During our son Donovan’s last parent teacher conference, Donovan’s teacher, Dan, and I discussed his work and ability as a student. The teacher is impressed with Donovan’s attitude and positive outlook on life as well as his ability to stand up for what is right.
For instance, there is a boy in Donovan’s class that has been described as a bully toward the students. Donovan would come home from school and tell me how this classmate intimidates him and the other children. I would tell Donovan that the best way to handle situations like this in school is to speak with his teacher about the issue as well as tell the bully how hurtful his actions are.
Well, one day that boy’s mother visited the classroom. Donovan stood up and approached the boy’s mother. He introduced himself and shook her hand then proceeded to tell her that her son is a bully and picks on the children in the classroom. The little boy’s mother was shocked by the statement but was awakened to her child’s behavior from one of his peers. This was not only a moment that the child’s mother will never forget, but it’s a moment I won’t forget any time soon either.
My son is confident enough in whom he is as a person and his place in this world that he will speak the truth and stand up for what is right. I wish that we all were that way and I am proud of him for doing so.
This past week, 31 Republican men of the U.S. Senate did not stand up for what was right and voted “Nay” to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). My mother has been beaten and abused by men in her life and she taught me when I was a young woman that it is not to be tolerated. She didn’t just teach me by sitting me down and talking to me but she showed me by the actions she took in her own life. Those men who treated her poorly, who beat her, and abused her were no longer a part of her life. She took her children and made a life for herself and us that did not include those episodes of violence. She taught me to be strong and stand up for what is right; just like I have taught my children. Thankfully the VAWA passed with bipartisan support in the Senate because of the men and women who do in fact know right from wrong.
We must all understand that there is no place in this world for domestic violence.
It’s not only about having the self-fortification for what is right, but we must lead by example in front of children. Even when you think they aren’t looking or listening, children learn by our words and even more so by our actions.
So I challenge you this week to visualize your actions. Would your mother be proud of the choices you made? Tell me about them. What did you do this week that would make your mom proud?
This diary is cross-posted at The Intersection on Strader for Congress.