I have a good buddy named Joe.  I actually just recently met Joe, but he’s quickly become a good friend.

I first met Joe for coffee because my wife, Ashley, met him and then emailed us both, saying, “You guys need to become friends.”  I do what my wife tells me, so I met Joe.  And yes, we became friends (partly because I wanted to, and partly because my wife made me).

During coffee, Joe said, “Look back at every big thing that’s happened your life, and I’m willing to bet that the vast majority of them stemmed back to you making a request.” I thought about it for a second and he continued, “You’re married because you made a bold request – you asked Ashley to marry you.”

Yeah, that’s pretty accurate.

He went on to say, “People get jobs because they make requests.  They make business deals because they make requests.  Every big life event stems back to a request.”

Even little events happen because of requests.  After all, we were drinking coffee because we requested it (actually, Joe was drinking tea).

When our cups were empty Joe said, “Go make bold requests!”

I struggle with asking for things – which is not exactly the best trait when you run a nonprofit.

But, today I’m going to step over that personal barrier and make a request to you:  I want you to share your story and own this cause.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve personally been affected by child sexual abuse or have never been close to it in all your life.  By owning this cause and sharing your story of why you have a soft spot in your heart for it, you’re going to transform lives.  You’re going to help free and heal people you love.

A few months back, one of our awesome supporters, Macaile, decided to make a very bold request.  She got up in front of her masters level class in Arizona and told them her story of being sexually abused at age 6 (she’d never told more than a handful of people).  And then, she requested that they speak their silence as well.

The result was amazing:  FIFTEEN people approached her and told her their stories for the first time.  Fifteen lives changed.

That’s the impact of one person’s story.

So, what’s your story?  Why do you have a soft spot in your heart for this cause?  Why did you click on this link and read this post?  Share your story.  It’ll change lives.

The biggest help you could give us at this point is hosting an Outspoken campaign on our website.   By doing this, you’ll help break the stigma of child sexual abuse in your own social circles.  The hopeful conversations you spark will change lives.  And 100% of what you raise will directly funding free counseling to transform the lives of others.

Own this cause!  Share your story and transform lives.

To host an Outspoken campaign, click here.

The post Bold requests appeared first on Speak Your Silence.

No issue under the sun will ever be overcome until a conversation first begins.  Without conversation, we have nothing.

Child sexual abuse is no different.  And, in fact, I’d say that this rule applies all the more.

I kept a secret for nearly twenty of my first years on this Earth.  Most who go through something similar never tell a soul – and I completely empathize.  But, as a result, the problem persists.

Speak Your Silence’s mission is focused precisely on sparking this conversation.

The first time I told my story was a result of a severe panic attack.  The next few times I told it, I hyperventilated.  However, after repeating my story more and more, over time, it went from being uncomfortable and heavy to finally being a story that had, quite literally, no emotional impact while I shared it.

I’m going to be a dad someday.  And I’m going to feel completely comfortable teaching my kids to protect themselves, as well as talking with my wife, family, and friends about how to protect our kids from sexual abuse.  As a result, you can bet that everyone in my circle will be far more mindful of the issue, far more likely to prevent it from occurring, and far more prone, themselves, to even sharing their own stories, finding healing, and passing on this openness.

The result:  the children in our families and circles will be protected.

While speaking publicly about one’s own experience of sexual abuse is certainly therapeutic, it also serves a far greater purpose in protecting other children from going through the same.

Regardless of what our efforts are to prevent sexual abuse and protect our kids, none of them will ever be as effective as they could be until conversation begins and the awkwardness and stigma of sexual abuse are conquered.

This is why we created Outspoken.  It’s a peer-to-peer fundraising platform, yes.  However, its primary intended function is simply to spark conversations.  By doing things that they love to do, people can spark fun conversations that are focused on rallying around an issue that they otherwise wouldn’t feel comfortable talking about.   The money raised is important, as 100% of it funds free counseling nationwide.  However, the conversation sparked organically among social circles – those are the conversations that will change lives regardless of dollars raised.

Conversation is what Speak Your Silence is on a mission to spark.

Will you be Outspoken?

The post Why conversation is the answer appeared first on Speak Your Silence.

For people like me.

