Th e
Opinion
CL ac I< amas P rínt
' 'Dear Mr. Jesus''
Dear Mr. Jesus, I just had to write to
you
Something really scared me, when I
saw it on the news
A story ‘bout a little girl beaten
black and blue
Jesus, thought I’d take this right to
you •
Dear Mr. Jesus, I don't understand
Why they took her mom and dad
away
I know that they don’t mean to hit
with wild and angry hands
Tell them just how big they are I
pray
Please don’t let them hurt your
children
We need love and shelter from the
storm
Please don’t let them hurt your '■
children
Won’t you keep us safe and warm
Dear Mr. Jesus, they say that she
may die
Oh I hope the doctors stop the pain
I know that you could save her and
take her up
to the sky
So she would never have to hurt
again
Please don’t let them hurt your
children.
Dear Mr Jesus, please tell me what
to do
And please don’t tell my daddy
But my mommy hits me, too
Please don’t let them hurt your
children...
words and music by Richard Klender ©
1985 Klenco, Inc. (Klenco Music
Group), ASCAP
http://www.daytheChild.org
Cry out against child
abuse; stop the tears
hild abuse cries for us all
to join the fight in saving
the lives of our children—
our future.
C
Make a
statement,
be heard...
ence more pain and hatred than love
and comfort. I shudder at the
thought of these same children grow
ing up and becom
ing what their
parents were,
to inflict suf
fering and
pain on their
own children.
I im
Opinion Editar
plore every
one to hug
your children, tell them you love
them, but please don’t ever raise
your hand in anger towards them.
It’s so sickening to hear the ex
cuses for the bruises: “The child fell
down the stairs,” or “They’re just
clumsy.” My God, when will it ever
stop? When will we as brothers,
sisters, mothers and fathers see that
hurting the children only hurts our
futures?
Join the fight. Let your voice be
heard. Call radio stations, request
to hear “Dear Mr. Jesus,” write let
ters, help to remind everyone that
the fight is far from over. Child
abuse is an issue that we need to
face everyday. We must fight for
those who cannot, or are too scared,
to fight for themselves.
SalenaDeLaCruz
In Oregon, according to the Or
egonian, children who suffered
abuse or neglect reached a high of
11,241 in 1999, a 10.8 percent increase
from 1998.54% were under the age
of seven.
I am shocked, even appalled.
Growing up in a strong, family-ori-
ented atmosphere, I never under-
stood the hurt that could be inflicted
on children by their parents. I re
member hearing the song, “Dear Mr.
Jesus” played on the radio. After
that I began to ask questions that
my mother didn’t quite know how
to answer. How do you tell your
children that parents may love them,
but they are still capable of hurting
their children?
The biggest question I had and
maybe still do is, do they love them
too much or not enough?
I cry for the children who experi-
" Querido Señor Jesus"
Spanish Translation & Adapta
tion by Roberto Cruz & Alberto
DZaz 1
These are the words to "Dear
Mr. Jesus," the song played
around the world to help in the
fight against child abuse. Join
the fight by requesting to hear
the song on local radio stations.
WEÓNEsdAy, M ay , 10 2000
Lost Innocence
-Anonymous-
Looking back on a time and place
Seeing a child’s innocent face
Knowing that things aren’t as they
appear
For inside she cries silent tears
Deep inside she is filied with pain
She feels dirty andfull of shame
If there isn ’t something different she
could have done
Why didn’t she scream or at least try
to run
Fear kept her frozen to the spot
While this grown man did what he
should have not
Shame and fear made her keep the
silence
Innocence lost at a very young age
Locked this child in a pain filled cage
There is no freedom or escape
Kept her telling anyone about the
violence
The thing that is shocking beyond
belief
From the fact this child was raped
While the guilty man is roaming free
Is that this child could not get any
relief
This child is sentenced to eternity
The same thing happened again and
again
Eternity locked away with all this
shame
The first one was just how it began
She can’t help but feel that she was to
blame
Even though common sense says it
was not her fault
More than one man did his worst
None of them caring about the child
they hurt
After the first time was it easy to tell
She can’t seem to help from having
these thoughts
Was it her pain and shame they could
smell?
What ifs ’ keep running through her
mind
With every touch a part of her died
She keeps going back io those
moments in time
Now she is in a prison that has no gate
Every one of them sealing herfate
Questions
or
comments
cccprint@clackamas.cc.or.us.
Child Abuse In America
Te escribo porque hoy vi ::
Algo en las noticias,
que deveras me asusto.
A una ninita que su mami la
golpeo
tan duro que se puede hasta
morir.
Querido Sr. Jesus,
yo no puedo comprender
por que a sus padres,
se los llevaron, yo no s&.
No son ellos tan grandes,
para asi golpear,
y a su propia hijita lastimar.
Chorus:
Por favor ya no permitas
que a tus ñiños hagan tanto
daño.
Por favor no lo permitas.
Queremos tu protección.
Querido, Sr. Jesus,
por la nina que yo vi,
haz que los doctoréis,
puedan quitarle eT dolor.
Pero si ella se muere,
al cielo llévala,
para que no vuelva a sufrir
mas.
Chorus:
Por favor no lo
permitas...etc.
Querido Sr. Jesus,,
no le digas a papa,
que a mi también me pega
muy duro mi mama.
_________________________ x
Statistics:
JÌ.GU& Ike
fan tke c/üldbieM,
• In 1997, more than 3 million child abuse reports were made.
• The actual incidence of abuse and neglect is estimated to be three
times greater than the number reported to authorities. Every 10 sec
onds a child is abused.
• Child abuse kills more children in America than do accidental falls,
drowning, choking on food, fires in the home, or suffocation.
• More than three children die each day as a result of parental mal
treatment.
• Head trauma is the leading cause of child abuse death among ba
bies. This includes shaken baby syndrome in which 25% of victims
die and the majority of survivors suffer brain damage.
Victims:
• Between 1995 and 1997, 78% of child abuse and neglect fatalities
were children under the age of five, 38% were children under one year
of age.
• Girls are sexually abused three times more often than boys, while
boys are at greater risk of emotional neglect and serious injury. Women
sexually abused before age 18 have lower levels of interpersonal func
tions and social adjustment as adults and are less likely to form trust
ing relationships.
Information obtained from www.childabuse.org
n Friday, December 1st, 2000, a worldwide media
event will be held to raise awareness for abused chil
dren, Day of the Child 2000. You can help make history,
along with thousands of radio stations whom we are asking to join
us on this day, along with media outlets, and child abuse agencies
around the globe. For more information go to:
http://dayofthechild.org.