Sarah Palin Was Right—This Time

I don’t know if she and I will ever agree again.
But today, on this?
We stand on the same side of the truth.

I Am a Survivor.

I survived multiple perpetrators of child sexual abuse.
And I wasn’t the first in my family line.

I spent my son’s entire childhood doing everything I could to protect him from that same fate.
There were close calls—
But faith, family, community, and fight pulled him through safely.

I brought those ugly truths to light when I was just 13 years old.
And for over 40 years, I’ve been walking the healing path—not just for me, but for others too.

So let me tell you something I know for sure:

When Truth Only Counts If the Perpetrator Isn’t Likeable…

That’s dangerous.
That’s devastating.
That’s deadly for the victim.

Just imagine it:

A child who’s been raped must first figure out:

• “Do people like the person who hurt me?”

• “Do people even like me enough to believe me?”

And that becomes part of their survival math.
That’s the truth.
I’ve seen it over and over again.

The Inner Math of a Child in Danger

They weigh the risk.
They weigh the silence.
They weigh whether speaking up will cost them everything—
While the person who hurt them walks away with sympathy and applause.

Even worse?
They often don’t tell their parents.
Even if that parent is loving. Even if that parent would do anything for them.
Why?
Because if you’ve never talked to your child specifically about child sexual abuse—
what to expect, what safety looks like, what truth sounds like—
they often don’t think you’ll believe them.
That’s terrifying.

Instead, they tell a teacher.
Or they call a hotline.
Or they tell no one at all.

And It’s Not Just Children

Adult Survivors go through the same internal conflict:

• “Will they believe me?”

• “Will they say I’m destroying someone’s life?”

• “Will they say I waited too long?”

• “Will they care more about their feelings than my truth?”

And honestly, too often?
The answer is yes.

When Rules Don’t Apply Equally

This is why I say:
When the rules are the same for everyone, children don’t have to play these mind games.
They can speak freely, knowing that the truth is valid—no matter who the perpetrator is.

But that’s not the world we live in, is it?

If people like the accused—
The truth suddenly becomes fuzzy.
It’s ignored, debated, or buried.

Even if you showed a side-by-side chart comparing a person’s behavior to someone like Josh Duggar (whose actions are absolutely reprehensible),
some folks would argue in circles…
Or they’d go silent…
Or worse, they’d hand that person another award.

Meanwhile, the Children Keep Suffering.

And those children become adults…
Still suffering.
Still silenced.
Still watching the world protect the charming, the powerful, the well-liked.

But hey, you were entertained.
So I guess that’s what matters, right?

This is why we can’t have nice things.
Not everyone can handle the truth.
Not when the truth is inconvenient.
Not when the truth dares to challenge your favorite person.

But we still speak it.

Because some of us would rather protect the vulnerable than protect our comfort.