Keep On Shining the Light

by Michael Cormier

Recently, the Boston Globe Spotlight team headlined its Sunday edition with a story titled “Schooled in Shame.” The focus was sexual abuse at private schools in New England, and though pedophilia has become a mainstream subject these days, the story was another cold slap to the face.

After years of silence, former students of some of the most prestigious college preparatory schools in New England have been speaking out to the Spotlight team, hoping their stories will encourage others to do the same. On local television, at least two particular individuals – now middle-aged – described how their own abuse led to a lifetime of nightmares and pain that still haunt them today.

As I watched the television news segments and read the Globe story, I found myself shaking my head in wonder. It was like I had sat down to talk with Gerry Brewster all over again. For those of you who don’t know, Gerry Brewster is the gentleman with whom I recently co-authored a book on this same subject (Why, Brother, Why; Tate Publishing; 2016). Gerry suffered sexual abuse at the hands of priests at a local boarding school back in the sixties, and he had asked me to help him tell his story.

During our interviews, Gerry kept telling me about his own nightmares and how vivid they still were after half a century. A pretty tough customer in his younger years, Gerry would wake up screaming and crying – even while in prison, where he landed more than once thanks to opiate addiction. To this day, Gerry told me, the same dreams still haunt him.

Why, Brother, Why?, due out in June, 2016, is about child sexual abuse and its after effects
Why, Brother, Why?, due out in June, 2016, is about child sexual abuse and its after effects

After interviewing Gerry, I admit I was left with a little skepticism. I kept asking myself how this could be true, how after all these years this man could still carry around the same fear embedded deep in his subconscious like a primal response. All it took was a little research on the topic, however, to realize that these longterm effects are actually common. Men and women who suffered sexual abuse as children can relive the horror long into adulthood. There’s also a tendency to develop trust and intimacy issues that may stay with them the rest of their lives. The luckier ones get help through therapy. Others never talk about it, carrying the burden all alone.

Gerry talked about it. To his credit, he went even further than that. After his mother died a few years back, he began writing in a notebook about his own experience and how it affected his life. When he asked me to help him write his book, I hesitated. It’s a subject so gut wrenching that the tendency is to distance ourselves whenever we can. Even reporters don’t usually recount the lurid details.

But I knew I had to do that if I was ever going to make the reader understand. So I asked Gerry. To my surprise, he was perfectly willing to describe in living color what had happened. And I discovered to my shock that his memories hadn’t faded a bit after half a century. Gerry recalled the minutest of details all the way down to the scent of the aftershave his perpetrator wore. The emotional imprint Gerry described was even stronger. And he’d had to relive this horror over and over again for decades.

That, to me, is the biggest heartbreak. Each act of sexual abuse isn’t just a one-time thing causing temporary hurt and focused mistrust. That would be bad enough. It’s more like a constant torture, repeated over and over in the victim’s mind. It might repeat every day, or once in a while. Either way it’s always there, the monster under the bed. It may not spring tonight, or even tomorrow night. But it’s there, waiting for the most opportune moment.

I can’t imagine going through life like that. But Gerry did. He still does. In the past he dulled the pain with heroin, but even drugs couldn’t stop the pain. The only thing that seems to have helped is sharing his story, knowing it might help other victims. I like to think it will.

Similarly, I like to think the latest Spotlight expose is yet another step toward understanding and dealing with this blight. The Spotlight team’s investigation some years ago into the Catholic Archdiocese’s coverup of child abuse was an even bigger step, but only because it highlighted institutional secrecy surrounding the problem. It took years for us to first digest the fact that men of the cloth could do such a thing, then to accept that it could be so widespread. Nowadays, pedophile priests are old news; you know this is true when standup comics joke about them.

67 private schools in New England have faced accusations of child abuse since 1991.

90 lawsuits or other legal claims have been filed on behalf of alleged victims.

37 or more school employees have been fired as a result of allegations.

Source: Boston Globe  

Now we’re learning that the problem is widespread within New England private schools – another venue once thought to offer a safe environment for our children. It shouldn’t come as a surprise: like all predators, pedophiles go where the available stock is most prevalent. Yet many people will still find it shocking. After all, private schools are supposed to attract only the finest, most serious educators, right? Maybe. But pedophilia is democratic: it knows no race, age, education or economic boundaries.

Which is why the Spotlight story is so important. We need to keep talking about this problem. We need to drag the monster out from under the bed into the light of day and examine it in all its revolting, putrid glory. It’s an ugly exercise, but there’s no other way. Only when we come to understand the illness of pedophilia –  and not just the crime – will we stand a chance of winning the battle against it.

It won’t be easy. And it won’t be soon. If the war on drugs has taught us anything it’s that an illness that begins with an overwhelming urge is not easily conquerable. It’s not enough to just hate on these perpetrators, vilify them, threaten to lock them up forever, or even line them up and shoot them as some would prefer. Oh sure, it might stop that particular person from doing it again. But it won’t solve the overall problem.

Turning up the light dimmer and pointing the beam is not the solution, either. But it’s increased our vigilance regarding yet another venue. Hopefully, it’s increased our vigilance a bit more in general.

Either way, it’s a good start.

3 thoughts on “Keep On Shining the Light”

  2. I agree with MaryLou whole heatedly. Sunlight is the best disinfectant! Interesting how so many social issues thought to be only in the inner cities and poor communities are now showing up across the spectrum. i.e. sexual abuse, opioid abuse, etc. Great work Mike and keep on shining.

