Recently, I received a message from someone I hadn’t spoken to in years.
He wrote: “Many years ago, I made a rape joke on Facebook. You commented on it letting me know how distasteful and terrible it was. I just wanted to thank you for that.
“At the time I thought not being a rapist was enough. It is not. The idea I would always try to stop rape if I saw it in person was enough. It is not. I thought a rape joke is just a joke. It is not. I’m ashamed of myself for once believing those things. It was a bitter pill at the time, but I really needed to take it. Thank you for always putting yourself out there and stopping/teaching ignorant people like me. I don’t know if you ever get discouraged, but I know personally you helped at least one boy to grow up a better person.”
It felt like a breath of fresh air.