I spent almost 23 years of my life completely out of control. As a teenaged girl, I carried around a lot more than the common insecurities of whether my clothes were in style or if I’d be nominated for prom queen. I allowed my past to throw rocks at my window at 3 in the morning, I allowed my memories to bury themselves so deep inside of my body that I became physically ill, and I allowed someone else’s actions to fill up a backpack that I carried around with me wherever I would go.

But one day I realized that enough was enough. I had adopted someone else’s mistakes as my own for too long. I had felt guilty, ashamed, and at fault for events of my past that my future didn’t have room for. With a shaky voice and a pounding heart, I stood up in front of over 100 of my classmates and I told them my secret.

I was molested.

It’s funny how little power something has over you once you make the choice to take it back. Once you put a name to your fears and look your demons in the face and realize that the person staring back at you in the mirror is a result of everything you’ve ever been through, stitched together ever so carefully by flaws and good intentions. For the longest time, I looked in the mirror and saw nothing. I amounted to nothing. I would always be nothing.

But one day in a matter of seconds, my world of nothing turned into something. It turned into everything. Everything that had brought me to where I am, everything I had already accomplished, everything I have yet to become.  I spoke my silence; I allowed the floodgates to open, releasing enough happy tears to fill the great lakes, but more importantly, to finally allow me to see myself the way others see me. For years I hid my past behind a mask, and in this moment of raw, terrifying exposure, I felt the air escape my lungs as I looked into my own eyes for the very first time.

I can’t quite put into words the way it felt to tell my story out loud. To let so much light inside my life at one moment that my darkness didn’t stand a chance.  To have my mom tell the world that she had never been more proud of me, receive more hugs and support than I thought was humanly possible, and to have friends, family, and complete strangers reach out to me and speak their silence about sexual abuse simply because I knocked over the first domino that was able to break the silence of 11 people in just one week.

There isn’t one word to describe how significantly speaking my silence changed my life, there isn’t one single word, but rather, a million words.  Every conversation that this foundation sparks, every silence that it breaks, and every life that it changes starts a brand new domino affect that does a better job at explaining my experience than words on paper ever could.

I wish I could break off a piece of this feeling and share it with the whole world. I wish I could tell everyone with a backpack that they are going to be okay, that they are worth more than the weight they carry on their shoulders, and that nothing can make them feel inferior without their consent.

I have not been ruined by my past and I have taken total control of my future.

I am a survivor, not a victim.

My name is Macaile Hutt and I am the hero of this story.

To back Macaile’s Outspoken campaign, click here.

Watch below to see Macaile sharing her story publicly for the first time.

The post “The Domino Effect” by Macaile Hutt appeared first on Speak Your Silence.

GiveOne is our own holiday campaign, and Trevor’s Give One Campaign is the one we’re featuring to promote it.

Give One so simple – for each gift that you give this holiday season, we’re asking you to give $1 to Speak Your Silence.  100% of money raised goes directly to fund free counseling for individuals affected by sexual abuse.  The campaign runs through the end of December.

Our goal with Give One is to fund counseling grants for at least 25 individuals, which is equal to $16,250.  We have a long way to go, and we need your help in fundraising and promoting in order to get there!

The holidays are super busy – we understand that.  We’re busy too!  And, the last thing that most of us are thinking about is fundraising for a cause.  So, we’re going to ask that as you ramp up for the holidays, you simply keep a tally in your mind or on your fridge, counting the number of gifts you give.  Then, once the holidays have passed, jump in and take part in Give One, even if you only give $3.  Those $3 will go a lot further than you realize.

Over the past month, we have funded approximately 9 counseling grants.  That’s awesome.  And just this week, we got our first of two counseling grantees rolling in our program!

It’s such a powerful thing, conversation.  It’s the key to crushing the stigma of child sexual abuse and to freeing countless people of the weight they’re carrying in their backpacks.  And by simply taking part in Give One – even if all you do is post about it on facebook – you’re making a public gesture that you are rallying around this cause in order for your loved ones to feel safer and more comfortable opening up.

There are an estimated 39 million adult survivors of child sexul abuse in the US alone.  1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused prior to the age of 18.  Most will never talk about.  With your help, we’re going to change that!

Each conversation that you spark carries the power to completely change the life of someone you love.  That’s powerful stuff.

