Many of you know that KSGF’s Vince Jericho has lied both on and off the air about me, my beliefs and this blog. I had pretty much decided to no longer mention him or his show here because of those deliberate and dishonest attempts to smear me without having the integrity to face me man to man but when someone tipped me off to what happened on his show this morning, I realized that I had to post on this blog about it and drive those of you who read it to their podcast for the day.
Vince’s wife, Denise, shared on the air this morning the horrific story of her childhood and the abuses that were inflicted upon her. She endured situations as a child and a teenager that would have sent many a person into a spiral of shame and regret and self-loathing that would end up with a ruined life. Instead, she was able to overcome the challenges that were put in front of her and turned her life not only into a life worth living but a life that through Christ is making a different in the life of others.
It’s a very brave stand for a woman to share these kinds of things in today’s society where people tend to use things like this against them. Words get twisted to advance a particular agenda and someone who was trying to do the right thing…like encouraging women to get out of abusive situations and get help…could end up being an object of scorn. We as a society would like to believe that it wouldn’t happen to someone who takes a stand like this but it’s more common than we want to accept.
What makes this even more inspirational is that she went on the radio in front of thousands of strangers to reveal the most intimate details of her life. This wasn’t a situation where she could control the audience who was listening to the words that came from her mouth. She showed that someone who has been victimized does not have to remain a victim and that anyone can rise above horrors inflicted upon them to help blaze the trail for those who unfortunately will have to walk that same road in the future.
When more women like Denise Jericho stand up and help take the stigma away from these abuses and show that these horrors are not the fault of the women who’ve been attacked the faster we can move forward to protecting those in our society who most need it. Child abuse and spousal abuse are HUGE problems that get mostly pushed under the rug because of the stigma attached to it. It’s time to get rid of that stigma.
Go to KSGF’s website and listen to the podcast with Denise Jericho today. Listen to the words of this brave woman. If you know a woman who is in an abusive relationship, download that podcast, burn it on a CD and give it to them. If you know someone who is abusing their child like what happened to Denise then call the cops. Don’t rest on the old “I don’t want to get involved.” We cannot afford to continue to be silent.
Denise Jericho is not silent. I know more and more women will start to follow her lead. The time to end these abuses is NOW.
