By Eliyah B.
Seventh Grade, Krieger Schechter Day School of Chizuk Amuno Congregation
Standing alone is not enough. It is like a single cloud drifting through the sky.
Women and men across the nation feel alone. They cling to the last strand of hope on a fraying rope, praying it will be strong enough to pull them out of the darkness.
But when this cloud is joined by others, the result is fantastic. Sometimes, a miracle happens and their thread is joined by thousands more, enough to save them all. #MeToo. A lifeline for many. A light in the dark.
In mid-October, when actress Alyssa Milano posted this hashtag on her Twitter feed for people who have been sexually harassed or abused, the floodgates opened. People across the country began sharing their stories, including #MeToo. Others simply wrote the hashtag if they felt uncomfortable sharing. Still, others simply spread the word through special posts.
The hashtag went viral overnight, drawing attention to this social issue. Still, many other problems continue all over the world. There are still rising temperatures globally, devastated islands in the Caribbean, and deteriorating international relations.
But even with all of these issues, our nation is uniting around #MeToo. Thousands are coming together to speak up against sexual harassment and abuse. Now is the time to stand with our brothers and sisters and fight back against this major injustice.
“I always applaud anybody’s desire to be an upstander, to share something difficult from their own experience so that it might benefit others, to be brave enough to publicly share something that is painful, and I certainly appreciate the camaraderie and the group-building sense that this is creating,” says Dr. Robyn Blum, head of the middle school at Krieger Schechter Day School of Chizuk Amuno Congregation.
Although many people have, sadly, been exposed to harassment and have spoken up, others wish not to share their stories, or feel that they cannot do so safely.
“I also really appreciate that there are people who are hash tagging #MeToo but don’t feel comfortable telling their personal story,” Blum notes. “That’s OK.”
For those not needing to post #MeToo, Blum suggests providing support.
“I think the actions of each one of us in our world make a difference, so it’s a wonderful thing if a person hasn’t had any particular experience with being harassed or treated differently because of gender, religion, or race or because or sexual orientation, or whatever it might be,” she says. “Just living a life of good values and making sure that you treat others in a way that is kind and considerate and civil is what all of us can do.”
Speak out, spread the word, and treat others with kavod, or respect, and you too can be that light in the dark, a beacon of hope for all.
Top image: Sketch by Eliyah B.
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