July 3, 2009

If Gene Simmons gets it, why can’t the rest of the world?

Posted in Child Sexual Abuse, Current Events, Popular Culture at 9:15 pm by sacetalks

I began researching for my blog post yesterday, wanting to prepare myself for the slew of articles I was sure would twist my stomach into knots.  That feeling of, “I can’t believe a human being could do that to another person…” is common when one works at a sexual assault centre.

So, when I ran across an article entitled, “Gene Simmons on Jackson,” I wasn’t expecting the best.  I rolled my eyes, wondering what this man would say next.  I mean, this is the guy from KISS who brags about sleeping with hundreds of women, yet wants gay men such as Adam Lambert to keep their sexual matters hush hush.

But then I read the article and put the crow pie in the oven.

Nick Patch of the Canadian Press reports, “Gene Simmons says he’s heard enough celebrity tributes to Michael Jackson, and wants to hear from the kids who accused the late pop singer of molestation.”  The article continues with Simmons acknolwedging Jackon’s talent, yet calling on people to prioritize and listen to the voices of the kids who came forward with experiences of abuse.

I never thought I’d say this, but I absolutely, 100% agree with Gene Simmons.  Why can’t the rest of the world get it, too?  A pop singer dying is sad, sure; but honouring the death of someone just because they sold millions of records surely can’t be more important than honouring the trauma of children, can it?

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