furious. The police had to be called. That’s when all the secrets came out of dark. The police couldn’t understand why someone would react the way that Laveranues had over name calling. On that day his stepfather’s violations would come to light. Apparently his stepfather went to jail, but has since been released. Laveranues Coles stands 5”11, and weighs 193lbs and is a professional football player, and yet when Oprah asks if he is afraid of the man who molested him. He answered “yes”! Laveranues has a 30 million dollar contract with the NY Jets, and is a handsome man. You would think his life is perfect and I am sure he could have any girl that he wants, yet he is not married and when Oprah asked him how the sexual molestation has affected his relationship with women. Laveranues says: “It is hard for me to trust another person, I feel like I can’t trust a women with my secrets, or that she will look at me differently for being molested by my stepfather”. Coming from a background of sexual molestation, it is very understandable. For me personally, I had to deal with the fact that I was violated at a young age, and went on my journey towards self healing. But I still weep for myself sometimes, and I weep for others who had the same experience. Oprah says we shouldn’t call it molestation we should call it what it is RAPE. She feels that calling it molestation tones it down so it doesn’t sound so bad, and I have to agree with her. It is very important that parents pay attention to the signs of Child Molesters they walk around looking like me or you, but there are signs to watch out for. http://www.twist-of-fate.com/MolesterSigns.html . It should also be noted that everything that happens in your child’s life will determine what kind of adult they will become. Trust your children with no one. It is said it takes a village to raise a child, but one could argue it takes a village to destroy a child. Make good choices!