This holiday season, consider taking part in Give One.  Give ten gifts, give $10.  Give one gift, give $1.  However large or small the amount is, it means a lot to us, and it will change lives.

Please join Trevor and us – Give One.

The post Campaign of the month: Trevor’s Give One Campaign appeared first on Speak Your Silence.

A couple months back, I heard a tough story from my wife, Ashley.  She came to me feeling awful about the news she’d just heard.  A friend of hers, Cody, whom she knew from classes in college in Arizona, had passed away.  After further investigation, she discovered that as a child, Cody had been abused, both physically and sexually.  Finally, on September 2nd, Cody took his own life.

Ash came to me that day and said, “I had no idea Cody had gone through anything.  I wish he could have known about Speak Your Silence and gotten help from you guys.  This is so important to people.”

Since then, we’ve become acquainted with Cody’s parents, Amy and RV Brinkerhoff, as they’ve become outspoken supporters of Speak Your Silence and our mission.

Well, last week, we reached a neat milestone as an organization – we received our very first application for a free counseling grant.  It’ll be the first of so many.  Each counseling grant costs approximately $650 and provides ten weeks of free one-on-one counseling, plus a free Speak Your Silence journal.  This was a really great reminder that what we are doing is so important and is going to change the lives of countless individuals.

Fast forward to this past Monday.  We received an unexpected and incredibly gracious donation of $1,000 from Amy and RV Brinkerhoff, Cody’s parents.  His mom wanted to make it clear that their donation of $1,000 was in memory of Cody Allyn Brinkerhoff.

So, today I’m writing this because I’m so encouraged and moved by people like the Brinkerhoffs.  I can only imagine that these past few months have been some of the most difficult of their entire lives.  And, yet, in their pain, they have chosen to use their experience and their loss of Cody as a reason to give, to help others, and to change lives.

Not only did Amy and RV give, but James Kinskey, Cody’s uncle, also gave $100 to Speak Your Silence.  And James’ donation:  “In Memory of my Nephew Cody Brinkerhoff.”

100% of publicly raised funds go directly to providing free counseling for individuals affected by sexual abuse.  What I think is so powerful about this is that the donations from Cody’s family will completely fund our very first counseling grant, as well as leave plenty more for another.  The Brinkerhoff’s and James Kinskey’s generosity amidst heartache is going directly to impact the lives of others who truly need it.  How poignant.

This is what Speak Your Silence is all about.   It’s not what happens to us in life that matters, but how we react and respond to it that makes all the difference.

So, follow the lead of this family.  They lost someone who meant the world to them.  But, they’re turning that tough story into a story of hope, of love, and of helping restore the lives of others.

I never got the chance to meet Cody.  His mom told me that he was a tall, handsome, intelligent, loving son.  And, my wife teared up recently and simply said, “He was always such a nice guy.”

Because of the person Cody was, and how much he was loved, Speak Your Silence is going to be able to pass on the life-changing gift of conversation and healing to others who need it.

Speak Your Silence exists so that no one has to walk in the same shoes that Cody walked in.  Our mission is to conquer the stigma of child sexual abuse by sparking conversation.  By doing that, we are making it so much easier for people to talk about this issue without shame, fear, heaviness, or plain old awkwardness.  As a result, lives will be restored and kids will be protected from potential abuse.

The key to this is conversation.

In honor of Cody, please help spark a conversation by hosting an Outspoken campaign or simply making a donation, 100% of which will go to providing free counseling.

Here’s to Cody Allyn Brinkerhoff and the life that he lived and what he continues to give to the world.

The post Turning heartache into hope appeared first on Speak Your Silence.

I spent the first half of this week at Penn State, almost exactly a year later after the infamous sexual abuse scandal broke.  It was an interesting place to be.   It was somewhat odd to know that a year ago, it was the media center of the universe, and this time around, rather quiet.  Heck, classes were even cancelled at the possibility of Hurricane Sandy hitting hard.  Luckily, that didn’t happen in central Pennsylvania.

I became a tourist – I drove by the late coach Joe Paterno’s home, the spot at the football stadium where the Paterno Statue once stood (you’d have no idea anything was ever there), and then Jerry Sandusky’s home.

