Depressing post. Read at your own risk.
(Note: Frustrating yet enlightening discussion about this thread on my Facebook profile page.)
When I read things like this, I imagine transforming into a superhero whose mission is to rescue children about to be abused and to slay all who prey on them. The perverts’ fate is to suffer as the children suffered, with the same method of torture the helpless and scared children endured. I’d make sure the child rapists reaped what they sowed, in exact detail. Rescue and revenge.
But that’s just a fantasy.
God’s judgment — a reality.
Great idea for a graphic novel, though.
Update: For a long time now, I’ve advocated capital punishment for child rapists. Until I’m in the grave, I’ll hold that position.
I recently made the mistake of reading a detective novel about missing women. One was taken by a man who kidnapped and abused young boys. Turns out, she hadn’t been kidnapped; she was in collusion with the pervert. The man himself had been kidnapped as a young child.
The author was new to me, and the plot summary on the book jacket gave no indication of the child kidnapping part of the story. There were no graphic depictions of the abuse, but I closed the book anyway. Then I opened it again and kept reading.
Why? I wanted to know how the abused boys would be avenged and how one rescued boy fared after he was returned to his family. In the end, he used his experiences to turn the table on men who preyed on young boys. Part of the book was based on the real-life story of Steven Stayner, who was kidnapped as a young child and reunited with his family at age 14 when he left his abuser to return another kidnapped boy to his family. Tragically, Stayner was killed in a motorcycle accident at 24.
The book’s ending was satisfying, but I still regret reading it. I also regret following the link to this story and wished I’d skipped it. I don’t even want to think about such things, but burying my head in the proverbial sand doesn’t protect children.
For weeks after reading the book, I was on the verge of tears whenever I thought about the story or saw young boys around the same age as those in the book. In the blink of an eye, some pervert could snatch them away from those who love them, would give their lives to protect them. In an instant, a young, innocent child could face the most heinous reality, his world of love and comfort a distant memory. He himself could become an exploiter of children.
I got to thinking. What could I do, aside from ranting and raving on a blog and holding back tears, to help protect these children, to help find them?
Unfortunately, I can’t act out my Superhero Slayer of Perverts fantasy in real life, but I can join the legal cause.
Update II: Just to clear up any confusion, I’m not actually planning to don a cape and start killing child rapists, nor am I suggesting others do it. Not only do I pray for the salvation of perverts, I pray for those who can’t resist reminding me that God saves perverts. (Really? You kiddeth.) I’m no more worthy of salvation than the child rapist, but I can and will continue to occasionally post private thoughts such as these. Great stress reliever.
