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Have you ever bought an album and discovered a song so dark, so sad that it makes you physically uncomfortable to listen to it? What do you do then? Can you stand to hear it or do you skip the track in favor of something a little lighter?
For me, the songs that twist my stomach in knots are the ones with stories of domestic violence, child abuse, or rape. And when I find one of those songs, I force myself not to delete it from my playlists and I pay attention when my iTunes shuffle pops it up. The singers recorded those songs for a reason – to tell us that terrible things are happening around us even when we don’t want to admit it. They are reminding us that Silence is the Enemy.
Below the fold, I’ve embedded the you-tube videos of four gut wrenching songs from some of my favorite artists. They tell stories of domestic violence, child abuse, rape, and murder. They are not happy songs to listen to, but they are important. If you are up for it, please click through and listen to the stories. Then think about what you can do break the silence.
If you are victim of domestic violence, abuse, or rape, please know that it is not your fault. Tell someone (police, pastor, doctor, therapist, crisis line) what’s going on, get help, and get away from your abuser.
If you know someone who is a victim, you should be supportive and non-judgemental of your friend’s actions or inactions. Your friend does not deserve to be a victim, but it can be very hard to get out of an abusive situation. Find your friend the appropriate resources (rape crisis center, women’s shelter, or lawyer) and encourage your friend to seek help. If you think your friend is in imminent danger, call the police. And, if your friend does get out of the bad situation, remember that physical wounds may heal but emotional wounds can last a lifetime.
June 18, 2009
June 18, 2009
June 18, 2009
June 18, 2009
June 18, 2009
June 19, 2009
June 19, 2009
June 20, 2009
January 12, 2010