RoryOlogy - The morning after................

We will never come together and work through our differences if we (to put it bluntly) keep getting our panties in a bundle. We will never see issues through another’s eyes if we keep closing our eyes as well as our minds to all who are different in any way from who we are. If we truly want to be one and work to make life good for all, take a moment and reflect on how you would want to be treated as the defeated. After all, at some point in time the party you vote for will lose. 

Treat all as you would want to be treated, remember those who are down when you are up. When in the minority, remember the majority won and if you are part of the majority, remember the minority may not always be the minority!

Now pull up them britches and stop bitching and celebrating – we have a job to do and it starts with the attitude of ALL regardless of party affiliations.

A good start might be instead of using Facebook as a place to let everyone know where you are afraid we are going, how about using Facebook not unlike that device known as blinkers as a way of letting fellow Americans know where you are planning to go. If you have chosen a smarter more effective path, perhaps you will lead the way to coming together as one.

A Public Statement...

The following post appeared on social media on October 13, 2016. I have been given permission by writer to post it to my blog. It is powerful, from the heart and very important to read.

A Public Statement.

I would like to take a moment of your time to extend a thank you to The Dewey Gathering Planning Committee, this was my first year in attendance and I had solid reservations and frankly some anxiety on attending this event. I know this year was a bit of a roller coaster of emotions and some fire’s to put out for some. I know many may be confused or do not understand the reason for any separation of events and making statements of “It is all about the dogs” and “He has paid his dues”.

Taking the child attendance out of the equation for just one moment, we need to realize that before these events can be about the dogs, there is a requirement of the human interaction to “make it happen”. Those humans whether they have children, had children or have Grandchildren, all started off as children. What many may be overlooking to place into this equation is, what about the adults who attend who were once children and may be a victim/survivor of abuse? Whether it was Sexual, Mental or Physical.

It has taken me more than thirty years to have a voice and make any statement in public about my past as a child. Much of my family is still not aware of what happened to me as a child. For what felt like eternity, was in actuality many years of sexual abuse by a family member. Each year, 60,000+ children are victims of sexual abuse in the USA alone. These crimes can have a serious impact on the life and development of a child, and can continue to impact the survivor later in life. Which has clearly been the case for me, at 41, I am now able to understand the impact this played on my life and will continue to play a role in for the rest of my life.

So please, before you voice your distain about why you may disagree or choose to ostracize The Dewey Gathering Planning Committee please remember this, there are adults on this forum who are survivors of sexual abuse, be it vocal or not, it is all a personal choice. The Dewey Gathering Planning Committee would like to make their event safe for any children who may be in attendance, may it be just 1 or 100 but also for those of us still trying to navigate through life as a survivor.

At the end of the day we all make choices and many may continue to choose the other side, which is your choice and yours alone but please try and not forget those of us who may be struggling on a day to day basis because an adult took advantage of us as a child, and now we walk through life trying to feel as human and as whole as we possibly can. If he has paid his dues, done his time and the slate should be wiped clean, ask yourself this; what about us, the survivors? How does that help fix us? How do we get to wipe the slate clean and move on with life as a normal human being, we don’t get that option!! So if you still think this event should be “All about the dogs” remember this, think of the owners of those dogs who may be in attendance as they continue to struggle through live trying to be a survivor!

So I will reiterate this again, to The Dewey Gathering Planning Committee, thank you for making me feel safe and making me feel like my life as a survivor is valuable, honored and respected.

It's not always all about the greyhounds...

Many of us for many years have been involved with the placing ex-racing greyhounds into loving homes. Every year people looking to adopt a pet choose ex-racing greyhounds and every year the ranks of adoption volunteers grows.  As a whole, greyhound adoption will be perceived not by how many greyhounds we place, but on whom we follow and who we allow to be present, admired or supported in our family friendly greyhound community. What we do, what we have done, what we allow lays the groundwork for what the next generation of greyhound lovers accept as gospel. An oft quoted phraseology "My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am" is tempered with another – “Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful”.

Does an individual's involvement with greyhounds or greyhound adoption make the unacceptable acceptable? 

Let's say a sports figure who was involved in dog fighting became involved with greyhound adoption. Would the greyhound community put their blinders on and welcome this person with open arms? If some point in the future, say 25 or 30 years, a person who was convicted of animal abuse and or animal assault adopts a greyhound, will the greyhound community toss its collective hands in the air and with a shake of the head claim it is not an issue as the crime that a conviction resulted from happened so long ago? Or even worse, a nonchalant "hey it wasn't MY dog so I don't care"?

Yet there are members of the here & now greyhound community sending a distressing message to the world at large - don't abuse animals, but if you molest children it's no big deal.

What other explanation can there be for a convicted child molester who currently has lifetime sex offender registration to be admired and supported and embraced by those in the greyhound community?

This individual's presence leaves a bad impression on the greyhound community, especially as more and more families (and by that I mean with children ranging in age from newborn to 18) are welcoming greyhounds into their homes.  Registering, attending, vending at any event that is associated in any way with such an individual gives credence to the community that we as a whole could care less about children, women and victims of sexual assault and only care about the greyhounds. Continuing on in such a way in our community may well have a negative impact on the greyhounds.

Some may say this is political mudslinging. I call shenanigans on that. It is simply about good judgement and what is in the best interest not only for our greyhounds but for the humans that share their lives with greyhounds. 

I get contacted almost daily from victims in our community. If you think it is ok to continue to support a convicted child molester with lifetime sex offender by registration, attending, vending or paying registration fees (whether you attend or not) at one of this individual's events, think about this - you have most likely offended a dear friend or adoption associate in the greyhound community by showing support for a child molester and opened up very traumatic wounds or triggered flashbacks with your declarations of an event that happened years ago is not important today. 

Tomorrow I will share an open letter from an individual who is a victim of sexual assault that was posted on social media a few weeks ago. I was granted permission to share it and feel it is too important, too powerful and extremely insightful not to stand on its own. The pain sexual assault victims go through each and every day should be more than enough to make us all say – No more! I will not register, attend functions nor vend at any event sponsored by or coordinated by an individual who has lifetime sex offender registration resulting from a conviction of first degree sexual molestation of innocent children.

The character of our adoption programs, our events, and our vendors reflects on the whole. If just one member continues to support a person who has a requirement to register for life as a sex offender due to the sexual assault of children it will negatively impact our community thus impacting the greyhounds.

Some profess the mantra “it's all about the greyhounds” but for some who hide behind that phrase, it is not about the greyhounds at all.