Where is Your Flag?
by Doug Eadline
The Penn State story has been a constant headline in my local paper. I live in eastern Pennsylvania, so this coverage is certainly not unexpected. Often times, I cannot read all the details of the alleged events that took place in “Happy Valley.” My heart goes out to those boys, because if true, many were selected and groomed as victims due to their socioeconomic status.
I attended college not far from Penn Sate. I loved the bucolic countryside, the friendly people, and the slowness of life that seems to come with distance. Like most small towns, there is not much that happens on one side of the street that the other does not know about, even in State College, the home of Penn State. I find it hard to imagine that this was news to many who lived in the area – particularly those involved with both the football program and charity with which this man participated.
At some point the question must be asked, “Where were the adult men and women in the lives of these boys?” The answer that comes to mind is absent or hiding, or just not there. On further reflection, I ask, “To whom or what did they give away their power, their obligation, to protect our most important and vulnerable asset, our children?” If the stories are true, this man was a serial and sinister sexual predator wrapped in the protective blanket of the “program.”
In the case of Penn State the program was college football, but in a more general sense, the “program” can be any organization or idea to which one surrenders their voice.
Over the past year MKP USA has developed a membership program. The goal, like many other non-profit organizations, is to enroll and invite members to help support their mission. I believe in the MKP mission of creating a safer world by growing better men. We’ve been supporting men to become the best of who they are for over 25 years, and we have impacted hundreds of thousands of men, women and children. MKP USA directly serves nearly 7000 men across the USA every week, providing a safe and challenging environment to confront the tough issues and find new tools for success.
We need men standing up for children and not remaining silent when bad things happen. I know that I have learned a lot about how to stand up for myself and those I love doing this work, and I see a lot of men around me doing the same.
When I see a man find his voice on a New Warrior Training Adventure, I have hope in my heart. When I see a man and his family so utterly connected at a homecoming celebration, I have tears of joy in my eyes. When I see a man remember who he really is and why he is here, I am humbled and speechless.
I am a member of MKP USA for all these reasons and more. I’m not expecting anything in return as a member. I am a member because I believe the world needs the work we do. As I continue to read about all the silent suffering throughout the world today, I long for empowered adults who when witnessing or encountering such events will stand and exclaim, “No! Not today. Not on my watch.” I believe this is happening right now because MKP-USA has invited each man to peal back the blanket of lies and illusions that may have kept him quiet.
My invitation is to join me in supporting this noble mission. I ask that you, as a powerful man, stand with me and plant your flag in the ground and become a member. Your voice is welcome. Our grandsons are waiting, our granddaughters are watching.
Doug Eadline is a New Warrior, writer and consultant in Pennsylvania. His website is Johnny’s Garden
– is a deeply personal issue that everyone decides for himself. Sometimes the price is high, sometimes low. But this is not very important for life. Life is an interesting thing. And the price on Viagra – too.