    Reply

  9. Nicely put. Appreciate it!
    http://canadianpharmaciesnnm.com/
    best online canadian pharcharmy mexican pharmacies shipping to usa cialis online canada pharmaceuticals online
    canadian pharmacies that ship to us
    online canadian discount pharmacy
    cheap drugs online
    canadian drugstore online
    legitimate online pharmacies
    canada pharmacies online prescriptions

    Reply

  16. Awesome facts. Thanks a lot.
    http://canadianpharmacyntx.com/
    discount pharmaceuticals canadian cialis pharmacy price comparison canadian pharmacy online
    prescription drugs without prior prescription
    safe canadian online pharmacies
    pharmacy prices compare
    prescription prices comparison
    canada online pharmacies
    canadian online pharmacies

    Reply

  17. You actually said that fantastically.
    http://canadianpharmacyntx.com/
    online drugs canadian pharcharmy overseas pharmacies canadian online pharmacies
    top rated canadian pharmacies online
    canadian pharmacy
    canadian pharmacies that are legit
    best online pharmacies no prescription
    buy prescription drugs without doctor
    price prescription drugs

    Reply

  18. Good forum posts, Thanks.
    http://canadianpharmaciescubarx.com/
    best non prescription online pharmacies canadianpharmacy cheap canadian drugs canada pharmacy online
    canadian family pharmacy
    canadian prescription drugs
    online pharmacies no prescription
    mexican pharmacy online medications
    canadian drugs without prescription
    pharmacy drug store

    Reply

  21. Thanks a lot! Useful stuff.
    http://talahicc.com/
    canadian drug stores online mexican pharmacies shipping to usa mexican pharmacy online medications canadian pharmacies online
    no prescription pharmacy
    canada pharmacy online no script
    pharmacy drug store
    online canadian discount pharmacy
    canadian pharmacy without prescription
    pharmacy drug store

    Reply

  23. Really tons of terrific material!
    http://canadianpharmaciesnnm.com/
    trusted overseas pharmacies canadian pharcharmy canada pharmacy online orders canadian pharmacies
    canadian pharmacies online prescriptions
    canadian pharmacy reviews
    canadian pharmacy without prescription
    canadian drug
    pharmacy price compare
    prescription prices comparison

    Reply

  25. Amazing forum posts. Thanks a lot!
    http://www.canadianpharmacymsn.com/
    online pharmacy no prescription canadian pharmacies that ship to us canadian pharmacy meds aarp approved canadian online pharmacies
    prescription cost
    get prescription online
    prescription without a doctor’s prescription
    trust pharmacy canada
    canadian pharmacies shipping to usa
    best canadian online pharmacy

    Reply

  26. Whoa lots of helpful info.
    http://canadianpharmacymim.com/
    buy prescription drugs without doctor canada online pharmacies canadian cialis online pharmacies canada
    drugs without prescription
    prescription price comparison
    online canadian pharmacy
    canada pharmacies without script
    online canadian pharmacies
    prescription drugs online without

    Reply

  27. You said it adequately.!
    http://canadianpharmaciescubarx.com/
    best online pharmacies canada top rated canadian pharmacies online pharmacy price compare online pharmacies of canada
    cheap prescription drugs online
    pharmacy drug store
    mexican pharmacy online
    canadianpharmacy
    buy prescription drugs from canada
    canada pharmacy online no script

    Reply

  38. You actually said it adequately!
    http://canadianpharmacyntx.com/
    top rated online canadian pharmacies mexican pharmacies shipping to usa best online pharmacies canada canada pharmacy online
    online pharmacy usa
    canadian online pharmacies prescription drugs
    trusted overseas pharmacies
    buy online prescription drugs
    canadian pharmacies top best
    prescription drugs online without doctor

    Reply

  39. You actually revealed that well!
    http://canadianonlinepharmacynnm.com/
    canada pharmacy online no script canada drug prescription cost canadian pharmacies
    best canadian online pharmacy
    canadian cialis
    canadian pharmacies online prescriptions
    prescription pricing
    prescription without a doctor’s prescription
    canadian online pharmacy reviews

    Reply

  42. Cheers. Plenty of facts!
    http://canadianonlinepharmacynnm.com/
    prescription prices comparison northwest pharmacy best non prescription online pharmacies canada drugs online
    most reliable canadian pharmacies
    get prescription online
    canadian pharmacy reviews
    canada drug prices
    medical information online
    online pharmacy without prescription

    Reply

  52. With thanks. I appreciate this!
    http://canadianpharmaciescubarx.com/
    online pharmacy canada pharmaceutical online ordering canadian mail order pharmacies online pharmacies canada
    best online pharmacy
    canadian online pharmacy reviews
    pharmacy without dr prescriptions
    canadian pharmacies that are legit
    cialis canadian pharmacy
    online canadian discount pharmacy

    Reply

  55. Valuable advice. Cheers!
    http://canadianpharmacymim.com/
    get prescription online canadian pharcharmy canadian drug store aarp approved canadian online pharmacies
    the canadian pharmacy
    canadian online pharmacy reviews
    pharmacy without dr prescriptions
    buying prescription drugs canada
    discount prescription drug
    legitimate online pharmacies

    Reply

  60. Thank you! Quite a lot of write ups!
    http://canadianpharmaciescubarx.com/
    king pharmacy canadian pharmacies without an rx get prescription online canadian pharmacies
    reputable canadian mail order pharmacies
    canada drugs online pharmacy
    the canadian pharmacy
    canadian pharmacy king
    prescription drugs prices
    us pharmacy no prior prescription

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *