This is a silent, peaceful demonstration of support for victims and a call for awareness about abuse and how to respond correctly to these situations. We believe that support for victims is especially important for those who know the love of Christ. We need to go above and beyond the minimum effort as required by the government and we need to uplift and encourage those victims. This is a healing p
rocess and victims must know that we will be there with them through the entire struggle. Although one of our main goals is to see the BJU faculty, staff, and administration support victims and handle cases of abuse correctly, we feel that there has been a misunderstanding about the name of our group. Our main goal has always been to petition fellow students at Bob Jones University to do right in supporting abuse victims through spreading awareness and by responding appropriately to abuse. We believe that the students of BJU can be the voice for victims who have been misunderstood and mistreated. While we continue to insist that BJU show support towards victims, we the students must be the change that we seek. This is a call for students to stand up for victims and to be the voice of the abused. This is not an attack on BJU, this is a defense and a support of the victims; we believe that BJU has a huge amount of potential to reach out and help victims; but things must change.
--------- What do we mean by support? -----------
Support is defending and taking care of victims so they are safe to heal. Victims will never heal if they remain in a harmful environment where they are being further hurt by a lack of compassion, understanding, and help. You can not help a victim without understand the ripple effect that abuse and trauma has on the life of the victim and on those around them. Abuse can not be healed quickly or brushed aside with one or two meetings a year. This is an ongoing struggle that we must face together. Abuse is an epidemic throughout all groups, but we Christians have a responsibility to stand with the abused and lift them up, instead of condemning them for their past and present struggles as a result of the abuse.
------- How are we showing our support? --------
How are we demonstrating??? We will just wear red on December 12th and change our profile pics to the Do Right BJU profile pic. A sea of red during chapel and on Facebook could help change everything! We will communicate those in leadership at BJU about how to spread awareness on campus and in local churches
We will create support groups amongst the students to promote healing and awareness. We will continue to share information both online and in person about abuse, abuse prevention, and how to help those who have been abused. We will not overlook the root of the problem when abuse victims struggle with problems like alcoholism, drugs, self mutilation, eating disorders, etc. We will advocate for victims at BJU by requesting that the topic of abuse is regularly discussed by those in charge via the available means such as chapel, society and dorm meetings. We will go to the pastors of local churches and request that they hold classes on the life shattering effects of abuse, common issues that those who have been abused struggle with and how to reach out without judgement when someone has been abused. We will be willing to answer questions that may be difficult to ask for those who are confused about what a victim goes through or how their lives are changed. If you are afraid to post a question publicly on the wall, you can e-mail us or leave an anonymous comment on our blog (DoRightBJU.blogspot.com)
We will strive to keep this board a respectful environment for ideas and discussions. We will continue to add goals to this list as we think of them.
------------ What are we asking for?? -----------
We the students of Bob Jones University ask only for transparency and accountability of the administration. We would like open discussions as opposed to generic answers. We want an open forum where concerns can be and will be fully addressed. If a forum would be hard to maintain, perhaps a regularly scheduled meeting on campus where we can talk to officials about our concerns. We want abuse within the church and within BJU to be taken seriously and not "hidden under the rug." We understand that it is difficult to talk about abuse but we believe that ignoring the pain and the resulting trauma is not the right answer. We want answers regarding the Chuck Phelps / Tina Anderson / Ernie Willis incident. We don't like to see a blind support of Chuck Phelps without any contact with Tina Anderson. We want to know why Bob Jones University separates itself from EVERY other Christian group and then stands by a pastor who protected a rapist/pedophile. We have heard them say "mistakes were made" but we would like specifics and a discussion about how such mistakes could be avoided in the future. We want to know why the members of the Board of Trustees are held to a lower standard regarding truthfulness than we as students are. When we the students make mistakes whether we regret them or not, we still suffer the consequences of our actions. We want to know why it's ok for the administration to hide the truth, lie on national television, intimidate students, and cover up crimes.