However, I wasn’t there to be a tourist; I was there for the first annual Penn State Child Sexual Abuse Conference.  I figured that if there was a single conference I went to this year, it should probably be that one.

Well, I’m not one for conferences.  I have a hard time paying attention, and I get antsy.  On the second day there, one of the gals at my table jokingly asked, “So, how long have you known you have ADD?”

Luckily for me, both of the keynote speakers were individuals whom I already had a great deal of respect for and interest in – Sugar Ray Leonard and Elizabeth Smart.  (*Side note – After this photo was taken, I tweeted that “Sugar Ray and I brawled”.  To that, he simply responded, “I won.”)

What I learned from the conference went far beyond the event itself.  I already know the statistics, and happen to have first-hand experience with a lot of what was discussed.  What I learned was about the industry itself and the general feel that surrounds it.

I walked away feeling completely confident that Speak Your Silence is right on the verge of something very big.   Rather than being focused on the problem of sexual abuse, we’re focused on the solution – and that solution focuses largely on the general public, and certainly not just to those who have been directly affected by sexual abuse.

What I learned is that Speak Your Silence is leaps and bounds from what others in the industry are doing.  We are doing something that has never been done for the cause of sexual abuse, and our approach is so hopeful, life-giving, and even fun.  Until now, the cause has not been inspiring and exciting to be part of.  But now, because of Speak Your Silence and our approach, it is.  And things are about to change.

What I appreciated most about Sugar Ray and Elizabeth Smart were that they are bigger than the issue of sexual abuse.  They are not defined by it; not at all, in fact.   In her closing, Elizabeth said almost the exact same thing I say when I do speaking engagements – she said, “Although I would obviously not ever volunteer to go through what I went through, I’m now very grateful for the opportunities that have come as a result, allowing me to make an impact in the lives of others.”

Boom.  Nailed it.  The way I see it is, we each live one life.  And, it’s not what happens to us in life that matters, but how we choose to react to what happens to us in life that truly makes the difference.  And the best choice, without a doubt, is to choose to use our experiences – good and bad – to use as powerful assets to make a huge difference in the lives of those around us.  The greatest negatives in the world, through individual choice, can become even greater positives.

That is what Speak Your Silence is all about.  We’re different. And what we’re doing – with the help of people like you – is going to be amazing.

We’re asking you to join us by simply rallying around this cause.  Show your mom that you support her, or you cousin, or you best bud.  Make a public statement of support, or share your own story, if you’ve personally been affected.

All that we ask is that you take a negative, and you turn it into an enormous positive.  With your help, so many lives are going to be changed.

Please join us. 

The post Leaving Penn State: We’re on the verge. appeared first on Speak Your Silence.

Until now, you’ve known us for one interesting, fun campaign – a 65-day world record flight attempt called Commit 65.  The purpose: spark conversation to break the stigma of child sexual abuse.

Well, it worked.  It was a killer icebreaker, and it made it a heck of a lot easier for so many people to both share their stories and rally around the cause.  We got some national press, and we realized that the model we were using worked.  It broke the ice around an issue that people otherwise wouldn’t talk about.

And that got us to thinking, “Hmm… if we can do something awesome and make it easier for people to talk about this issue… why can’t everyone else?  And while we’re at it, why can’t we develop this thing into a real-deal, long-term organization that’s going to do a lot of substantial good for a lot of people?”

So that’s what we did.  We made some changes – big ones.

First, we changed our name.  We took our slogan, which people seemed to like (and used as a hashtag), and we made it our name – “Speak Your Silence”.  Then we created some rad designs, because nothing says, “this nonprofit is not a dinosaur” like awesome design.

Then we found some rad dudes in San Diego (http://thecrstudio.com/) who decided to take us on as clients for a darn good rate (probably too good, if you asked them) to build and design a whole new website for us.  Now, this isn’t just any website.  No, it comes fully equipped with a totally customized BETA version (that means we’re still refining the process) crowdfunding platform, which we call “Outspoken”.

Outspoken is our pride and joy.  Why?  Because it is what we see as being the perfect solution to an enormous social issue.  Sexual abuse is fueled by silence.  Those who go through it keep it secret for many of the same reasons that I did – fear, shame, guilt, etc.  And those who haven’t been through it… well, it’s not exactly a fun topic of everyday conversation.  Outspoken changes all that.

