I know the title seems loud and upsetting, and it should make you feel exactly that way. It is time to be honest, be loud and speak about this every day.
With March’s celebration of Women’s History Month and ongoing unanswered questions about the Epstein Files, I thought it was time to be loud, honest and demand change that will at least cripple the power of rich white men who hide behind that power and most often religion.
Knowing my history may help with this column. I was a closeted redneck hillbilly who lived much of my life at church. My dad was rumored to follow the teachings of the Klan. My friends in the Catholic Church were altar boys who were sexually abused. My mother and her two sisters were sexually abused by their father in rural Bowling Green, Kentucky. So abuse of children and especially young women or girls has always been in that culture, I believe. It ruined my mother’s life and her other two sisters who never trusted men again.
When we talk about the Epstein case, we are talking about a documented truth about America. Jeffrey Epstein was convicted of sex crimes involving minors. Court records and investigations revealed a network of wealthy and powerful individuals who associated with him. That alone should disturb all of us.
The case exposed how power, money and influence can shield abuse for years. There are still unanswered questions and still survivors seeking justice. Yes, these were children, please stop calling them women. And do I think they will ever get justice? Sadly, no.
This also brings me to how society and culture have long allowed girls to be pushed into adult situations far too early, sometimes even through marriage to grown men. I grew up in the hills, and we once thought the Oscar-winning film and life story of Loretta Lynn in “Coal Miner’s Daughter” was romantic and sweet? This past month was the anniversary of this great film and bio flick. Truth is, she had just turned 14. Doolittle was 21. Was that really appropriate?
We normalized things that should have made us uncomfortable.
What makes this issue even more disturbing is how often society chooses to look the other way. Communities frequently protect reputations, institutions and traditions instead of protecting children. Families stay silent to avoid shame. Churches move leaders quietly instead of reporting crimes. Schools, youth programs and organizations sometimes fail to act because they fear scandals more than they fear the harm being done.
The result is that victims are left carrying the burden alone while the adults who should have protected them remain comfortable.
We have seen this pattern repeat across decades, across states and across institutions. It is not isolated. It is systemic.
Over the decades, documented abuse scandals within churches, including the Catholic Church, have revealed failures to protect children. Investigations confirmed that abuse occurred and that institutions did not always act quickly or transparently. Churches were supposed to be safe spaces. In too many cases, they were not.
This is not about one institution or one political party. It is about power without accountability.
President Trump was found liable in civil court for sexual abuse in the E. Jean Carroll case and ordered to pay damages. That is a matter of public record. Leadership shapes culture. The tone we accept at the top influences what we tolerate below. Mr. Trump has even called female journalists “piggy” and moved toward them like a predator.
We all seem to accept this behavior towards women by our president.
When powerful people are connected to scandals involving exploitation or abuse, the public deserves transparency. The Epstein case raised many questions that still linger. His death in jail was officially ruled a suicide, yet public skepticism remains.
But the deeper issue is larger than one man.
There is a popular quote that says:
“Girls are taught to shrink. To soften. To stay quiet. To stay small. They say girls should be pretty, not powerful. Liked, not loud. Not here. Not in this house. We raise strong girls. Loud. Bold. Sassy. Girls with willpower and confidence. Girls with fire, with voices, with backbone. Girls who ask why. Girls who say no. Girls who don’t fold. Girls who don’t shrink. Girls who take up space. Raise them brave. Raise them wild. Raise them unapologetic. Because well behaved women rarely make history.’”
Children deserve a world where their voices are believed the first time they speak. They deserve adults who protect them without hesitation and systems that deliver justice without fear or favoritism.
Until that happens, we cannot honestly claim to be a moral society. The safety of children should never be controversial.
It should be the one thing we all refuse to compromise.
Martin “Leigh Shannon” Fugate is a local business owner, actor, comedian and entertainer. A strong advocate for getting out the vote and creating political change, he is a past candidate for local political office.