*Editors note, we are leaving this here even though this has been addressed out of a desire to leave up this issue.*
We want to know why is Bob Jones University going against federal laws and trying to shut down this peaceful demonstration. ***We would like to thank Bob Jones University for announcing that they believe we have a right to demonstrate. (http://tinyurl.com/7ht6two)***
---------What happens after 12/12?------------
12/12/11 is a date. What we want is a change and we the members of this group will seek to make it happen. Not just on 12/12/11 but throughout our lives. This group has grown far larger than we ever expected which further confirms the need for change. December 12, 2011 is not the end, but the beginning of a movement that will seek to regularly show support and make changes for victims of abuse. Abuse does not occur on one day and then dissolve with no repercussions. For the victim, it is a life shattering event that they will struggle with every single day. As a result, we are a group of people who seek to be there to help them through these struggles every single day. A common problem in mishandling abuse is when people fail to realize how damaging the effects are on a victim's life. They fail to understand how every little aspect of their existence is colored by the damage done to them. People often show support originally but become frustrated with the victims when they don't heal "fast enough." People don't understand how often 6 months to a year later, the victims begin making self destructive choices. Often, the reason behind these self destructive choices is that victims have felt like they were not understood and not accepted so they seek other ways to find relief. We want to be the bridge of understanding between victims and those who should be seeking to help them. We want to educate and spread awareness such as stated in our above goals. Though the idea of wearing red in chapel on a specific date was perhaps what originally drew attention to this page, we want to go above and beyond this. If you thought that Do Right BJU would stop after December 12th, you were wrong. Our goal is to bring attention to serious problems. Blaming the victim. Covering up abuse. Discouraging victims from reporting abuse. Doubting the victim. Addressing the sins in the victim's life without understanding why the victim is doing these things. Failing to be compassionate about the ups and downs of healing. A lack of compassion for how the abuse would color the victim's perceptions of God and whether or not He loves them. These are all wrong responses to abuse that must change. Other problems include the mentality that abuse of any kind is excusable, or the belief that the victim must have done something to provoke the attack. Also, the complete lack of training on how to handle abuse situations and the utter lack of knowledge on mandatory reporting laws. We will push for significant change at BJU and seek to create it ourselves. We will strive to work with BJU and local churches to create an environment where every student at BJU and every member of our community can feel safe, loved, and protected. Abuse is always wrong. Abuse should always be reported! Always, immediately, and to the police.
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***Contact Information***
Email: [email protected]
Blog: dorightbju.blogspot.com
Twitter: DoRightBJU
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--------------- Why Red? ---------------
this song by Sovereign Grace, Jesus Thank You,
says it better than we ever could! "The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend
The agonies of Calvary
You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son
Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me
Your blood has washed away my sin
Jesus, thank You
The Father’s wrath completely satisfied
Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table
Jesus, thank You
By Your perfect sacrifice I’ve been brought near
Your enemy You’ve made Your friend
Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace
Your mercy and Your kindness know no end
Lover of my soul
I want to live for You"
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Psalm 106:3
"Blessed are those who act justly,
who always do what is right." Matthew 18:6
"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." Matthew 19:14
"But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
Psalms 68:5
"Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation." Mark 2:17
"And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
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Influential websites, links, and blogs
Tina Anderson's Statement to the Concord Police Department: http://www.scribd.com/doc/44495191/Tina-Anderson-s-Statement-to-the-Concord-Police
Tina Anderson's Victim Impact Statement: http://www.scribd.com/doc/74229488/Tina-Anderson-Victim-Impact-Statement
The Tina Anderson Foundation: http://www.tinaandersonfoundation.org/
I Support Tina Anderson: http://isupporttinaanderson.blogspot.com/
Mildly Insightful: http://mildlyinsightful.com/
Flotsam & Jetsam: http://repurposedwreckage.blogspot.com/
Time to Laugh: http://www.drslewis.org/camille/
The Chance Rants: http://thechancerants.blogspot.com/
Chucklestravels: http://chucklestravels.wordpress.com/
Notes from the trial taken by a reporter in the area:
Day one: http://livewire.wmur.com/Event/Victim_Takes_Stand_In_Willis_Rape_Trial?Page=0
Day two: http://livewire.wmur.com/Event/Trial_Of_Ernest_Willis_Continues?Page=0
Day three: http://livewire.wmur.com/Event/Day_3_Of_Ernest_Willis_Trial?Page=0
Day four: http://livewire.wmur.com/Event/Willis_On_Stand_In_4th_Day_Of_Trial