Outspoken is the world’s first and only crowdfunding platform designated exclusively to this cause (I think that’s awesome, so I like repeating it).  But, it’s purpose is two-fold; it is an amazing tool for people like you and me to do things we love to do and use them to not only raise money, but more importantly, to spark really important, life-changing conversations in a lighthearted way.

But it gets way better.

We’re designating 100% of publicly raised funds (i.e. money raised on Outspoken) togo directly to providing free counseling for individuals affected by child sexual abuse.   So, if your aunt Martha donates $1 to an Outspoken campaign you host, you can rest assured that all one hundred of aunt Martha’s pennies are going directly to fund counseling.

We’ve partnered with Business Psychology Associates, which has a national network of 1,500 credentialed, high quality professional counselors.   So, people like myself will be able to get counseling grants no matter where they are located within the US, which will include 10 one-on-one counseling sessions, plus a free journal to log the journey.   Counseling is what changed my life, and I’m so excited we’re going to be able to offer this to so many others who need it.

We’re still pursuing Commit 65 (a gargantuan undertaking, if I do say so myself), working to gain government approvals and sponsorship funding.  And when we finally do that flight, we’ll host it as an Outspoken campaign event and attach a big, big fundraising goal – 100% of which will go to our counseling program.

So, yeah, we’ve been sort of busy.  But now you see why.

The solution to this problem is conversation.  We are going to spark conversation, and an awesome byproduct of that it will also raise money to fund more life-changing conversations for people who truly deserve it.

Our vision is to take the issue from being one that’s awkward for most people to talk about to being a cause that people like you and I absolutely to support.

So, I’m asking you to join us by simply hosting an Outspoken campaign and doing something awesome.  Pick a rad campaign idea orsimply share your own story.  Whatever you do, know that every conversation that you spark carries the power to completely change a life.

It has been a long journey to get to where we are.  We’ve poured our hearts into this organization and I’ve never been more confident about the direction we’re headed in than I am now.  I’m so proud of how far we’ve come.

My life was changed by conversation.  Now I’m asking you to join the conversation and change more lives.

Click here to host an Outspoken campaign.

The post Time to join the conversation! appeared first on Speak Your Silence.

It’s very political.

Today the NCAA dropped the hammer, in a sense, on Penn State.  Read any headline and you’ll know what the verdict was – a 4-year ban from bowl games, a $60 million penalty, and a few other things.  A pretty harsh penalty.

So, was it enough?  Or, perhaps, was it too much?

This morning, immediately after the news hit, I stood on an elevator with a perfect stranger who informed me that she’s Penn State alum.  “This year has been absolutely awful.  But I still bleed blue and white.”

I didn’t bother telling her what I do.  I figured it’d just make things awkward.

As the day has gone on, I’ve read a number of opinions, but most of them breaking down to: “it wasn’t harsh enough” or “it was too harsh”.

So, what do I think?  Wait, really, is that a question?

Well, first off, maybe it’s just me, but any time I hear someone stating an opinion that may rub people the wrong way, it’s prefaced by something like, “Well, I first hope for healing for the victims”.

That annoys me, and it seems as though the victims have become the group of people to at least pretend to care about in order to then have your opinion listened to.  I see it as nothing more and nothing less than plain old political correctness.

Okay, now onto my opinion.

Hypothetical:  If some not-so-well-known college in the middle of Oklahoma (or another random state) had this exact same scandal pop up on their campus, amidst their not-so-well-known football program, what would the conversation be?  Given, such a scandal wouldn’t be nearly is big, because the national news and general public wouldn’t care nearly as much about a not-so-well-known football program or school.  But, still, what would happen?  Would there be angry debates over whether a statue of the coach was taken down, about what the NCAA decided to do to punish the school, or about protecting a local legacy of the football program for the folks who had grown up nearby?

Of course not.  People across the country would say, “Take down the statue, and end the football program.  Get rid of them altogether.  Clean house.”

Oh, how different conversation becomes when fame and grandeur enter the picture.

That may have been the worst hypothetical ever used, but it’s no less true.  If this happened anywhere other than Penn State (or another well renowned sports program), the conversation about the protection of the athletic program wouldn’t even be a concern (But, it also wouldn’t make nearly as big in the news).

But, the fact is that this scandal is way bigger than Penn State.  It’s far bigger than Sandusky’s victims.  This is a national scandal because this is something that (directly) impacts 20% of the entire population, not just Sandusky’s victims, not just Penn State’s students, and not just State College, Pennsylvania.

The fact that there has been so much uproar about whether or not the football program should be penalized is just silly and political, in my opinion.  Sure, I run an organization that deals specifically with the issue of child sexual abuse.  And yeah, I, too, was a victim of sexual abuse as a kid.  Am I biased about this scandal?  Of course I am.

But, let me tell you, I’ve been a lifelong Boise State Football fan, ever since the days of Pokey Allen.  I bleed blue and orange.  If this scandal were to have taken place at Boise State, I would hope that others would have the logic, and more importantly, the compassion to think beyond their loyalties to Boise State Football.  Would I be ultra bummed out if Boise State football got the death penalty?  Of course I would – I go to every game.  That would be completely disappointing.  But, would I be a “victim” if that were to take place?  No – that’s the dumbest argument I’ve ever heard.  I could find something else to do on Saturday afternoons in the fall – like mentor a kid.

Here’s the thing – America seems to think that there are 12 victims of sexual abuse in the world, and they all happen to live in State College, Pennsylvania, and happen they all amazingly were victims of the same person, named Jerry Sandusky.  But, sorry, the truth is that 1 out of every 5 people you know, statistically, has been sexually abused.  Your friends.  Your family.  Your moms, your dads, your sisters, your brothers, and your best friends.  And, perhaps, even you.  Those are the victims.

So, do I give a crap about a football program?  No.  Kill the football program forever, if that’s what it’ll take for people to start bucking up, growing a spine, and doing the right thing.  Screw football – last I checked, the value of a human being is ever so slightly more valuable than a stupid football program.  And as for Paterno, he was nothing more than a guy who happened to be good at coaching football, and also happened to have no back bone to do the right thing when it matter most.

Where are our priorities and why the heck are we even discussing whether or not the penalty to Penn State is too harsh?

I wonder how different the decision would have been had Mark Emmert (NCAA) or Jim Delany’s (Big Ten) own kids been victims of Sandusky.  I think we all know the answer.

This has been one of the dumbest discussions I’ve heard in a long time.  The correct answer is very clear to me.

The post The Value of football vs. humans. Hmm… toughie. appeared first on Speak Your Silence.

Today marks three years.

Three years ago today I made a decision to pursue something rather insane (a 65-day world record flight attempt), which has led to the birth and development of an organization focused on a much greater and more important cause.

Three years ago, I thought I’d discovered the most brilliant concept on planet earth.  What I learned is that our world record flight platform – now called Commit 65 – is, in fact, a very effective one.  But, more importantly, through it I found my own voice and ability to share my story – or “speak my silence”, if you will – about my own story of being sexually abused as a kid.

And through doing that, I’ve realized just how many others have needed that voice.   One in five people are sexually abused – and each one deserves a voice.

What I’ve also learned is that the method we’ve used, first breaking the ice with a fun, interesting event to then segway conversation toward something that would otherwise be tough to talk about is a very effective one.  When you have a serious conversation, do you jump right into the meat of it?  No.  You first talk about the weather or the latest winner of American Idol.

Very soon we’ll change gears in a number of ways, while staying true to our roots.  We will capitalize on what has continually worked and beeneffective, and scrap what has not.  And, we’ll make it so that the stories of others – victims and non-victims alike – will be heard, offering new perspective on how pervasive the issue of sexual abuse is, but also how easily one person can play a role in making a big difference for the better.

Our mission is to conquer the stigma of child sexual abuse by sparking conversation.  That mission is focused just as much – if not more – on therole played by the by-standing general public as it is on that of victims and those affected by sexual abuse.

Three years in, I’m proud of how far the organization has come, as well as how far I have come personally.  And I’m darn proud of muscling through the days when it simply felt as though I would never accomplish anything through my efforts.  It started with a crazy idea, and has evolved into something that is going to impact countless lives, and do so for the long term.

