Book Excerpt

The whispers have been around for years. You likely have heard the allegations against this guy or the other one. Then like a dam that ruptured and flooded the land, women are speaking up. Floating in the waters of this flood are the stories of the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted.

The thoughtless ways that some men have treated women is a problem that has finally surfaced in a big way. While this issue has only recently reverberated around the world at a deafening volume, we know the truth: These issues have been going on for some time now. We reap what we sow.

When I first learned of the #MeToo movement, I was glad to hear that women were speaking up about the harassment, abuse, and assault to which they were being subjected. These women have shown courage as they speak out about a culture that has glossed over inappropriate male behavior. They exhibit amazing resolve as they identify the men who have sexually harassed them. They show just how brave they really are. It is encouraging to see bravery in action because it shows us that we, too, can be brave in recognizing and calling harassment out in others—and in ourselves.

The #MeToo movement encourages me for another reason. This one is more personal. I have two daughters. One just entered the workforce after graduating from college. The other finished college a few years back and is already in the workforce. As I think about the atmosphere and culture to which they will be exposed in their careers, I worry for them. I raised my daughters to be proud of who they are, to respect themselves. And I want others to respect them as well. Knowing that this movement has exposed bad behavior brings me comfort as I release my daughters to their own lives. What man wants his daughter(s) to be sexually harassed?

Imagine the man who might treat your loved one—your wife, daughter, sister, mother—disrespectfully. He might be a selfish, entitled, thoughtless man who thinks he has the right to humiliate and oppress women just because they are women. He might be a poor soul who doesn’t even recognize the inappropriate ways he treats women. He may treat them disrespectfully because of the environment in which he grew up or because of some other issue.

How would you feel to learn that man had disrespected someone you love deeply?

And what if that man is you?