Are We Reliving the Repressive 1960’s? – Boy in the Barn: Journey of Triumph Over Horrific Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse, and PTSD

I worry that history is repeating itself. I have written in detail about all the disturbing things I witnessed and experienced as a child growing up in the repressive South.

I grew up in a society where parents controlled the lives of their children, and childhood was controlled by harsh capital punishment.

Parents controlled everything: whom you associated with, your political views, your choice of religion, where you went to school or college, whom you could marry, your choice of occupation, and so on.

If a young girl or woman got pregnant out of wedlock, she could be shamed and forced to marry her child’s father or sent far away to have her baby and then be forced to give it up for adoption. Either way, her life was destroyed by societal norms. She was not in control of her decisions or her body.

If a young boy or man came out as gay, he was ostracized from society and marginalized. He could be bullied, picked on, beaten, or even killed, and the police would look the other way. He would have few life options and would have difficulty finding suitable employment. As a result, he would be forced to go underground and live his life as a lie; all to fit society’s expectations.

If you were a person of color, that is, non-white, your life was miserable from birth. You were forced to live in a segregated society and attend segregated schools. Your employment opportunities were limited to menial labor with low wages and harsh working conditions. You were held back, held down, and not allowed to better yourself by that society.

This repressive society was ripe for something just as insidious. Children could be easily exploited and sexually abused. There were many deep, dark secrets and denials. This was how I lived and became a target for sexual abuse.

Our children should be taught all aspects of our history – the good and the bad – and then they can choose how they want to live and run our country.

Being informed of the truth helps us to prevent the errors of our past. But unfortunately, we’re seeing these errors bubble up across the states, and we see these errors repeated worldwide.

And for the sexually abused, tell your story, and tell it all. Because how will we ever break the cycle of childhood sexual abuse if we do not talk about it?