So, here’s to three years – to the good days and the tough days, and to the kick-butt future that we have lying ahead of us!

The post Today marks three years! appeared first on Speak Your Silence.

My day today started with a situation about dogs and then taught me a greater lesson regarding the issue my organization focuses on every day.

Today I did something I don’t believe I’ve ever done before – I called animal control to report what I suspect I have witnessed as poor treatment of a couple golden retrievers near where I live in Boise.

Every day, I drive by an old farm and see two golden retrievers tied up, independently, to both a fence and a tree.  And that is where they live their lives – they’re not even tied up next to each other for companionship.

Well, I’ve witnessed this for a number of months, and at all times of day – morning, noon, and night.  And those goldens are always there.

Finally, I decided to call animal control to let them know that I don’t believe those two dogs are being cared for.  And, if they are, I suspect it is very minimally.

Well, as I gave the lady the address of the home, she already knew it by heart.  She said, “Oh yeah, I know that property.  We’ve had a lot of calls on them.”  And, as a result of them visiting the property so many times, the property owners no longer allow them onto the property.  What does that mean?  It means I now have to go to the Humane Society in order to file a legal summons stating that I suspect abuse/neglect.  And then I might have to appear in court.

That sucks.  But I’m going to do it, because if I don’t, who else will?

Oh, and then I posted this to social media, and… well, I discovered that there are a good number of others who are also fired up now and plan to go file a summons as well.  So, apparently I’m not the only one (good!).

Well, along the threads of conversation that took place on facebook, one guy stepped in and gave a thoughtful opinion about not starting a riot based on bad information.  I totally understand that logic – it’s not good to start a war based on bad info.  True.  However, this dude then went on to say that we should keep our noses out of it until we know beyond a doubt that poor treatment is taking place.

No, no, no, no, no, no…  NO!!!

You see, THAT is precisely the mentality that fosters not just things like today regarding the neglect of dogs, but of what my organization focuses on every single day – child sexual abuse.

I believe a very famous institution followed this guy’s logic.  And that institution is called Penn State.  And we all know what happened there.

I wasn’t going to engage in an online debate – not worth my time and energy.  However, I did find it necessary to simply rebut his comment and make sure others know that he is simply wrong.  It is NOT up to you and me to be investigators – that’s what investigators are for.  It is up to us to simply trust our gut.  If you believe in your gut that something just isn’t right… you should do something about that.

Had Joe Paterno, or Penn State’s president, or their athletic director, or their janitor, or anyone else along the line at Penn State simply had the guts and the conviction to step up and say “Um, hey, something’s not quite right here”, do you have any idea how much crap those young boys could’ve been protected from?  No, but instead, all those men chose to “mind their own business” and do nothing.  And, as a result, Jerry Sandusky’s victim count went up and up and up.

This guy on the facebook thread told me to “enjoy being ‘That Guy’”, poking my nose into other people’s business.  And to that I say, “Gladly.”

Could I be wrong?  Yep.  Could those owners be totally awesome and love their dogs?  It’s highly unlikely, but yes – there is certainly that possibility.  Could I be making an idiot of myself by making a big deal of it?  No, not really.  Because, even if I’m totally wrong, at least I’m making a statement that I’m not going to put up with people or animals being treated like crap.  I trust my gut, and I’ll let the authorities take it from there.

Will it be obnoxious for the owners of those dogs that I’m going to report them, especially if I’m wrong?  Heck yeah it’ll be obnoxious – I’d be annoyed.  But, if those dogs are being treated well, then perhaps the owners will get a little smarter and start painting a better picture for people about how they treat their dogs.

We have a duty, as humans, to stand up for those who don’t have a voice and who need to be defended.  I focus my days on protecting kids as well as helping people who’ve already been victimized.  But, really, that principal carries into every aspect of life.  If you witness acts that you do not believe are okay and are hurting another, it is your responsibility to report on your suspicion.

So, I guess I’m “That Guy.”  But, I’m okay with that.  And , you know, I don’t like people butting into my business anymore than anyone else does.  But, if I was doing something wrong and treated an animal or a human poorly, it’d still be your responsibility to report that about me.

Do what’s right.  Report on your suspicions and don’t wait until it gets worse.  Trust your gut.

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