‘Me too’ posts a sad sign of the times

ME TOO!
Social media has been bombarded with these two simple words. If you aren’t aware of what they mean here is a quick lesson. “Me too” is a way to share with other women all over the world that you were sexually harassed, assaulted, raped, or all three at some point in your life. It is a way for all of the world to see just how prevalent this is in our society.
For me, the number of my 860 contacts on Facebook who have posted this has made me so angry and so sad. For my daughters to have posted this breaks my heart and enrages me. But what does this have to do with poverty?
Well, statistics show that women who are living in poverty are more likely to be sexually harassed at jobs that they can not afford to lose. They are more willing to put up with harassment in order to keep some source of money coming in. They are also more likely to be sexually assaulted than women who are in college, and the college statistics are frightening in and of themselves.
When my daughters were growing up I had a lawn and gardening business. When I was 30 years old, I contracted chicken pox. It was two weeks before I could work. Money was tight. One of the men that I worked for, a prominent business man, came out to his patio to pay me and told me he wanted to look at my breasts to see if I had any scars from the chicken pox. He then grabbed me and pulled me towards him and put his hand under my shirt. I was furious and knocked him away. I told his daughters. They made excuses for him and promised I would not have to see him, they would mail me my checks.
Before that, I was working in a cafe downtown. Another prominent gentleman came through the kitchen, came up behind me and grabbed both of my breasts. When I turned around on him with the big kitchen knife in my hand he said, “Come on, everyone knows what kind of girl you are. We all know about you and your grandfather.”
There is so much power in the things that are said to people. That man managed to say the exact thing that would shame me, make me not say anything, and feel like I deserved it all. And once again, feeding my child took precedence over calling out that human for the piece of garbage he is. I knew that it would be my word against his. I was poor, he was rich. I was just a cook in a cafe. He was well known and well liked in the community. I was stuck.
These types of things happen to women everyday. Income doesn’t matter. Men with no jobs harass women as a way of having control over someone that they feel is less than they are. Men with powerful jobs do the same.
It is hard when you are in poverty to stand up for yourself. You already feel less than; you already feel looked down upon, but it is important that you find somebody else who’s said “me too” and share your story with them. Let them help you. The number of people out there with a “me too” story far outweigh the number of men who choose this way to undermine another human being. If you are harassing anyone sexually, STOP! If you are harassed, assaulted, or raped, TELL if you’re comfortable. And remember ME TOO! Kindness Matters!