Every now and then you need a reality check to slap you in the face to make you aware of bad things going on in our community...The issue is child abuse, and your wake up call awaits you in front of the National Guard Armory on Eisenhower Drive in Savannah...That is where the 4th annual Child Abuse Awareness Healing Field is now on display...
It is a most memorable scene...There are 1,665 full sized American flags flying in the fall breeze...Each flag represents one Chatham County boy or girl who was abused or beaten in 2008...There is also a blue ribbon on each flag pole with the first name and age of an abuse victim...This is the work of The Coastal Empire R.O.C.K. Group...ROCK stands for Raising Our Children Kindly...
1,665 children...It's a staggering number...Those are the ones authorities know about...There is no telling how many other cases were not reported...
What kind of monster could hurt a defenseless child??? I am an old school, Old Testament guy when it comes to anyone who hurts a child...Punishment for the abuser should be swift and severe...Drop the hammer and hit 'em hard...You can only pray the boys and girls can overcome the physical and emotional scars of these horrifying ordeals...God bless the social services workers who deal with these cases each and every day...It scares me tho think about the images dancing around in their heads...
I made my way through the Healing Field Sunday afternoon...If you can't make it out there to see it in person, click on the flag in the photo below to see a slideshow of photographs I took during my visit...So if you have time between now and Sunday, November 15th, please make a stop at the Healing Field and do what you can to support The R.O.C.K. Group and end child abuse and neglect...
Unfortunately, we will see the field of flags again next year, but it sure would be nice to see a lot fewer of them flying and a lot more children smiling from their safe, loving homes...
